Starting a Small Business in Canada While on a Work Permit

Canada is a great place to live, work and play. If you’re here on a work permit and have thought about staying in the country, starting your own venture might be in the cards. However, there are some things you should know before working towards that goal. You want to make sure you’re not moving in the wrong direction.

Work permits in Canada are issued for specific jobs with a specific employer for a set time. Starting your own business here while on a work permit would be breaking the law since you’d be violating the terms of your work permit.

There are ways

Businesses in Canada can only be started by Canadian citizens or permanent residents (landed immigrants). But if you’re really keen on staying and you’re already here working legally, then you may want to consider looking into Canada’s New Start-Up Visa for Entrepreneur Immigrants or applying to immigrate to the country as someone being self-employed.

You can apply for permanent residency in Canada if you meet these guidelines:

• You’ve had at least a year of full-time (or the same in part-time) skilled work here three years before applying.
• Got that experience using the proper study or work permits.
• Meet all language requirements.
• Won’t be living in Quebec.

Last year the government started an online initiative, Express Entry, that oversees permanent residency applications of people wanting to live here as skilled workers. You’ll have to disclose the following:

• What kind of skills you have.
• Your work experience.
• Level of education.
• Whether you can speak either English, French or both.
• Divulge the same about your spouse if you’re married.

Points count

A ranking system will categorize you depending upon the information you provide.You’ll be entered into a possible candidates pool if you meet the criteria. If you scored high, you may be invited to apply for permanent resident status in an express entry round of invitations held regularly by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

CIC will look upon these factors as a detriment:

• Involvement in terrorist acts, subversion or espionage.
• Have been a member of any organization partaking in unlawful acts like money laundering, smuggling people or other criminal activities.
• Violating human rights outside Canada.
• Being a citizen of a sanctioned country.
• Health issues dangerous to the public or needing monumental medical care.
• Criminal offence convictions outside Canada.

Learn more from Ontario Business Central.