Business Immigration
Canada is open for business.
The pathway depends on your situation.
Business immigration is Mahyar's deepest area of expertise. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a senior executive, or a startup founder, there is a structured pathway to Canada built for your profile.
Check Your EligibilityRCIC Licensed · Business Immigration Specialist
Business Pathways
Four routes for business owners
and entrepreneurs.
Each pathway has different eligibility requirements, timelines, and outcomes. Mahyar will identify which one fits your specific background and goals.
Mahyar's specialty. This Provincial Nominee stream targets foreign graduates who want to launch a new business in Alberta — purchasing an existing business does not qualify under this stream. Most consultants are unaware of its specific requirements — Mahyar has successfully guided clients through it when others thought it wasn't viable.
Ideal For
Post-secondary graduates with business management experience and a viable business plan for Alberta.
Work Permit
Intra-Company Transfer (C11 / C12)
Under the International Mobility Program, qualifying managers, executives, and specialized knowledge workers can transfer from a foreign company to a Canadian affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company. C11 covers entrepreneurs operating through their own Canadian company.
Ideal For
Business owners registering a Canadian company (C11) or senior employees transferring within a multinational structure (C12).
Permanent Residency
Provincial Entrepreneur Programs
Most Canadian provinces operate their own entrepreneur streams, each with different investment thresholds, net worth requirements, and business types. Mahyar monitors active streams — including niche programs that open and close quickly — to identify the best fit for each client.
Ideal For
Entrepreneurs with demonstrated business ownership or management experience and sufficient net worth to invest in a Canadian business.
Canada's Startup Visa offers permanent residency to entrepreneurs backed by a designated Canadian incubator, accelerator, or venture capital firm. As of December 2025 it is not accepting new applications and no reopening date has been announced — entrepreneurs starting now are usually better served by a provincial entrepreneur stream.
Ideal For
Applicants already in the queue, and entrepreneurs planning ahead for a possible reopening.
Eligibility Signals
Who is a strong business immigration candidate?
Business immigration has some of the most complex and variable eligibility criteria of any Canadian pathway. The following signals indicate a strong profile — but Mahyar will assess your specific situation before making any recommendation.
013 to 4 years minimum business management or senior management experience
02Post-secondary education (preferred, required for some streams)
03Sufficient net worth — varies by stream, typically CAD $300K to $1M+
04English language ability (IELTS B1 level or above preferred)
05Genuine intent to actively manage the business in Canada
Eligibility by Pathway
How requirements differ across the four routes.
| Pathway | Experience | Net Worth / Capital | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup Visa Program (intake paused) | Not required by regulation, though a credible track record strengthens the Letter of Support case | No fixed minimum, but sufficient settlement funds are required | CLB 5 minimum in English or French |
| Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream | Business management or ownership experience, or a related post-secondary credential | Minimum personal net worth set by the province; check current figures at assessment | CLB 5 minimum in English or French, the same threshold as the Start-up Visa |
| Intra-Company Transfer (C11 / C12) | Typically 1+ year in a managerial, executive, or specialized-knowledge role at the foreign company | Sufficient capital to establish and operate a genuine Canadian business (C11) | No fixed minimum, but ability to operate the business matters in practice |
| Provincial Entrepreneur Programs (general) | 3+ years business ownership or senior management, varies by province | Typically CAD $300K–$1M+, varies significantly by province and stream | Usually CLB 4–5 depending on the specific program |
Requirements are set and updated independently by each program — figures change with each update. Mahyar will confirm your current numbers during assessment.
How It Works
Four stages across every business pathway.
01
Identify the right pathway
With four structurally different routes — federal Startup Visa, provincial entrepreneur streams, intra-company transfer, and niche programs like Alberta's — matching your background to the right one is the first and most consequential decision.
02
Build the supporting case
Depending on the pathway, this means securing a Letter of Support, preparing a business plan, documenting net worth and source of funds, or building the corporate relationship required for a transfer.
03
Submit the application
Each pathway has its own application stream, fee structure, and required forms — federal and provincial applications are not interchangeable and must be filed correctly the first time.
04
Establish and operate the business
Many pathways require genuine, active management of the business in Canada, not passive investment — officers may verify this at various stages, including PR confirmation.
Fees & Costs
What each pathway costs, roughly.
Figures change with each IRCC or provincial update — Mahyar will confirm your current numbers during assessment. Treat the amounts below as planning ranges, not final totals.
| Pathway | Approximate Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Startup Visa Program | ≈ CAD $2,600–4,800 total (processing + RPRF), from a single applicant up to a family of four | Excludes Letter of Support costs charged separately by the designated organization (see below). |
| Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream | ≈ CAD $3,700 in combined provincial and federal government fees | Two-stage cost structure: provincial nomination first, then a federal permanent residence application. |
| Intra-Company Transfer (C11 / C12) | ≈ CAD $230–1,000+ work permit processing fee, depending on category and whether an LMIA-exempt offer of employment fee applies | C11 also involves business registration and incorporation costs outside the immigration fee itself. |
| Provincial Entrepreneur Programs (general) | ≈ CAD $2,000–3,800, varies widely by province | Some provinces also require a refundable good-faith deposit tied to the business investment commitment. |
< 6 mo
Entrepreneur approvals, not years
Results typically delivered in under six months, well inside the multi-year timelines common in business immigration
7+
Years business immigration focus
Deep, current knowledge of every active Canadian entrepreneur pathway
Common Refusal Reasons
Why business immigration applications get refused.
Business plan lacks depth or credibility
Generic market research, unrealistic revenue projections, or a plan that doesn't reflect the applicant's actual industry background are the most common weaknesses officers flag.
Source of funds not properly documented
Net worth and investment capital must be traceable to legitimate sources — recently transferred lump sums without a clear paper trail routinely raise concerns.
Letter of Support withdrawn or never secured
For the Startup Visa, the designated organization's backing is not guaranteed — pitching to the wrong type of organization for your business, or an underdeveloped pitch, is a common failure point.
Insufficient evidence of active, ongoing management
Programs that require genuine business operation can scrutinize whether the applicant is actually running day-to-day operations versus functioning as a passive investor.
Corporate structure doesn't meet transfer requirements (ICT)
Intra-company transfers require a genuine qualifying relationship between the foreign and Canadian entities — thin or newly created corporate structures invite additional review.
Mismatch between applicant experience and proposed business
A business concept far outside the applicant's demonstrated experience or industry background can undermine credibility, even when the paperwork is otherwise complete.
A Strong Fit If
- Entrepreneurs with a credible, well-researched business concept and the ability to pitch it to a designated organization
- Business owners with 3+ years of management experience and documented, legitimate net worth
- Managers, executives, or specialized-knowledge employees with a genuine transferable role at a multinational company
- Applicants willing to actively operate a business in Canada, not simply invest passively
Probably Not the Right Fit If
- Applicants seeking a purely passive investment route with no intention of active management
- Business concepts with no clear connection to the applicant's prior experience or industry knowledge
- Anyone expecting immediate permanent residence — most business pathways involve a multi-stage process measured in months to years, not weeks
Common Questions
What business immigration clients ask most.
Which business pathway is fastest?
It depends heavily on your profile. Alberta's Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream and Intra-Company Transfer can sometimes move faster to a work-authorized status than the Startup Visa's PR-first structure — but 'fastest' and 'best fit for you' are not always the same answer. Mahyar will walk through the trade-offs during assessment.
Do I need Canadian citizenship or residency to start the process?
No. All four pathways are designed for applicants living outside Canada, including US-based entrepreneurs. Some routes (like C11) get you working in Canada faster, while others (like Startup Visa) target permanent residence more directly.
What's the difference between the Startup Visa and a provincial entrepreneur stream?
The Startup Visa is a federal program requiring a Letter of Support from a designated national organization and leads directly to permanent residence. Provincial entrepreneur streams are run independently by each province, often require a business investment and operating history in that province first, and typically involve a two-stage process — provincial nomination followed by a separate federal PR application.
Can I buy an existing business instead of starting a new one?
Some provincial entrepreneur streams explicitly allow purchasing and taking over an existing business rather than starting from scratch. Graduate entrepreneur streams generally do not — Alberta's Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, for example, requires launching a new business. Eligibility details vary significantly by province and by stream, and this is exactly the kind of distinction that determines whether an application is viable. Mahyar checks it before you commit to a route.
Do I need a Canadian business partner?
Not necessarily. Some pathways allow up to five founders on a single Startup Visa application, and partners do not need to be Canadian. Provincial and ICT pathways have their own structural requirements that Mahyar will walk through based on your specific plan.
What happens to my application if the designated organization or province changes its criteria mid-process?
Designated organizations and provincial programs periodically update their intake criteria, investment thresholds, and available streams. This is one of the reasons ongoing monitoring matters throughout the process — Mahyar tracks changes to active programs so clients are not caught off guard.
Is there a minimum investment amount for business immigration?
It varies by pathway. The Startup Visa itself has no fixed minimum investment (though a credible business needs adequate capital), while provincial entrepreneur streams often set explicit net worth or investment thresholds, commonly in the low-to-high six figures CAD. Figures change with each program update — Mahyar will confirm your current numbers during assessment.
Scope Note — Quebec
Quebec administers its own immigration system independently of federal and other-provincial programs. Globe Gate's practice covers federal and non-Quebec provincial business immigration streams. For Quebec's investor immigration program, see Quebec's official investor program page.
Looking for business immigration guidance specific to your city?See city guidance →
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Is business immigration the right path for you?
Book a free assessment to discuss your business background, net worth, and which pathway fits your specific profile.
Check Your Eligibility