Canadian Business Visas
Australian entrepreneurs, investors or start-up founders may be eligible to immigrate to Canada (or expand their business footprint there) through various Canadian business visa options. Visit visas are also available for short-term business purposes.
To know more about the Canadian business visa options, whether you are eligible, what supporting documents you need, how to apply for a suitable visa and subsequently extend its validity, or what business immigration services Total Law provides, call us today on +1 844 290 6312 or contact us online.
Canadian Business Visas Overview
Canada’s thriving economy, world-class public infrastructure, and a stable financial and political situation attract many overseas business owners and foreign entrepreneurs to the country, both for a short-term and a long-term basis.
Most country nationals will need to apply for a visitor visa if they want to take part in short-term business visits in Canada. A visitor visa will allow you to stay in Australia for up to six months and engage in certain permitted activities except paid employment.
Australian citizens, however, do not need a visitor visa to Canada for business purposes. Instead, they will need to obtain an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) to enter the country through a Canadian airport.
If they are planning to travel to Canada by car, train, bus or boat (including cruise ships), they must have a valid passport or any other relevant travel document.
For long-term business activities, Canada has several federal and provincial business programs in place, customised to attract specific types of foreign investment and to cater to the particular needs of business immigrants.
These programs are also known as settlement routes as you can get permanent residence in Canada for yourself and your eligible family members in one to two years through most of these options.
Benefits of Doing Business in Canada for Australians
Due to their shared British heritage, Canada and Australia have a longstanding relationship fostered by their shared history and culture.
At present, the two countries enjoy strong bilateral relations based on their policy convergence on many areas of interest, such as trade, economic growth, security, migration, transportation, indigenous, social, cultural, academic and regional issues.
They also have the largest bilateral defence relationship in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which came into force in 2018, witnessed further strengthening of trade ties between Canada and Australia.
Australia’s foreign direct investment into Canada was $27.2 billion in 2023, increasing from $25.6 billion in 2022.
The ‘Doing Business in Canada’ 2024 report released by the Australian government recommends the following focus sectors for Australian business owners in Canada:
- Horticulture
- Meat and livestock
- Wine and beverages
Apart from food and agribusiness, Canada also provides official support to foreign investors and entrepreneurs interested in doing business in advanced manufacturing, cleantech, electric vehicle supply chain, life sciences, technology, and natural resources.
World-class education and medical services, housing standards in major cities similar to Australia, availability of skilled job seekers, and a low crime rate have been playing important roles behind Australian business owners moving to Canada with their families.
In addition, Canada’s inclusive, cosmopolitan and multicultural society–mirroring that of Australia–has made it easier for Australian business owners to find a ‘home away from home’ in Canada.
Types of Canadian Business Visas
Overview
In this article, we have discussed various Canadian business visas (content targeted towards Australians), from the perspectives of both short-term and long-term business activities. Please note that multiple visa categories may be applicable in your case depending on your immigration circumstances.
It is also advisable to keep in mind that the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial governments do not provide any financial support to business immigrants. You must prove that you have enough money to support yourself (and your family members, if any) for at least one year after arriving in Canada.
Business Visitor Visa
If you are wishing to travel to Canada from Australia to participate in business activities for up to six months, you may need to apply for a business visitor visa (or an eTA if you are an Australian citizen). A business visitor visa or eTA for business purposes will allow you to take part only in the following activities in Canada:
- Purchase Canadian goods or services for an overseas company or government
- Take orders from Canadian businesses for supplying goods or services
- Attend meetings, conferences or conventions, or go to trade fairs
- Provide after-sales service as part of a warranty or existing sales agreement
- Receive training from a Canadian parent company (if you work for a subsidiary or branch of the said company abroad), or from a Canadian company from which you have purchased equipment or services
- To train employees of a Canadian subsidiary/branch of an overseas company
You will not be allowed to take up any paid work in Canada on a business visitor visa. In addition, to qualify for a business visitor visa (or eTA for short-term business purposes), you must be able to prove that:
- You do not plan to stay in Canada for more than six months
- You are employed/self-employed outside Canada
- You meet the basic entry requirements in Canada, such as you:
- Have a valid passport/travel ID
- Have sufficient financial means to cover your stay in Canada
- Are not a criminal
- Do not pose any security or health risk to Canadians, etc.
Start-Up Visa (SUV) Program
The Canadian government designed the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program for foreign entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas related to a technological product or service. Since its inception in 2014, the SUV has been a flagship innovation visa program in the Canadian business scene, by attracting many overseas entrepreneurs to Canada and, in return, offering them a pathway to become a permanent resident.
The latest IRCC data, released in early 2024, shows that the Canada SUV program has had an 84% approval rate in 2023. The IRCC statistics for 2023 further show that the approval rate was 86% for business incubators, 78% for angel investors, and 85% for venture capital funds.
To qualify for the Canadian SUV program, your proposed start-up business in Canada must:
- Have an innovative idea
- Create jobs for Canadians
- Be able to compete globally
To apply through this program, you must first get your business innovation idea approved by a designated organisation in Canada. Your start-up business must be a new business and receive a commitment from:
- A designated angel investor group, investing at least $75,000 in your business (alternatively, two or more such groups may jointly invest that amount), or
- A designated venture capital fund, investing at least $200,000 (alternatively, two or more such funds may jointly invest that amount), or
- A designated business incubator, accepting your start-up into its business incubator program
You must submit the ‘Letter of Support’ (i.e. the letter given to you by the respective angel investor group, venture capital fund or business incubator) along with your application. In addition, you will need to meet the minimum language requirement, i.e. obtain a minimum score of CLB5 in English or French, and prove that you have sufficient financial means to invest in your business in Canada as well as to settle in the country.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced certain significant changes in the SUV program in April 2024 to reduce application backlog and improve processing time. It put a cap on permanent residence applications linked to the SUV program. In addition, IRCC introduced priority processing for applications backed by Canadian capital or supported by incubators that are members of Canada’s Tech Network.
These changes in immigration policies have been designed keeping in mind the principle of encouraging quality over quantity, making the Canadian designated organisations focus on supporting only the most promising ventures. While limited application slots may lead to a healthy competition among foreign start-ups, faster processing of priority applications will offer a clear advantage to start-ups with Canadian financial backing or those linked to key incubators.
Entrepreneur Visa (C11)
Australians who seek to run their own businesses in Canada as a self-employed person or as an entrepreneur, may consider the C11 route under Canada’s International Mobility Program (IMP). It allows foreign entrepreneurs and investors to get work permits in Canada as self-employed individuals.
However, please keep in mind that unlike the SUV program, a C11 work permit is not a route to permanent residency in Canada.
To qualify for a C11 permit, you must be able to demonstrate that:
- Your work in Canada will be done on a temporary or seasonal basis, and you have plans to leave the country after a specified time period
- Your profession or business is going to generate significant economic, social or cultural benefits, or opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The economic, social or cultural benefits to your Canadian clients can also be considered if you are a self-employed person (particularly in case of services that are unique in nature)
If your business nature is seasonal, the temporary nature of your work in Canada may be easier to prove. In contrast, foreign national owners of year-round businesses in Canada must provide substantial evidence to show that they intend to remain in the country for a temporary period.
In such a scenario, you may have to submit a detailed business plan offering more insights into who will be running your business on your behalf when you leave Canada.
Please also note that to be eligible for a C11 permit, you must have at least 50% control of your business in question. Individuals with less than 50% control will have to instead apply for a work permit as an employee rather than as a self-employed person. They may also be subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) unlike C11 applicants.
A C11 work permit is typically issued for 12 months, given the temporary nature of your work in Canada.
However, it may be extended provided your business in Canada is active and profitable, and you can convince the IRCC officers that your extended stay in Canada is required for the sake of your business.
For visa-exempt foreign nationals such as Australians, an eTA will be issued automatically with the C11 permit. The eTA will usually be valid for five years (or until the applicant’s passport expires), even if the work permit expires during the said period.
However, if you require a temporary resident visa depending on your nationality, the visa will be valid as long as your C11 work permit is valid (or as long as your passport is valid in case it expires first).
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has been designed to provide the provincial or territorial governments an opportunity to invite immigrants depending on their specific requirements and at their discretion. The PNP route offers eventual permanent residency to foreign nationals, provided they meet the relevant requirements.
Usually, provinces and territories in Canada target international students, business immigrants, and foreign skilled and semi-skilled workers under PNP. To be eligible to immigrate to Canada through the business immigration PNP route, you will need:
- To submit a detailed plan to develop your business in Canada
- To declare your net worth and the investment you are going to make in the provincial or territorial economy
The required investment amounts may differ from province to province (as well as from time to time). It is advisable to check with your selected province or territory to understand their eligibility specifications. Moreover, if you have relevant work experience in managing a business in the same category, it may further facilitate your PNP application.
To apply, you will first have to check your eligibility for the PNP of your chosen province(s) or territory(s) in Canada. Next, you will have to get in touch with the concerned province or territory through the official channels to apply for a nomination. Once nominated, you will have to apply for Canadian permanent residence online. You may also be able to apply through the Express Entry system.
In this regard, please note that Nunavut and Quebec do not have PNPs. While Quebec has opted to determine its economic immigration selection process, Nunavut does not offer any specific immigration pathway at present. However, foreign nationals who have obtained permanent residency in Canada through a federal program can settle in Nunavut.
Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Program
The intra-company transfer (ICT) route under the International Mobility Program (IMP) in Canada allows multinational companies to transfer their high-skilled foreign workers to their Canadian branches, subsidiaries or affiliates on a temporary basis.
As a company owner, you may take this route to come to Canada and expand your business footprint in the country. The underlying idea here is to transfer yourself as an employee from your company’s overseas operations to your Canadian business entity.
This route is thus applicable for those business owners, entrepreneurs, and shareholders of foreign companies who currently hold executive positions in their respective companies. You must intend to do similar work in Canada if you apply through this route.
While the ICT program is not a direct route to permanent residence in Canada, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residency after completing a certain period of full-time work in the country.
For the first ICT work permit application, you will have to:
- Submit a sound business plan for your company in Canada, showing the financial viability of your proposed business in the country
- Prove that your Canadian operations will be able to generate sufficient revenue to cover its costs including employee compensations
- Prove that such a venture will create jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents
- Show that your proposed company will require an executive or a managerial position in Canada for day-to-day management (i.e. your business operations in Canada will be too complex to be managed from overseas)
In addition, your overseas business must meet the following criteria:
- Your existing business must have been operational for at least 12 months in its home country before applying to expand in Canada (note: the ideal period is at least three years)
- The home company has sufficient financial means to support its Canadian expansion plans
- The home company must be related to the proposed Canadian company as a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate
Moreover, you must be working in your home company for at least 12 months in the past three years prior to your ICT application.
On 3 October 2024, the IRCC released updated guidance relating to the ICT program. To qualify for ICT, the foreign business must now be a multinational corporation, with “revenue-generating operations in at least two countries, before establishing an enterprise in Canada.”
Additionally, the applicant now requires to have specialised knowledge necessary for their role in the Canadian business operations.
Quebec Immigrant Investor and Entrepreneur Programs
Under the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration, Quebec has set up its own immigration requirements. The province operates its own immigrant investor program and immigrant entrepreneur program. Both are direct routes to permanent residence in Canada.
There are two classes of business immigrants in Quebec: investors and entrepreneurs. You can apply under only one of these classes. Moreover, once your application is submitted to the Quebec government, you will not be allowed to change the class you are applying under.
If you want to immigrate to Quebec under the investor program, you must invest C$800,000 in the province and have a net worth of C$1,600,000. On the other hand, if you choose the Quebec immigrant entrepreneur program, you must have a net worth of $300,000.
For both programs, you must intend to live in Quebec and must be selected by the Quebec government. You will be subject to Quebec’s own conditions rather than federal conditions.
How Can Total Law Help?
Our team of competent and sympathetic lawyers come with the required expertise, experience and legal knowledge in business immigration Canada to assist you, regardless of how complicated your case might be.
If you are seeking overall advice with your Canadian business visa application or you would like an immigration expert to complete your application on your behalf, we are happy to help.
We also offer a document and application checking service, in case you just need us to conduct a final check to confirm that your documents and application adhere to IRCC rules and guidelines.
To discuss further about how we can help you, reach out to our expert immigration advisers today on +1 844 290 6312 or fill out an online contact form.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Canadian business visa application may be returned for insufficient documentation or incomplete information, or refused if the visa officer determines that your application does not meet the minimum requirements for the concerned immigration route.
Your application may also be refused due to medical or criminal reasons (although such cases are quite rare).
Please consider consulting an immigration lawyer if your Canadian business visa application has been returned or rejected, given the legal complexities involved. Call us on +1 844 290 6312 today to speak with our legal team.
Yes, you can bring your eligible family members (usually spouse/partner and children) if you are moving to Canada via any of the long-term business immigration routes discussed in this article.
