Business Immigration Canada – Open a Branch: ICT Start-Up Visa

The Intra-Company Transfer Work Permit allows a company to open a branch in Canada.

To start, the company can send its owners or senior managers to set up the Canadian entity, and then transfer additional employees from one branch to another.

If you have an existing, profitable business back home and have the financial capacity to open a branch/affiliate/subsidiary/parent company in Canada, this is definitively a program to consider.

There is no minimum investment, it depends on the scale of your business. There is no need for IELTS, and the branch can be opened anywhere in Canada.

• Goal

  Open a branch.

• Where

  Anywhere in Canada

• What You Get

  1 year work permit, renewable

• Active or Passive Investment

  Active

• Conditions

  • Open a branch/subsidiary or parent company of your business.

  • You can be the owner or a senior manager or an employee with specialized knowledge.

  • You must have been working for this company for at least 12 months during the past 3 years.

  • Your business must be generating income and have employees in your home country. We recommend a yearly gross revenue of at least $100,000.

  • You must hire at least 1 Canadian during year 1.

  • You must have Canadian clients or potential clients before submitting the application. This is why our services include putting you in touch with all our network of professionals (government and private sector).

  • You cannot close the business back home.

• Minimum Investment

  No minimum investment amount: depends on the type of business. For example, opening a consulting business vs. a manufacturing will be drastically different
  
  We however advise having a bank statement with at least $200,000 CAD available to show that you can pay the operating costs to start the business.

• Minimum Net Worth Required

  (can be husband + wife)
  
  Legally, no minimum net worth required but we highly advise a minimum net worth of double if not triple your investment amount in Canada. We need to prove that you have enough to sustain your business operational costs and living expenses.

• Rent or Buy

  You can rent or buy.

• Franchise

  Not applicable.

• Process

  • You gather the documents.

  • We find the location.

  • We incorporate the business.

  • We do the business plan tailored to immigration requirements.

  • We put you in touch with our network to start finding clients, distributors, suppliers.

  • We send a complete application package to the government.

  • Come to Canada.

  • Operate the business for at least 1 year.

  • We apply for permanent residence.

  After becoming a permanent resident of Canada, you can obtain Canadian citizenship (passport) after 3 years of residency in Canada. These 3 years do not need to be continuous.

• Documents

  some may not apply to your case and some can be replaced/added

  • Passport

  • National ID

  • Military card/exemption

  • Marriage certificate

  • Education degrees

  • Resume

  • List of all your travels

  • Proof of business ownership/activity back home (business license, taxes, employment contracts, etc.)

  • Proof that businesses back home generate money (balance sheets, income statements, bank statements)

  • Proof that at least 1 of the 2 businesses back home has employees (payroll)

  • Bank statement showing available balance

• Time

  (approximate)

  4-6 months.

• Language Requirements

  Not applicable.

• Medical Coverage in Canada

  (after obtaining a visa)

  Yes.

• Opinion

  If you have at least 2 existing, profitable businesses back home and have the financial capacity to open a branch in Canada, this is definitively a program to consider.
  
  You can start slow, with renting a virtual office for example, but you will have to demonstrate that you have more than just a business plan (website, location, discussions/negotiations/contracts with suppliers, distributors, clients). Our network of experts will help you set up the Canadian branch, step by step.

We believe immigration is more than just a visa. We accompany our entrepreneurs during their entire immigration journey: from business set up to the first work permit, then permanent residency and finally, citizenship.

We will help you

• handle all immigration matters including strategizing your permanent residency route if this is your goal

• advise on the best location to setup your business in Canada

• draft the business plan and financial forecast tailored to immigration requirements

• incorporate

• help you start your business development, which is crucial to increase the chances of success

• help find a physical or virtual office

To book a consultation with a lawyer and explore your business immigration options, email us with a brief description of your background.