The Start-Up Business Class

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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.

LMIA Exemption Code C-60

Steven MeurrensBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

On December 15, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) updates its Labour Market Impact Assessment (“LMIA”) exemption codes.  An LMIA is an opinion from Service Canada that the entry of a foreign worker will have a positive or neutral impact on the Canadian labour market.  To obtain a positive LMIA employers must generally recruit … Read More

Self Employed Class – What Are Cultural and Athletic Activities?

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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

What if You Created an Investor Program and No One Applied?

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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

Self-Employed Class – Becomming Economically Established

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion, Skilled Immigration (Express Entry, CEC, FSWC, Etc.)

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

Government of Canada To Terminate Federal Investor Queue

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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?

Meurrens LawBusiness and Entrepreneur Immigrantion

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