How to Get Canada PR Through a Franchise: The PNP Entrepreneur Guide
Franchises + Canada Immigration: A Practical Path for Entrepreneur Permanent Residency through Provincial Programs
For many entrepreneurs looking at Canada, the big question is simple: what’s a realistic route to permanent residency (PR) that also sets you up to run a successful business?
In a recent recording, I sat down with Joe Fedorchuk (Certified Franchise Consultant) to talk about why franchises have become one of the most practical business structures for entrepreneurs pursuing PR, especially now that, for many applicants, provincial nominee programs (PNPs) are one of the strongest (and sometimes the only) entrepreneur pathways.
This post summarizes the key takeaways from our conversation focused on what prospective applicants actually need to know.
Why franchises are showing up more in PR strategies
When you build a business from scratch, you’re proving everything at once: your concept, your systems, your market fit, your hiring plan, your financials, your execution, and your ability to operate in a brand-new country.
A franchise can reduce that uncertainty because it gives you:
A proven operating system
A recognizable brand
Training and ongoing support
Marketing frameworks and playbooks
A structure that’s often easier to explain in a business/immigration context than an untested startup idea
That matters for newcomers who may be landing in a province or city they’ve never lived in and sometimes have never even visited.
Who Joe is (and why his role matters)
Joe is a certified franchise consultant based in Canada, with nearly 12 years of experience and certification through FranServe (a major franchise information and brokerage network in North America). He works with a portfolio of ~800 franchise brands, across multiple industries.
Many of the brands he works with are available in Canada and the U.S., and some have broader international presence, useful depending on your background, mobility, and expansion plans.
Due diligence isn’t optional (and we take it seriously)
On the legal/immigration side, we don’t treat a franchise as “automatically safe.”
We review the business and disclosure package deeply to identify risks and ensure alignment, including:
Red flags in the disclosure documentation
Financial statements and performance indicators (cash flow, revenue projections, income statements)
Opened vs. closed locations (and why locations were closed)
Market research (if provided by franchisor)
Hiring plan and expansion plan
Type and quality of training/support
We then provide clients with a structured review so they can make an informed decision (the final decision always remains the client’s). We also encourage our clients to seek another opinion with a franchise lawyer.
Territory: what you’re really buying when you buy a franchise
A practical topic that comes up quickly is territory.
In many franchise systems, once you decide to move forward, you:
sign the franchise agreement, and
pay the franchise fee to secure your territory.
That territory is usually defined on a map and in the agreement, and it can be critical because it helps prevent the franchisor from placing another franchise unit next to yours.
Example from our discussion:
In a city like Saskatoon (~300K population), a service-based franchise may only place one franchise in the area so your territory could cover the whole city.
Expansion: can you buy more territories later?
Sometimes yes.
If expansion is one of your goals, you want to know early:
Are there additional territories available in that region?
Or are you buying the last available territory, which limits growth?
Joe also shared a helpful point: some industries expand “vertically” (growing revenue significantly within one territory), while others, especially food, often require multiple units to scale meaningfully.
All of this information are discussed with Joe from the beginning, before you decide to further investigate a franchisor.
How much is a franchise fee (really)?
Franchise fees vary widely and you need to look closely at what is included.
From Joe’s examples:
food franchises: ~ $10K–$20K
service franchises: ~ $50K–$60K, sometimes up to $100K
The right question isn’t just “how much is the fee?” It’s:
What training, systems, marketing programs, and support are included?
What would it cost to recreate those assets if you were to start a similar business from scratch?
Joe also emphasized that in a proper shortlist process, clients should understand up front:
the franchise fee
royalties
total expected investment range (low–high)
training and support commitments
franchise history
Immigration timing
Every case is different, but the pathway we discussed typically looks like this:
Prepare the business and immigration strategy (often ~3 months, sometimes faster depending on client’s responsiveness)
Apply for a work permit to come to Canada and launch/operate
Operate the franchise 6–18 months (varies by program/province)
Then apply for permanent residency
So from day one, it approximately takes around three years to obtain permanent residency for you, your spouse, and your children under 22 years old.
The big idea: business success + immigration alignment must happen together
A franchise can be a strong structure, but it’s not just about picking a brand.
To be successful, the business plan and the immigration plan must align:
the right province/program fit
the right franchise model and territory
realistic finances and hiring
a plan you can actually execute after landing
That’s why Joe and I collaborate so clients aren’t building a strategy that works on paper for one side, but fails on the other.
Watch the full webinar to learn more!
CONTACT
If you’re considering immigrating to Canada as an entrepreneur and you’re exploring franchises as a route, you can start either direction:
speak with Joe, our franchise consultant to confirm what’s realistic on the business side, or
speak with an immigration lawyer first to map which programs you may qualify for.
Either way, the goal is the same: build a business you can operate successfully and a strategy that supports PR.
We help entrepreneurs set up their business and immigration strategy and execute on it.
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.
Find the business to buy or rent.
Find the location.
Incorporate the business.
Write a business plan tailored to immigration requirements.
We put you in touch with our network to start finding clients, distributors, suppliers.
Find schools for your children.
Your spouse and children under 22 years old can be included in your application.
To book a consultation with a lawyer and explore your business immigration options, email us.
