To qualify as an Entrepreneur: This program seeks to attract experienced businesspersons that will own and manage businesses in Canada that will contribute to the economy and create jobs.
Business class immigration includes the Entrepreneur Program which seeks to attract experienced businesspersons interested in Canadian immigration and business migration. Once the Canadian business immigration process is complete the entrepreneur must manage a business in Canada that will contribute to the economy and create jobs.
Entrepreneurs must demonstrate business experience and a minimum net worth of 300,000 CAD. An Entrepreneur's net worth need not have been created by his/her own endeavours but, rather, must have been "legally obtained" (i.e. inheritance, gift, etc.). Assets of an Entrepreneur's spouse/common-law partner/same-sex partner are also included when assessing net worth.
Unlike Investors, the only way in which an Entrepreneur can demonstrate business experience is through management and control of a qualifying business of sufficient size.
Entrepreneurs will be required to provide documentation proving that, within any two (2) of the last five (5) years, they controlled and managed a Qualifying Business that meets any two (2) of the defined requirements/attributes for full-time (37.5 hours per week or more) employees, sales, net income and equity.
The following chart sets out the minimum requirements for a Qualifying Business at various percentages of ownership.
| ATTRIBUTE | PERCENTAGE OWNERSHIP OF BUSINESS |
| 100% | 50% | 20% |
| (i) | FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| (ii) | SALES (CAD) | 500,000 | 1,000,000 | 2,500,000 |
| (iii) | NET INCOME (CAD) | 50,000 | 100,000 | 250,000 |
| (iv) | EQUITY (CAD) | 125,000 | 250,000 | 625,000 |
Assuming that an individual successfully applies for and receives Canadian Permanent Residence as an Entrepreneur, he/she will be required to document that, for a period of at least one (1) year within a period of not more than three (3) years after landing, he/she owned and managed a Qualifying Canadian Business that meets any two (2) of the defined requirements/attributes for full-time (37.5 hours per week or more) employees, sales, net income and equity.
The following chart sets out the minimum requirements for a Qualifying Canadian Business at various percentages of ownership.
| ATTRIBUTE | PERCENTAGE OWNERSHIP OF BUSINESS |
| 100% | 50% | 33.33% |
| (i) | FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| (ii) | SALES (CAD) | 250,000 | 500,000 | 750,000 |
| (iii) | NET INCOME (CAD) | 25,000 | 50,000 | 75,000 |
| (iv) | EQUITY (CAD) | 125,000 | 250,000 | 375,000 |
At least one (1) incremental, full-time equivalent (37.5 hours per week or more) job must be created for someone other than the Entrepreneur and the Entrepreneur's dependants. In addition, the Entrepreneur must have provided active and ongoing participation in the management of the business for at least one (1) year. A minimum of one-third (1/3) ownership is required.
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