The ability to convince a Canadian visa officer of your knowledge of the Canadian business-place is key to the success of your application for permanent residence within the entrepreneurial class of immigrants.

The Immigrant Investor Program avoids the above concerns, and allows applicants to make passive arms-length investments (under government financial guarantee), while they establish themselves and research the Canadian business environment, free of the financial and managerial demands that accompany the "terms and conditions"* imposed on entrepreneur visas (investors are issued "unconditional visas", while entrepreneurs are issued "conditional visas").

If the Investor Program is simply not for you, and you wish to establish a Canadian based business and immigrate to Canada within the 'entrepreneurial class' of immigrants, it is highly advisable to obtain the legal services of Pace Law Firm to guide you through the preparation of your application, selection interview techniques, and after landing in Canada as a permanent resident, the removal of your "terms and conditions"*. Retaining Pace Law Firm to guide you through the entrepreneurial process has saved many of our legal team's clients hundreds of thousands of dollars by assisting them to avoid serious losses or outright bankruptcies due to their lack of knowledge of the Canadian marketplace.
*"terms and conditions" defined

• the entrepreneur must control a percentage of the equity of a qualifying Canadian business* equal to or greater than 33 1/3 per cent;
• the entrepreneur must provide active and ongoing management of the qualifying Canadian business; and
• the entrepreneur must create at least one incremental full-time job equivalent for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, other than the entrepreneur and their family members.

• the percentage of equity multiplied by the number of full time job equivalents is equal to or greater than two full-time job equivalents per year;
• the percentage of equity multiplied by the total annual sales is equal to or greater than $250,000 CDN;
• the percentage of equity multiplied by the net income in the year is equal to or greater than $25,000 CDN; and
• the percentage of equity multiplied by the net assets at the end of the year is equal to or greater than $125,000 CDN.

• the entrepreneur must meet the conditions for a period of at least one year within the period of three years after the day on which the entrepreneur becomes a permanent resident;
• an entrepreneur who becomes a permanent resident must provide to an officer evidence of compliance with the conditions within the period of three years after the day on which the entrepreneur becomes a permanent resident;
• an entrepreneur must provide to an officer:
  • not later than six months after the day on which the entrepreneur becomes a permanent resident, their residential address and telephone number; and
  • during the period beginning 18 months after and ending 24 months after the day on which the entrepreneur becomes a permanent resident, evidence of their efforts to comply with the conditions.