ANDY SEMOTIUK

5 BEST WAYS
I USE TO HELP
INVESTORS
IMMIGRATE TO
CANADA
Improving Your Life Through Immigration
Since 1974
WWW.MYWORKVISA.COM
 Andy@myworkvisa.com

PROVINCE OF
QUEBEC IMMIGRANT
INVESTOR PROGRAM
Pro: Security of funds and low cost of passive involvement

Con: Intensive paperwork showing source and path of funds

PROVINCE OF QUEBEC
IMMIGRANT INVESTOR
PROGRAM
Andy@myworkvisa.com

La belle province wants you (and your investment).

Invest about $600,000 ($800,000 Canadian) with the

government of the province of Quebec for five years, interest-
free.

In around 24 to 36 months, you obtain permanent residence

that entitles you and your immediate family to enter Canada.

The full amount is repaid to you from the government of

Quebec at the end of the five years.
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC
IMMIGRANT INVESTOR
PROGRAM
Andy@myworkvisa.com

This is a passive investment in which your money is used by

Quebec for economic development.

The catch here is that you must agree to live in the province of
Quebec, for example in Montreal or Quebec City. That said, the
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees mobility
rights and therefore makes it possible for investors to
subsequently move elsewhere in Canada.
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC
IMMIGRANT INVESTOR
PROGRAM
Andy@myworkvisa.com

If the $750,000 sounds steep, you can obtain a loan from a

financial intermediary. In this way, investors can divest
themselves of the burden of investing the $750,000 for five
years. The cost of the loan is just under $205,000 ($220,000
Canadian).

There is no age or education requirement for this program,

but the investor and family members must be in reasonably
good health.
 Andy@myworkvisa.com

SECTION 205
WORK VISA

Pro: Control of the money and self-sponsorship

Con: Risks associated with a start-up, active involvement

required
SECTION 205
WORK VISA
Andy@myworkvisa.com

This one involves running your own business.

The process entails incorporating your Canadian company,

registering with Revenue Canada, opening a Canadian bank
account for your company and depositing money into the
account for the company’s use.

You must develop a business plan that explains how your

investment will benefit Canadians, either economically,
socially or culturally.
SECTION 205
WORK VISA
Andy@myworkvisa.com

Processing takes less than six months. After one year of

success in the business, you can apply under the Canadian
Experience Class for permanent residence.

This is also a good option to combine with a franchise

scenario, like a restaurant or hotel chain.
 Andy@myworkvisa.com

INTER - CORPORATE
TRANSFEREE
WORK VISA
Pro: Cheap way to get permanent residence

Con: Requires support of a petitioning company

INTER-CORPORATE
TRANSFEREE
WORK VISA
Andy@myworkvisa.com

If you are transferred from your company abroad to an

affiliated Canadian company to work as a manager, executive
or person with specialized knowledge, you may be later
entitled to obtain Canadian permanent residence.

Think of a Shell Oil manager coming to Canada to run a

subsidiary plant at the oil sands in Fort McMurray.
INTER-CORPORATE
TRANSFEREE
WORK VISA
Andy@myworkvisa.com

A couple of conditions:

1. You must have worked for the affiliated company abroad for a
period of at least one year in the last three years.
2. Your job in Canada must be similar to the job you were
performing at home.

Assuming you qualify, you will get a work visa for up to four years.

Processing time for inter-corporate transferees is less than six

months. After one year, you can apply under the Canadian
Experience Class for permanent residence.
 Andy@myworkvisa.com

PROVINCIAL
NOMINEE
PROGRAMS ( PNP )
Pro: Large variety to choose from, priority processing

Con: Constantly changing rules, tied to province of

investment, hands-on involvement
PROVINCIAL NOMINEE
PROGRAMS
Andy@myworkvisa.com

Many provinces in Canada have their own business

immigration programs, known as Provincial Nominee
Programs (PNP). They work a little like the Section 205 Work
Visa. I’ll use the province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) as an
example.

PEI’s program requires you have a net worth of just under

$560,000 ($600,000 CAD), put up just over $185,000

($200,000 CAD) as a refundable security deposit, invest

around $185,000 ($200,000 CAD) in a business, have two years

of management experience in the last five years and meet
English language and minimum education requirements.
PROVINCIAL NOMINEE
PROGRAMS
Andy@myworkvisa.com

To succeed under the program, you effectively must travel to

PEI to meet with provincial officials and satisfy them of your
willingness to invest and live in PEI. The refund of your security
deposit is based on those assurances.

If your proposed investment in a local company is approved,

you are issued a provincial nominee certificate that provides
you with priority immigration processing. This results in
permanent residence, which in most cases takes 12 to 24
months.
PROVINCIAL NOMINEE
PROGRAMS
Andy@myworkvisa.com

Unlike the Section 205 and inter-corporate transferee options

above, PNP programs like the one in PEI skip work permits
and take the investor directly to permanent residence.

Other provinces that attract investors are BC, Manitoba and

Saskatchewan. Each of the programs are the same in spirit,
but their requirements may vary.
 Andy@myworkvisa.com

QUEBEC
ENTREPRENEUR
PROGRAM
Pro: Small investment in a business leading to permanent
residence

Con: Active management of a business in the province of

Quebec is required
QUEBEC
ENTREPRENEUR
PROGRAM
Andy@myworkvisa.com

To be eligible for this program, you must:

- Have net assets of at least $280,000 (C$300,000).

-Have at least two years experience in running a business in

the last five years while controlling at least 25% of the capital
equity.

-Create or acquire at least 25% of the equity of a business in

Quebec by investing at least $94,000 ($100,000 Canadian).
QUEBEC
ENTREPRENEUR
PROGRAM
Andy@myworkvisa.com

Assessment of the application will take into account factors

such as:

- your age
- the nature and duration of your training

- your language skills

- your personal qualities and your knowledge of Quebec

The steps taken to acquire a business in Quebec or your ability

to carry out a business project will be the key element in your
assessment.
 Andy@myworkvisa.com

BENEFITS OF BECOMING A
CANADIAN PERMANENT
RESIDENT
Canada has the best educational systems in the world. Your children’s
tuition fee will be the same as a Canadian.
Publicly funded health system (Universal health care system)
Canada has the best overall quality of life in the world.
Canada is economically and politically stable with a peaceful
environment.
Clean environment with plenty of natural resources.
Gateway to North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), providing
direct access to more than 400 million consumers.
 Improving Your Life Through WWW.MYWORKVISA.COM
Immigration Since 1974

Over the last four decades as an

immigration attorney Andy Semotiuk
has helped over 10,000 clients with
various legal problems.
Andy Semotiuk works with:
Investors,
Executives,
Professionals, and Andy J. Semotiuk
Celebrities in the entertainment industry.

ANDY J. SEMOTIUK IS A U.S. AND CANADIAN IMMIGRATION LAWYER WITH

OFFICES IN NEW YORK AND TORONTO. HE IS A PUBLISHED AUTHOR,
A FORMER UN CORRESPONDENT, AND A FORBES COLUMNIST WRITING
ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
LEARN MORE AT WWW.MYWORKVISA.COM.