Canadian work permit alternatives to Owner/Operator for immigrant entrepreneurs

The expedited work permit for immigrant entrepreneurs is no more, here are some other options. The Owner/Operator category has been removed from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) as of April 1, 2021. This category allowed applicants to apply for a work permit without having to do the advertising requirement of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

There have been more changes affecting immigrant entrepreneurs this year. As of January 1, Canada is not processing U.K. applicants under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Investors. Instead, they are being processed under the new Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement.

In order to start a business in Canada, foreign nationals need to get a work permit. The right work permit for you may depend on where you’re from, your role in the company, or what kind of impact your business will have on the Canadian labour market.