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InterJurisconsult law firm has successfully represented business people, business corporations/companies, international organisations/not-for-profit organisations/non-profit organisations/non-governmental organisations(NGOs)/religious groups/charitable organizations/, and partnerships in their Canadian immigration matters. We assist business corporations and other organisations in their employee relocations to any part of Canada, and we also assist individual business persons in their temporary or permanent relocation to any part of Canada. Our firm handles all Canadian immigration matters, and we cooperate with other Canadian professionals providing corporate, commercial, real estate, accounting and other professional services. In addition, we cooperate with foreign professionals to provide our clients with Global immigration services and other professional services.

Work Permits (for Temporary Work in Canada) Intra-Company Transfers (for Temporary Work in Canada) Business Visitor Visas (for Temporary Business Visits to Canada) Federal Business Immigration Programs (for Permanent Residence in Canada) Quebec Business Immigration Programs (for Permanent Residence in Canada) Provincial Nominee Programs for Business Persons (for Permanent Residence in Canada)

Depending on circumstances, foreign business persons (or foreign employees of businesses or not-for-profit/non-profit/non-governmental/charitable organizations) may come to Canada to engage in a business activity on temporary basis, or on permanent basis. Such persons may require a work permit or business visitor visa if they come to Canada on a temporary basis, and if they want to engage in a permanent business activity in Canada, they will have to apply for permanent residence in Canada.

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Foreign persons may be applying for work permit on the basis of confirmation from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), or on the basis of HRSDC exempt work permit category.

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Foreign persons working for business entities, or not-for-profit/non-profit/non-governmental/charitable organizations abroad may be sent to work in Canada under Intra-Company Transfer in a corresponding parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate establishment operating in Canada.

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Engaging in certain types of business activity in Canada may not require a foreign person to obtain a work permit, and in such case a foreign person may be admitted into Canada as a business visitor.

Foreign business persons may be eligible to obtain a work permit to do business in Canada. Obtaining such work permit for business activity in Canada may create an opportunity to later apply for permanent residence in Canada.

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Canadian Provinces and Territories have various Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) for prospective immigrants who have a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer. Both Canadian employer and foreign employee have to be involved in the PNP application process at different stages. Some Canadian employers find PNP programs to be very attractive avenues for recruiting and retaining foreign skilled workers. One of the advantages of PNP programs is that they allow foreign skilled workers to apply for Canadian work permits on the basis of PNP nomination even before completion of permanent residence application process with the Federal Government of Canada.

Canadian Provinces and Territories have various business immigration programs as part of their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP). N.B.: Among the most important requirements of PNP programs is for the business immigrants to settle and set up a business in the Province or Territory they choose to immigrate to.

Alberta PNP Financial Eligibility (for Self-Employed Farmers only):

• Net worth: at least CAD$500,000
• Investment: at least CAD$500,000

British Columbia PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Net worth: at least CAD$400,000
• Investment: at least CAD$200,000

Manitoba PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Net worth: at least CAD$350,000
• Investment: at least CAD$150,000
• Deposit: CAD$75,000, prior to nomination

New Brunswick PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Net worth: at least CAD$300,000
• Investment: at least CAD$125,000
• Deposit: CAD$75,000, prior to nomination

Ontario PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Investment: at least CAD$3,000,000

Prince Edward Island PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Net worth: at least CAD$600,000
• Investment: at least CAD$150,000
• Deposit: CAD$150,000, prior to nomination

Saskatchewan PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Net worth: at least CAD$300,000
• Investment: at least CAD$150,000
• Deposit: CAD$75,000, prior to nomination

Yukon PNP Financial Eligibility:

• Net worth: at least CAD$250,000
• Investment: at least CAD$150,000

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Canada needs experienced business people with sufficient capital to make their contribution to the Canadian economy. Federal Government and a number of Provincial Governments have designed business immigration programs. There are 4 business immigration categories under the Federal business immigration program: Start-Up Visa, Investor, Entrepreneur, and Self-employed.

START-UP VISA (Federal Immigration Program) - New Program!

The Start-Up Visa Program allows immigrant entrepreneurs from around the world to start innovative businesses in Canada that will create jobs in Canada and will one day be able to compete internationally. The Start-Up Visa Program connects immigrant entrepreneurs with private investors in Canada that invest in start-up businesses.

Program Requirements:

• Obtain a letter of support from a designated Canadian angel investor group or Canadian venture capital fund
• Provide proof of ability to communicate in English or French
• Provide proof of successful completion of at least one year of study at a post-secondary educational institution
• Provide proof of having sufficient financial resources to settle in Canada

INVESTOR IMMIGRATION (Federal Immigration Program) - N.B.: This Program is currently suspended, and no new application can be submitted under this Program at this time.

In 2010, Canadian Government has established new eligibility criteria for the Immigrant Investor Program. According to some of these new criteria, new Immigrant Investors must:

• have a personal net worth of $1.6 million
• make an investment of $800,000 for 5 years without interests (financing from Canadian Financial Institutions may be available)

Canadian Immigration Minister indicated that these changes were necessary as "the requirements had not been increased in more than a decade and we need to keep pace with the changing economy."

The new investment and net worth requirements have brought Canadian Immigrant Investor Program closer to other developed countries with similar programs (e.g. USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand).

Canadian Immigrant Investor Program offers several benefits to other Immigrant Investor Programs, including granting of permanent resident status up front, as well as guaranteed repayment of the investment (if not using financing options through the Canadian Financial Institutions).

New Immigrant Investor Applications received on or after 1 December 2010 will be processed alongside the old ones. Thus, processing of new Immigrant Investor Applications will be considerably faster than old Immigrant Investor Applications.

Immigrant Investor may be able to obtain financing through a Canadian Financial Institution by prepaying the interests and the cost of borrowing (currently estimated by the Canadian Financial Institutions to be around $180,000). If Immigrant Investor chooses financing option, then authorized Canadian Financial Institution will make a deposit of $800,000 to the Canadian Government on behalf of Immigrant Investor after receiving the prepaid interests and cost of borrowing from the Immigrant Investor.

ENTREPRENEUR IMMIGRATION (Federal Immigration Program) - N.B.: This Program is currently suspended, and no new application can be submitted under this Program at this time.

Under Federal Entrepreneur Immigration Program, prospective business immigrant must meet the following requirements:

• Must have at least 2 years of suitable business experience (based on managing a qualifying business and controlling equity in qualifying business, for at least two years during at least two years within the period beginning five years before submitting entrepreneur immigration application and ending when a decision is made on entrepreneur immigration application);
• Must have a net worth of at least CAD$300,000 (the net worth should have been legally obtained; and after deduction of any liabilities, the combined net worth of spouses or common-law partners should exceed CAD$300,000, based on fair market value valuation);
• Must meet the selection criteria for the Entrepreneur Program, based on experience, education, age, language abilities (English and/or French) and adaptability.

After arriving in Canada as a Federal Entrepreneur Immigrant, the entrepreneur must comply with the conditions of Federal Entrepreneur Program in Canada.

Immigrant under Federal Entrepreneur Program must fulfill the following requirements within 3 years of becoming a permanent resident in Canada:

• Must control required percentage of equity in a Qualifying Canadian Business in Canada. The required percentage of equity depends on the following factors: number of jobs created in Canada, level of total annual sales, level of annual business income, value of net assets at the end of the year;
• Must actively manage such Qualifying Canadian Business in Canada for at least 1 year after becoming a permanent resident in Canada;
• Entrepreneur's business in Canada must have created the equivalent of at least 1 full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (excluding the entrepreneur and entrepreneur's immigrant family unit).

Operation of entrepreneur's business in Canada must not have been done primarily for the purpose of deriving investment income (e.g. interest, dividends or capital gains).

Federal entrepreneur immigrant must provide his/her address and telephone number to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada office within six months of entrepreneur's becoming a permanent resident in Canada.

Federal entrepreneur immigrant must also provide evidence of entrepreneur's efforts to meet the conditions of the Federal Entrepreneur Immigration Program within 18 to 24 months of becoming a permanent resident in Canada.

In addition, Federal entrepreneur immigrant must prove that the entrepreneur immigrant has met the conditions of the Federal Entrepreneur Immigration Program within 3 years of becoming a permanent resident in Canada.

Failure to comply with the conditions of the Entrepreneur Program could lead to loss of entrepreneur's and his/her family's permanent resident status in Canada.

SELF-EMPLOYED IMMIGRATION (Federal Immigration Program)

Federal Immigration Program for Self-Employed Persons is intended to attract prospective immigrants who have the intention and ability to become self-employed in Canada.

In order to qualify for Federal Immigration Program for Self-Employed Persons a prospective immigrant has to satisfy the following requirements:

• Must have relevant experience (participation in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level; or self-employment in cultural activities or athletics; or farm management experience). Such relevant experience should enable prospective self-employed immigrant to make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada; or, alternatively, prospective self-employed immigrant farm management experience should have intention and ability to buy and manage a farm in Canada;
• Must fulfill selection criteria, based on experience, education, age, language abilities (English and/or French and adaptability).

All immigrants should also meet medical, security and criminal checks requirements.

Federal and Quebec Governments signed a Canada-Quebec accord which allows Quebec to operate its own immigrant investor, entrepreneur and self-employed immigration programs.

INVESTOR IMMIGRATION (Quebec Immigration Program):

Here are some financial requirements of Quebec Investor Program:

• Net Assets: min. CAD$1,600,000
• Investment: CAD$800,000 for 5 years without interests (N.B.: It's possible to obtain financing of CAD$800,000 from a Canadian bank)

ENTREPRENEUR IMMIGRATION (Quebec Immigration Program)

SELF-EMPLOYED IMMIGRATION (Quebec Immigration Program)

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