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Do you want to move from the US to Canada? It’s one of the easiest countries to immigrate from in terms of Canada immigration. It’s as simple as a snap of a finger. Whether you want to use CUSMA (the Free Trade Agreement), or any of the other Federal or Provincial programs to move or set up your business in Canada, you’re in the fast-track lane applying from the US.
Everyone knows that the US is the bigger brother of Canada, they’re on one continent, they share intelligence information and it’s Canada’s biggest economic trading partner.
If you’re planning to immigrate to Canada and you’re looking for some guidance and support, you’re at the right place! We are licensed and we have successfully supported applicants from more than 47 nationalities in terms of studying in Canada, Working, Sponsorship, and Business Immigration. Get a FREE assessment, click here.
Yes! It’s worth it. Is it easier to apply from the US to move to Canada? Isn’t everyone subject to the same Canadian immigration programs? The answer is Yes & No. And here is why:
*When applying from the US, you have access to ALL the business & investor immigration programs in addition to the Canada-US-Mexico-Agreement, also known as CUSMA
*In terms of Canadian immigration, you are guilty until proven innocent. When applying from the US, this doesn’t apply, unless you have faced some serious issues when it comes to criminality or breaking US immigration regulations.
*If you are a US citizen, then it’s even easier. Hop over anytime since you’re visa exempt, and EVEN if you’ve never set foot in Canada your application will be approved just because you’re American, as simple as that. Obviously, you do need to meet basic eligibility, but the barriers are less, the scrutiny by the Canadian immigration officers is not as thorough and the processing times are faster in the US as well compared to South East Asia, Africa, or, Middle-East.
You may fall into one of the following two categories:
*I am a US citizen and I want to move over and become a permanent resident in Canada.
*I am on a temporary visa in the US, want to become a permanent resident in Canada and move over asap.
Either way, you’re in luck when applying from the US.
We’re going to break it down for you as a business owner, investor, or entrepreneur:
*You can register your business in Canada remotely (no Canadian shareholder required), fund the Canadian bank account, and immediately apply for your work visa to enter. This business could be a branch, a joint venture, a subsidiary, or even a Startup business. Literally, within a few months, you can enter Canada with your federal investor work permit. And of course, don’t forget, your family can be with you and can work openly and study for free – basic perks of Canadian immigration.
*You can also buy a Canadian business if that’s what you fancy, and this would also be eligible for the same work visa to enter Canada.
*As a US citizen, of course, you can utilize CUSMA (the supposed Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico) and enter Canada as an investor as well, so you have this additional option in applying ALTHOUGH it falls within the similar scope of setting up or moving a business to Canada.
If you are interested in applying for immigration to Canada through the Canada Investment Visa, look no further, that’s our specialty here at INGWE Canada. We have successfully supported applicants from +47 different nationalities. Click the link, fill out the form and get a FREE assessment.
If you have a business concept but no actual business
That’s fine! Under any of these federal investor work permit programs, you can set up a business from scratch, and of course, we have the Startup Visa program which is for brand new innovative business concepts to set up here.
We are going to break it down for you into bit size information on how an investor from the US can obtain PR status in Canada:
There are 3 ways to apply for your Canada PR:
1: Come through the provincial nominee program for entrepreneurs. This means you take the same route as the federal investor work permits, except that you are applying through the provincial program according to their own eligibility criteria which can be more demanding than that of the Federal programs. After you are approved, based on your eligibility, business concept, and interview, they will nominate you for a work permit. You run the business and after a specified time by the province, they can nominate you for Canada PR. The upside is you’re inside Canada working and living with your entire family until your permanent residencies are applied and processed.
2: The Canadian government has a program they photocopied from Australia in 2015 specifically for skilled immigrants. It’s called Express Entry. It has 3 sub-streams under this main program depending on whether you have Canadian work experience or not, and whether you are in a specific trade. If you enter Canada with a Federal investor work permit as a business owner, we can convert you to permanent residency using this skilled immigration stream under Express Entry by giving yourself a job offer and claiming bonus points. Sometimes we convert your spouse/partners to PR because they might be on payroll on your own company in Canada and they have a stronger profile for Express Entry. And the beauty of all this is that when one of you is eligible for permanent residency in Canada, the whole family will apply together (such as your partner/spouse and dependent children under the age of 22).
3: The third way you could potentially obtain your permanent residency is through the other 2 Federal programs called Startup Visa or Self-Employed. These programs are the ONLY PR on arrival in Canada. The processing times are slow, but they do offer PR application + optional work permit. If you don’t fancy the first two options for your PR, then consider these 2 programs if you are eligible. As already discussed, Startup Visa can be for a brand-new business concept or an existing business. It should just be innovative, scalable, and have an economic benefit. If you’re running a restaurant or a warehouse this won’t really count. For the Federal Self-Employed program, you need to be either in the professions of art/culture or sports to apply. Watch out for our upcoming video on YouTube regarding the specifics of this self-employed program.
If you don’t have post-secondary education or language ability, just in case we do have solutions for that as well. So whatever your profile – there is always a custom solution possible.
If you’re planning to immigrate to Canada and you’re looking for some guidance and support, you’re at the right place! We are licensed and we have successfully supported applicants from more than 47 nationalities in terms of studying in Canada, Working, Sponsorship, and Business Immigration. Get a FREE assessment, click here.
The answer to this is that you don’t need it when applying for your work visa as a US citizen, but you do need it when applying under specific programs for permanent residency status. No matter where you were born or your passport, the language exam scores are 99% mandatory for almost all business immigration programs to lead to permanent residency.
Watch our YouTube video and find out the top 3 Canada Immigration programs where English exams are not required, click here.
The answer to this question is that you can apply from both outside or inside Canada – the option is up to you depending on how much time you have and when you’re ready.
how much money is required for an investor visa in Canada
The answer to this varies since you’re coming from the US. If you have good revenue and business activity and you’re planning to move it over, under the Federal investor work permit programs we must show significant economic benefit. If you can re-route your business here, then we can show that you are creating this and going to employ Canadians. If your business is a brick & mortar and you’ll have to start from scratch, typically a ballpark figure might be $150,000 to $250,000 Canadian dollars which are approx. 30% less in terms of US dollars. For the Startup Visa program, you can get away with less investment, and even have outside investors. With the Federal and provincial programs, there is a general outline. The provincial program is strict and has no gray area to maneuver but with the Federal program we can play around with these figures. If you’re not sure about your business and what you need to invest in or set up to get these approvals and your PR in Canada, let us know and we’ll tell you how to navigate through the program.
How much time does it take me to get my work permit or visa?
From the US it can take 3-4 months.
How long will it take to apply for Canada PR for me and my family from the US?
The fastest we’ve ever done is 4 months, but the profile of the client was very strong and they set up their branch in Canada before we even applied for them.
What’s the longest time it takes to apply for the PR?
That’s up to you. It could take up to 6-7 years if you’re in no hurry. However, most of our clients prefer a timeline of under 1 year or worst case within the 2nd year.
How long does it take to get my PR card after I apply?
The answer to this is 6 months under the Federal program such as Express Entry, and up to 18 months for Provincial programs.
If you’re thinking about immigrating to Canada through Sponsorship, Studies, Work, or Business, you’re at the right place! We are licensed in Canada, and we help applicants like yourself and your families. Get a FREE assessment with us, click here.
