Business Immigration
Canada actively courts entrepreneurs, investors, and international businesses – but the rules for business immigration have changed dramatically, and strategies that worked even a year ago may no longer be available.
Choosing the right pathway now requires an up-to-date understanding of which programs are open, which have closed, and which are about to change.
At Kabir & Alam, we help business owners, executives, and investors bring their plans to Canada – and we build strategies around the programs as they exist today, not as they existed when a blog post was written.
A changing landscape
For years, the federal Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs were popular routes for entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals.
Both are now closed to new applicants: the Start-Up Visa stopped accepting new applications at the end of 2025 (aside from a narrow filing window for founders who already held a 2025 commitment certificate), and the Self-Employed Persons Program has been paused indefinitely.
The federal government has announced that a new, targeted pilot program for immigrant entrepreneurs will take their place, with details expected during 2026.
If you began a Start-Up Visa application before the closure, or you are waiting on a decision, your file is still being processed – and we can advise you on your status, your work authorization options, and what the transition means for you.
For new applicants, the practical effect is this: provincial entrepreneur streams and work permit pathways are now the primary routes for business immigration to Canada.
Coming to Canada as a temporary worker or businessperson
Many business immigration strategies start with a work permit rather than a permanent residence application. Depending on your situation, options include:
- Intra-company transfers (ICT): If your company has a qualifying relationship with a Canadian entity – parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate – executives, senior managers, and specialized knowledge workers may transfer to Canada without a Labour Market Impact Assessment.
The ICT category has been significantly tightened: companies must now demonstrate genuine, revenue-generating operations in multiple countries, and using an ICT to open a brand-new Canadian office is no longer permitted. Well-documented corporate structure and business rationale are essential.
- Trade agreement work permits: Investors, traders, and professionals from countries with which Canada has free trade agreements – including CUSMA, CETA, and CPTPP – may qualify for LMIA-exempt work permits tied to their business activity or investment.
- LMIA-based work permits: Where no exemption applies, a Canadian business (including one you establish) may support a work permit through the Labour Market Impact Assessment process, which requires demonstrating that hiring a foreign worker will not displace Canadian workers.
- Significant benefit work permits: Entrepreneurs whose work in Canada would create significant social, cultural, or economic benefit may qualify under a discretionary category – one that has also come under stricter scrutiny recently, making the quality of the supporting evidence decisive.
- Business visitors: If you are coming to Canada for meetings, site visits, or other business activities without entering the Canadian labour market, you may not need a work permit at all – but the line between business visitor and worker is narrower than most people assume and crossing it can create serious problems at the border.
See our Temporary Resident Visa & Temporary Resident Permit page for entry requirements.
For a full overview of work authorization options, visit our Work Permits page.
Provincial entrepreneur streams
With the federal programs paused, Provincial Nominee Program entrepreneur streams have become the leading pathway for business owners seeking permanent residence.
Several provinces operate active entrepreneur streams, each with its own requirements for net worth, investment amount, business experience, and job creation – and most follow a two-stage model: you first establish and operate your business in the province on a work permit, then receive a nomination for permanent residence once you’ve met the terms of a performance agreement.
These streams change frequently – Ontario, for example, restructured its entire provincial nominee program in 2026 – and choosing a province is as much a business decision as an immigration one.
We can help you compare the streams you qualify for and prepare both the immigration filings and the business documentation they demand.
Permanent residence for businesspeople
A work permit is often the first chapter, not the whole story.
Time spent running or managing a business in Canada can support a permanent residence application through Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program, and senior managers and executives may benefit from category-based selection.
Structuring your temporary status with permanent residence in mind – from the wording of your job title to the way your Canadian role is documented – can make the difference between a smooth transition and a dead end.
Who we work with
Our business immigration services are built for:
- Entrepreneurs establishing or purchasing a business in Canada;
- Companies transferring executives, managers, or specialized employees to Canadian operations;
- Investors and traders relying on trade agreement categories;
- Self-employed professionals assessing their options while federal programs are paused;
- Canadian businesses hiring international talent.
How we can help
Business immigration applications are not purely procedural – they sit at the intersection of immigration law and business strategy. We can help you:
- Identify which pathways are actually open to you today;
- Structure your corporate relationships and documentation to meet program requirements;
- Prepare work permit, nomination, and permanent residence applications;
- Develop business plans and supporting evidence that stand up to officer scrutiny;
- Plan the transition from temporary status to permanent residence; and
- Respond to refusals, procedural fairness letters, and compliance issues.
The programs will keep changing. Our job is to make sure your strategy keeps up.
Book a consultation with us today, and let’s talk about bringing your business to Canada.