Permanent residence and temporary work permits. A licensed adviser confirms eligibility. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) publishes current rules at canada.ca.
How it works: Participating provinces set their own business, experience, investment, language and location requirements. Candidates may first receive support for a work permit, operate the business and meet a performance agreement before nomination. Federal permanent-residence assessment follows nomination; approval is not automatic.
British Columbia example: The Base stream covers starting a business or acquiring and growing one. The Regional stream focuses on new businesses in participating communities outside Metro Vancouver. Community priorities and referral requirements matter.
Planning focus: Show local demand, eligible investment, ownership, active management, job creation, operational milestones and financial resources. Check current intake and criteria before committing funds.
A separate selection process: Québec selects eligible business immigrants under its own programs. Successful selection is followed by a federal permanent-residence application and admissibility checks.
Entrepreneur planning: The appropriate pathway depends on the project and current Québec requirements. An innovative venture, a new business and a business acquisition can require different evidence. Verify the applicable program and intake with a qualified adviser.
Planning focus: Explain the business model, Québec market, founder’s role, funding, operations and implementation schedule. For an acquisition, assess the existing business, transaction assumptions and development plan. Selection or a purchase alone does not grant permanent residence.
Not open to new applications: Canada paused the Start-Up Visa Program on June 30, 2026. IRCC continues processing applications it had already accepted. An old program page or a support offer is not proof that new applications are available.
Existing applicants: Confirm the status of an accepted application, document requests and work-permit eligibility directly with IRCC and your representative.
Planning focus: Keep the business plan, operations, ownership, funding and progress records consistent and current. We can refine commercial documentation for an existing file; this does not reopen the program or guarantee an immigration result.
Purpose: C11 is an LMIA-exempt work-permit category for eligible owners seeking a temporary stay, usually for a temporary or seasonal business purpose. The work must produce significant economic, social or cultural benefits for Canada.
Key distinctions: Current IRCC guidance requires controlling ownership of at least 51%. Support business funding and personal living funds separately. C11 is not a permanent-residence program; self-employed work does not count toward Canadian Experience Class work-experience requirements.
Planning focus: Document the market, investment and operating budgets, owner’s skills, hiring, licences, measurable benefits and a credible temporary-stay and transition plan.
Who it may fit: Qualifying executives, managers or specialized-knowledge employees moving between related foreign and Canadian enterprises. Rules depend on the applicable agreement or exemption. Ownership alone does not establish eligibility.
What to examine: Corporate relationships, genuine operations, overseas employment and duties, the Canadian role and the business’s ability to support it. A new operation needs a credible establishment plan and resources.
Planning focus: Explain expansion, premises, financing, staffing, reporting lines, market-entry milestones and benefits to Canada. A temporary transfer permit does not automatically lead to permanent residence.
Purpose: C60 can support eligible provincial or territorial business candidates who need to establish or operate their business before nomination or selection for permanent residence.
Evidence: A provincial or territorial work-permit support letter is central. Candidates must also satisfy work-permit requirements, demonstrate ability to perform the work, and support a genuine business and significant benefits. Potential nominees are not yet permanent residents.
Planning focus: Align the plan with the provincial agreement, location, investment, hiring, cash flow and reporting milestones. Include implementation steps and adequate business and personal resources. Nomination and federal permanent-residence assessment remain separate steps.
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