Immigrate as a self-employed person

Start a Business in Canada Without Living in Canada

 If you do not immigrate to Canada and are not a Canadian citizen or a landed immigrant (have permanent resident status), you can still start a company in Canada. The important thing to understand is that the rules about who can and who can’t start certain types of businesses are determined by Canada’s individual provinces and are different from province to province (or territory).

For instance, currently, the province of British Columbia (B.C.) has the most flexible rules regarding non-resident businesses. In that province, anyone can start a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation whether they’re a Canadian citizen or not.

To start a business in B.C. you need to:

  • Have a real physical address for your business (a post office box is not good enough).
  • Have the correct work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
  • Submit an Investment Canada application for review. (The Investment Canada Act states that “non-Canadians who acquire control of an existing Canadian business or who wish to establish a new unrelated Canadian business are subject to this Act, and they must submit either a Notification or an Application for Review.”)

Then you’re ready to follow the necessary steps to set up your new small business in Canada.

If you want to start a business in any other province or territory, you will have to check on their particular requirements. If they do not allow non-Canadians to start the type of business you would like to start there, you might set up a partnership or a corporation with one or more Canadian citizens or landed immigrants.

Obviously, as a non-Canadian, if you are setting up a partnership with one other person, that other person would have to be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.

Permanent Residence under the Business Immigration Program

The Business Immigration Program

Canada welcomes successful business people who are seeking new opportunities and challenges. The Business Immigration Program is designed to encourage and facilitate the admission of these individuals. Both the federal and provincial/territorial governments welcome business immigrants and offer services to help immigrants start a business and settle in Canada.

The Canadian and Regional Governments are constantly reviewing and changing their program which means there may be many options for you to choose from. We can help you find the right program. We are partnered with a prestigious Regulated Canadian Migration Consultant who is registered under Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (RCIC: R520558) .

We look forward to providing the utmost service for you and to ensure reliability. Contact us to help you.