(The Minister will not receive any application under this Program between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018 – 2017-004 Ministerial Order from the Minister of l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion dated March 24, 2017)
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur Program
If the Entrepreneur (alone or with the accompanying spouse or de facto spouse) has the required experience, financial resources and meets other criteria listed below and those of applicable law and regulations, BDIA can assist the Entrepreneur to file an application under the Entrepreneur Program to immigrate to Canada.
The entrepreneur must be, well, an entrepreneur! That is he or she must be described at the definition of “entrepreneur” at the Quebec regulations. The definition currently reads as follows:
21. The economic class includes a foreign national at least 18 years of age in one of the following subclasses:
(b) “entrepreneur”: a foreign national who has at least 2 years of experience in the operation of an enterprise that the foreign national acquired in the 5 years preceding the date of filing of the application and comes to Québec
i. to create or acquire an enterprise to manage himself, or to participate as an associate in the management and daily operations of an enterprise, and control at least 25% of the equity, alone or with his accompanying spouse, including de facto spouse, that percentage being worth at least $100,000 if the enterprise is
– an agricultural enterprise situated and operated in Québec; or
– an industrial or commercial enterprise situated and operated in Québec that will employ on a permanent basis and for a minimum of 30 hours per week at least 1 Québec resident other than the foreign national and the foreign national’s accompanying family members; or
ii. after acquiring, alone or with the foreign national’s accompanying spouse, including de facto spouse, at least 25% of the equity, that percentage being worth at least $100,000, of an enterprise described in subparagraph i, to manage the enterprise himself or to participate as an associate in the management and daily operations of the enterprise;
The Entrepreneur must be at least 18 years of age.
The required experience of the Entrepreneur is the actual assuming on a full-time basis, for at least 2 years in the 5 years preceding the date of filing of the application and comes to Quebec, of responsibilities and duties related to the planning, management and control of material, financial and human resources in a profitable and lawful enterprise of which the entrepreneur controls at least 25% of the equity, alone or with his accompanying spouse, including de facto spouse.
The entrepreneur’s management experience must be in profitable enterprises.
The entrepreneur’s management experience must be in lawful enterprises.
The Entrepreneur must satisfy the immigration officer that he, alone or with the accompanying spouse, married or otherwise, has net assets of at least $300,000 CAN;
The assets must have been acquired legally, that is not in breach of the laws of his country and consistent with the laws and practices generally accepted in Western countries.
The entrepreneur must demonstrate how he accumulated his assets. He must account for the history.
A history of legally obtained assets includes having always paid all of his taxes and that of the companies he is responsible for or being able to provide evidence of the laws of his country whereby he or his companies are eligible to exemptions.
For his business project in Quebec, the entrepreneur may:
- Create his business when he comes;
- Join a business when he comes;
- Buy a business when he comes;
- Have already bought a business.
The entrepreneur must provide a business project.
The first 3 options above have a potential of generating 30 points. The entrepreneur need at least 18 on the 30. He may get up to 10 points for market exploration, up to 15 points for feasibility of project, and up to 5 points for financial resources as assessed from his business project.
The last option -having already bought a business in Quebec- generates 30 points, but only if the officer is satisfied the business will be profitable.
100 000,00 CAD.
The Entrepreneur and his spouse must control at least 25% of the enterprise.
The entrepreneur must manage his Quebec business actively, that is be there hands on, full time on a day to day basis.
There must be at least one full time (30 hours a week) job created for a Canadian other than the entrepreneur himself or his spouse.
The Entrepreneur must meet the regulatory passing score:
Preliminary Processing Phase
The passing score is 13 points out of a total of 23 points – Entrepreneur with or without spouse or de facto spouse.
Selection Phase
The passing score is 50 points out of a total of 112 points – Entrepreneur with or without spouse or de facto spouse (in relation to carrying out a business project in Quebec). The passing score is 60 points out of a total of 112 points – Entrepreneur with or without spouse or de facto spouse (in relation to the acquisition of an enterprise in Quebec)
Points Allocation
The points are distributed among the following factors:
14 points – Training (Education Level: max: 14 points; & Areas of Training: 0 point) ;
- 12 points – Experience : Cutoff Score: 6 points (2 years);
- 10 points – Age;
- 22 points – Language Proficiency (French: max: 16 points; – English: max: 6 points);
- 8 points – Stay and Family in Quebec (Stay in Quebec: max: 5 points; – Family in Quebec: max: 3 points);
- 1 point – Financial Self-Sufficiency : Cutoff Score: 1 point;
- 5 points – Adaptability;
- 10 points – Financial resources: Cutoff Score: 6 points ($300,000);
- 30 points – Business Project: Cutoff Score: 30 points;
(A) Ability to carry out a business project:
- Market Exploration: 10 points;
- Feasibility: max: 15 points;
- Financial Resources: max: 5 points;), or
(B) Acquisition of an enterprise in Quebec.
The Entrepreneur must come to settle in Quebec, Canada in compliance with the applicable regulations.
The entrepreneur is admitted on condition of realizing his business project. He must therefore report to the immigration authorities. He must meet the conditions for a period of at least one year within the period of three years after the day on which he becomes a permanent resident.
Family Members: If the entrepreneur is granted a visa, his spouse and children under 19 years of age at the time he filed his application can come to Canada. If he misses out on his conditions, him and his wife and children will lose landing, but they have a right of appeal and may satisfy the appeal judge that they have good reasons to have missed out on their obligation to start the business as planned.
Additional requirements apply and will be discussed during BDIA’s evaluation of your eligibility. Contact us if you want to immigrate to Canada under the Entrepreneur Program.