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The Canadian Entrepreneur Immigrant Programme is one of several Canadian business visas, which together constitute the Canadian Business Immigration Program. This business immigration route, as with the Canadian Immigrant Investor Program or (IIP) and the Self-Employed Immigrant visa is designed to attract applicants with desirable business skills and experience who wish to live and work in Canada on a permanent basis, thereby helping to further develop the economy.

Whichever Canadian business visa service is right for you, as a specialist Canadian immigration consultancy Global Visas can assist you at every step of your application. Our immigration consultants can help you to navigate the range of available visas for Canada to establish which immigration service is best suited to your needs and can provide everything required for your relocation to Canada, with detailed information on immigration processes and immigration lawyer expertise.

Benefits

The Canadian Entrepreneur visa offers a route to permanent residence in Canada and allows applicants to begin living and working in Canada without the need for a specific job offer, as would be the case with a Canadian work permit. Unlike short-term Canadian visas such as the Canadian visit visa or tourist visa, Entrepreneur visas do not place any restrictions upon the type of work which applicants may seek and undertake upon arrival. Applications for migration to Canada via this route will be afforded permanent resident status, and after three years in Canada, immigration applicants may progress from permanent residency to apply for Canadian citizenship.

Eligibility Criteria

In Canada, Immigration applications under the Entrepreneur program require that applicants should be able to demonstrate two years of business experience. In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate a minimum net worth of $300,000 CDN.

Visas for immigration to Canada of this kind focus upon attracting immigrants who will manage and own businesses, which will create jobs and contribute to the Canadian Economy. Applicants must commit to manage and own at least one third of a business of a pre-defined size for at least a year, which will create at least one job for a permanent resident in Canada or Canadian citizen, outside of their family. Candidates may only apply for one Canadian business immigration service, and once an application has been submitted, switching to another route is not permitted.

Points System

Like the Canadian Skilled Worker visa, and other skilled migrant programmes around the world such as the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP in the UK, The Entrepreneur scheme involves a points based skills assessment. Candidates who wish to migrate to Canada via this route, are rated on their educational achievements, business experience, age and language proficiency with a minimum pass mark of 35 points.

Business experience

In Canada, visa applications of this kind are granted between 20 and 35 points for business experience gained in the five years prior to the application's submission.

Education

5-25 points are awarded for education in a Canadian visa application of this kind. Points are based on an applicant's highest academic achievement and years spent in education as set out below:

Master's Degree/PhD and a minimum of 17 years in full-time study - 25 Points.
Two or more Bachelor's degrees and a minimum of 15 years in full-time study - 22 Points.
Three-year diploma, apprenticeship or trade certificate and a minimum of 15 years in full-time study - 22 Points.
Bachelor's Degree plus a minimum of 14 years in full-time study - 20 Points.
Two-year diploma, apprenticeship or trade certificate and a minimum of 14 years in full-time Study - 20 Points.
One-year Bachelor's degree plus a minimum of 13 years in full-time study - 15 Points.
One-year diploma, apprenticeship or trade certificate and a minimum of 13 years in full-time study - 15 Points.
One-year diploma, apprenticeship or trade certificate plus a minimum of 12 years in full-time study - 12 Points.
Graduation from Secondary School - 5 Points.

Language Skills

The Entrepreneur scheme constitutes a route to settled status as a permanent Canadian resident and accordingly, Applying for a Canadian work visa of this kind requires proficiency in either English or French, the official languages of Canada. Candidates with proficiency in both languages should elect one as their "first language". Points are awarded in the four abilities of speaking, listening, reading and writing with a maximum of 4 points per area for the first language, and two points in each area for the second.

First Official Language (Points are given per ability area)

High - 4 Points.
Moderate - 2 Points.
Basic - 1-2 Points.
None - 0

Maximum - 16

Second Official Language (Points are given per ability area)

High - 2 Points.
Moderate - 2 Points.
Basic - 1 - 2 Points.
None - 0.

Maximum points - 8

Overall maximum - 24

Age

Canadian immigration visas of this class also award points for an applicant's age. The maximum obtainable is 10 points, and this will be awarded to candidates between the ages of 21 and 49. Beyond this range, two points are deducted per year with no points awarded to candidates aged below 17 or over 53.

Adaptability to life in Canada

Six extra points can be obtained for demonstrating an ability to adapt to life and business in Canada. Applications for Canada Visas can be bolstered by demonstrating that candidates have:

Made an exploratory business trip to Canada in the five years preceding the application.
Participated in an immigration programme run as a joint federal-provincial initiative.

In either of the above circumstances, documentary evidence will be required from your destination province.

Dependants

In Canada, business visa applications make provision for spouse immigration and dependent immigration, allowing your husband, wife, common-law partner, or unmarried partner to join you in Canada. Unmarried dependent children under the age of 22 may also join you

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