Regulation 100(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, SOR/2002-227 states: For the purposes of subsection 12(2) of the Act, the self-employed persons class is hereby prescribed as a class of persons who may become permanent residents on the basis of their ability to become economically established in Canada and who are self-employed persons within … Read More
Self Employed Class – What Are Cultural and Athletic Activities?
Canada’s Self-Employed Class seeks to attract to Canada individuals who have the intention and ability to become self-employed in Canada. Self-employed persons are required to have relevant experience in either cultural activities or athletics and be willing and able to make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada. There was also … Read More
The Start-Up Business Class
On April 11, 2018, regulations for the Start-Up Business Class (the “Start-Up Business Class”) came into effect. The regulations slightly modify the program that has been in effect since April 1, 2013. Both applicants as well as designated entities should be aware of the changes.
What if You Created an Investor Program and No One Applied?
The following article appeared in the April edition of The Canadian Immigrant. ____________ On Jan. 28, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) launched the replacement to the federal investor immigration program, called the immigrant investor venture capital pilot program. CIC was apparently so confident about demand for the new program that it announced that it … Read More
Government of Canada To Terminate Federal Investor Queue
Ever since the Federal Court dismissed a class-action lawsuit over the Government of Canada’s decision to terminate the Federal Skilled Worker Program backlog, many immigration practitioners have wondered if the government would do the same thing to the Federal Immigrant Investor Program (“FIIP”) backlog. On February 11, 2014, the governing Conservative Party of Canada stated … Read More
Changes to the Start-Up Visa Program
On October 25, 2013, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (“CIC”) amended the Start-Up Business Class, and announced that the changes will take affect on October 26, 2013. The previous Ministerial Instructions respecting the program have been repealed. The Start-Up Business Class is a federal economic immigration program, and compliments the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the … Read More
Entrepreneurs No Longer Have to Report Terms and Conditions
On November 18, Citizenship and Immigration Canada released Operational Bulletin 360: Entrepreneur Terms and Conditions. Coming off the heels of the government’s decision to temporarily suspend accepting new applications in the Entrepreneur Program, the Operational Bulletin makes life easier for those Entrepreneurs already in Canada. Section 98 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations provides … Read More
Who are the Quebec Investors?
The Quebec government has data regarding the amount of people applying to immigrate to Canada under the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program. The data contains interesting trends about who is using the program. The first thing to note is the dramatic rise in the number of people applying to the program from June 2010 to January … Read More
MI-3 Suspends the Entrepreneur Program
On July 1, 2011, a temporary moratorium on accepting new applications in the federal Entrepreneur program came into force. Given the processing times below it is not hard to see why: Cairo – 7 years, 7 months Damascus – 7 years Beijing – 3 years, 7 months Manila – 5 years, 4 months New Delhi … Read More
Federal Investor Program Requirements To Double
In a much anticipated change, the Federal Government has announced a series of changes to the Federal Immigrant Investor Program (“FIIP“) in the Gazette. Changes to the Quebec Investor Program are expected shortly. The Doubling The Government of Canada is proposing that amendments be made to the definition of “investor” and “investment” in section 88 … Read More