Investment in Ontario – RainCity Immigration Ltd

Entrepreneurship in Ontario

Ontario's entrepreneurial immigration program is currently suspended.

As of November 10, 2024, the Ontario Entrepreneur Immigration Program has been suspended. This program issued its last invitations on September 25, 2023, and has had no activity since that date.

The Ontario Entrepreneur Immigration Program is designed to attract foreign investors looking to implement a new business plan or buy an existing business in Ontario. This program allows entrepreneurs and up to one of their foreign business partners to be considered for permanent residency in Canada after establishing a business in Ontario.

Applicants can immigrate to the province through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP), which has several pathways. Investing in Ontario is one of these pathways, which has two streams:

Ontario Entrepreneur Stream OINP

Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program – Corporate Stream (OINP Corporate Program)

The Corporate Stream is closed, and currently, the only investment option in Ontario through the PNP is the Ontario Entrepreneur Stream.

The Ontario Entrepreneur Stream is based on a points system, and your score is assessed based on a set of factors such as work experience, education level, language ability, investment amount, and business concepts.

Advantages of the entrepreneurial approach in Ontario

Benefiting from Canada’s economic stability and access to global markets

Opportunity for business development and growth

Financial support from the province and government

No need for a high language score (IELTS 4 General or equivalent is required)

No need for a university degree (you can apply with a high school diploma)

Possibility of obtaining permanent residency in Canada for the applicant, spouse, children under 22, and business partner (if applicable)

Entrepreneurial requirements in Ontario

To apply through the Ontario Entrepreneur Stream, which leads to a two-year work permit and then permanent residency in Canada, certain conditions must be met, which we will explain below.

Requirements for Applicants

Work Experience

In the past 60 months, you should have at least 24 months of ownership of a business or senior management experience in a company.

If you have experience both as an owner and as a senior manager, you must choose only one of them when submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI).

Net Worth

To invest in businesses located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you must have a minimum net worth of $800,000.

To invest in businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area, you need at least $400,000 in net worth.

For businesses in the digital communications or IT and communications sector (regardless of location), a minimum net worth of $400,000 is required.

Personal Investment Funds

For businesses located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you must invest at least $600,000.

For businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you need to invest at least $200,000.

For businesses related to digital communications or IT and communications (regardless of location), a minimum investment of $200,000 is required.

Active Participation: You should actively participate in the management of the proposed business.

Minimum Ownership: You must have at least one-third ownership of the proposed business’s shares.

Investment Purpose: Your investment in the proposed business should not be aimed at earning interest, dividends, or capital gains.

Job Creation

For businesses located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you must commit to creating at least two full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

For businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area or those related to digital communications or IT and communications, you need to create at least one full-time job for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Exploratory Trip: If buying a business or planning to buy an existing business, you must have made at least one trip to Ontario 12 months before submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI) to examine the business situation there.

Important !

In Ontario’s investment immigration program, you have the option to partner with a business associate who is a non-Canadian national or with a partner who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You can only have one foreign business partner. Both you and your foreign partner must individually meet the requirements for Ontario’s entrepreneurship program and submit two separate applications. If your business partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, there’s no need to submit an EOI or application.

Requirements for the business

Your proposed business must meet the following general criteria to qualify for Ontario’s entrepreneurship program:

The purpose of the proposed business must be to generate profit from active income, meaning through the sale of goods and/or provision of services. Therefore, earning profit from passive income (unearned) is not eligible for the entrepreneurship program.

The proposed business must comply with legal, regulatory requirements, and obtain permits from the federal, provincial, and municipal government. This includes Ontario’s labor laws, including employment standards, health and safety, and labor relations laws.

The proposed business must be a permanent business in Ontario. Seasonal and project-based businesses are not eligible.

The proposed business must always have a physical location.

Third-party investors must be from one of the Schedule I or Schedule II banks or an Institutional Investor.

Conditions for purchasing an existing business

If an applicant intends to buy a business in Ontario, they must ensure that the business meets the necessary conditions:

The existing business must have been continuously active for at least the last 60 months prior to the applicant purchasing it, by the same owner or a group of owners.

Documentation proving ownership or a sales agreement, or a letter indicating the intent to purchase the business is required.

All shares of the existing business must be fully transferred from the previous owner or owners to the applicant, their business partner (if applicable), or a third-party investor (if applicable).

The proposed business must not have been previously owned or managed by any current or former nominees of the OINP business program.

The applicant must maintain all existing full-time permanent jobs for current employees and, in addition, must create two new full-time permanent jobs for citizens or permanent residents of Canada if the business is located in the Greater Toronto Area; or create one new full-time permanent job if the business is located outside the Greater Toronto Area.

The applicant must retain the current wage levels and employment conditions for existing employees.

The proposed business plan should indicate that the applicant intends to develop and grow the business, with at least 10% of the investment amount to be allocated for the improvement or development of the existing business in Ontario.

Requirements for Provincial Nomination

After arriving in Canada, applicants must, in addition to establishing a business and fulfilling the obligations of the executed agreement with the province, meet the following conditions in order to be selected by the province. Obtaining a provincial nomination allows applicants to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

Required language score: A CLB 4 language score in English or French, which is equivalent to the following scores

Test	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
IELTS General	4.5	3,5	4	4
CELPIP General	4	4	4	4
PTE Core	28-38	33-41	41-50	42-50
TEF Canada	145-180	121-150	181-225	181-225
TCF Canada	331-368	342-374	4-5	4-5

Residency requirements: You must be physically present in Ontario for at least 75% of the time while setting up your business, which means for a duration of 9 months.

Active management: You need to be actively and daily involved in the management activities related to your business.

Businesses not acceptable for Ontario's entrepreneur immigration:

Ontario rejects applications for businesses that are not qualified. The list of these businesses is provided below:

Non-qualified businesses in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

Franchises or existing franchises in Ontario (a new wave of foreign franchises expanding in Ontario is permitted). A franchise is a type of business where an individual is granted the right to operate a well-known and successful company’s products or services in exchange for selling them and giving a percentage of the sales back.

Gas stations

Tire recycling

Scrap metal recycling

Pawnshops

Bed and breakfast accommodations

Holding companies

Laundry services

Car washes

Businesses related to payday loans

Businesses that were previously owned or managed by a current or former nominee of Ontario’s business program.

Non-qualified businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area

Tire recycling

Scrap metal recycling

Pawnshops

Holding companies

Laundry services

Car washes

Businesses related to payday loans and similar matters

Businesses that were previously owned or managed by a current or former nominee of Ontario’s business program.

Businesses involved in the production of pornography and sex services.

Aside from the businesses mentioned in this section, all other businesses are eligible for Ontario’s investment program.

Steps to Apply for the Ontario Entrepreneur Program

In Ontario’s entrepreneur program, you first obtain an entrepreneur visa, or a two-year temporary work visa, and enter Canada with it. After arriving in Canada, you need to set up or expand your proposed business, and then submit your application for Provincial Nomination to the provincial government office.

Step 1: Submit Expression of Interest (EOI)

EOI, which stands for Expression of Interest, is not an application but a declaration of intent to participate in Ontario’s entrepreneur program, typically done online or via email. Applicants earn points based on the information they provide about their background and business plan in the EOI system and enter a draw pool known as the Pool.

The province of Ontario conducts periodic draws from the pool based on its needs, referred to as draws. The highest score for the Ontario entrepreneur program is 200 points, and in each draw, applicants who score higher than other participants receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).

Step 2: Receive the Invitation

As mentioned in the previous section, if you have a high score, you win the EOI draw and receive an invitation from the provincial government. This invitation essentially grants you permission to submit your application for the Ontario entrepreneur program.

From the time you receive the invitation, you have 90 days to apply for the Ontario entrepreneur program, but before that, you must hire a qualified service provider, known as a Qualified Vendor, to assess your net worth and the legitimacy of your financial resources. A list of Qualified Vendors will be provided by OINP, and you need to select one of them.

It usually takes about 60 days for the Qualified Vendor to complete their assessment; therefore, after receiving the invitation, you should promptly ask one of these individuals to begin evaluating your assets. Finally, the Vendor will provide you with their assessment report, and this report must be submitted along with other required documents when applying for the Ontario entrepreneur program.

If your assets aren’t enough for the entrepreneurship program, or if your assets were obtained illegally, your invitation will be canceled and you won’t be able to apply for this program anymore.

Step 3: Apply to the Ontario Immigration Department

Submitting an application for OINP is done online, and you need to complete the relevant application and provide proof for all the information you registered in the EOI system. In this section, you need to enter more detailed information about yourself and your business plan in the application. If you have a business partner, they also need to fill out and submit a separate application.

Step 4: Interview

If your application is considered complete by OINP, you will need to attend an in-person interview at the Ontario office. If you have a business partner, they also need to attend the interview.

This interview is conducted to gain more information about your business plan and your past experience. If you miss the interview, your application will be rejected.

Step 5: Signing the Performance Agreement

If your interview is successful and your application is ultimately approved, you will need to sign a Performance Agreement with the province of Ontario. This agreement includes commitments that are necessary for later obtaining permanent residency.

The Performance Agreement is unique to each applicant and its content is based on the information entered in the EOI, the business plan, and the interview conducted. It also outlines all the obligations you are required to fulfill.

After signing the agreement, the OINP issues a Letter of Confirmation, which is essentially a support letter for applying for the Ontario entrepreneurship work visa. As previously mentioned, this visa is a type of temporary work visa and its duration is two years.

Step 6: Apply to the Federal Immigration Department and obtain a temporary work visa

At this stage, prepare all the necessary documents, including the support letter, and submit your application to the Federal Immigration Department of Canada for a temporary work visa. At this point, you can also apply simultaneously for your spouse and children as dependents. If you have a business partner, they also need to submit a separate application and pay the associated fees.

Step 7: Entering Canada and Starting a Business

From the time you receive the confirmation letter from the province, you have 12 months to obtain a work visa and enter Canada. If you can’t make it into Canada within 12 months from the date of the province’s support letter, your application with the OINP will be canceled.

After entering Canada, you have 7 days to notify the OINP of your arrival and 20 months to implement your business plan. During this time, you need to fulfill the commitments of the agreement and create the required number of jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Throughout this period, OINP officers will pay visits to your business.

Step 8: Applying to Ontario and Receiving Provincial Nomination

Once your business is up and running, you’ll need to submit a performance report to the OINP every three months, and 18 to 20 months after entering Canada, you must provide your final report detailing your business’s performance and progress.

To apply for a provincial nomination certificate, you must send the final performance report along with other required documents to the Ontario provincial office. We explained the complete conditions for nomination at the beginning of this article in the “Requirements for Nomination” section.

If the report shows that you have met all the commitments of the agreement and have the necessary documents and conditions, you’ll receive a nomination certificate from the province, which essentially gives you the green light to apply for Canadian residency through entrepreneurship.

Step 9: Applying to the Federal Immigration Office and Receiving Permanent Residency in Canada

Once you are selected by the province of Ontario and receive your provincial nomination certificate, you have 9 months to submit your application to the Federal Immigration Office of Canada (IRCC) to get your Ontario Entrepreneur Residency.

Important !

In Ontario’s entrepreneurship program, if you’re buying an existing business or are in the process of doing so, you need to complete an exploratory visit 12 months before submitting your EOI application. This visit is required under these conditions, but once your business is established and operational, the exploratory visit is not mandatory.

The Ontario entrepreneurship scoring system

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Ontario entrepreneurship program is based on a scoring system. To apply for this program, you must meet a minimum score in order to be eligible for the lottery draw and receive a provincial invitation. Your scores are calculated based on three main factors: human capital, investment, and business concepts. Each of these factors has additional elements which I will break down and explain later in the article, along with the respective scores. The maximum score you can achieve from all these factors is 200 points.

Scoring Sections	Scores
Human Capital Factors	80
Investment Factors	46
Business Concept Factors	74
Total Points	200

Human Capital Factors

Human capital factors include your history of ownership or senior management of a business, specific past work experience, level of education, and language skills. The maximum score obtainable from human capital factors is 80 points.

Business Experience

In this section, your score is calculated based on your ownership of a business or based on your senior management experience in a business over the past 60 months. If you’ve had both ownership and senior management experience in a business for 24 of the last 60 months, you are allowed to include only one of these experiences in your EOI. Having at least 24 months of business experience is a requirement for the Ontario entrepreneurship program. The maximum score you can obtain from this section is 25 points.

Business Ownership Experience

You will earn points from this section only if, during the period you’ve claimed as work experience, you have owned at least one-third of the business shares. You also need to show that you played an active role in the business, meaning you were personally involved in the day-to-day operations and had a direct influence on the decision-making. If you receive an invitation to apply for the entrepreneurship program, you are required to submit documents related to your business ownership, such as ownership deeds, financial statements, and also letters of recommendation from investors, financial institutions, suppliers, or customers.

Senior management experience in business

Throughout your time as a senior manager, you must demonstrate that you had responsibility for decision-making at a senior level. These decisions should have been in areas like operations, sales, finance, marketing, distribution, human resources, research and development, etc. If you receive an invitation to apply for the entrepreneurship program, it is mandatory to provide documents proving your senior management position. These documents can include organizational charts detailing your job title and structure, as well as information on the size and number of employees in that organization. Additionally, to validate your managerial role, you need to get a letter of recommendation from your employer detailing your job title, job structure, your role, and the duration of your employment.

Business experience points:

Work experience	Duration of work experience	Points
Business ownership or senior management experience	Less than 24 months	Not eligible for the program
	24 – 47 months	13
	48 to 59 months	19
	60 months or more	25
Total points		25

Specific past work experience

You can earn additional points through having specific experiences in the past in high-growth businesses, trading and exporting businesses, and in areas where skill transfer is possible. It’s necessary that you have gained this experience within the last 60 months.

Experience in high-growth businesses

In this type of work experience, you need to have worked in a business that has had at least a 20% revenue growth for two consecutive years, and these two years must be before the date of submitting the expression of interest. If invited to apply for the provincial entrepreneurial program, you must provide supporting documents like financial statements.

Work experience in trade-export businesses

Experience in a business that has exported at least 20% of its total goods or services to a foreign market in the last two years. The two years are considered before the date of submitting the expression of interest. If invited to apply for the provincial entrepreneurial program, supporting documents such as financial statements, export declarations, purchase orders, and sales invoices must be provided.

Transferable skills

Direct experience in the same industry and/or related industries within the last 5 years before the date of submitting the EOI. If invited to apply for the provincial entrepreneurial program, you need to provide supporting documents like a resume and letters of recommendation.

Important !

Having specific past work experience is not mandatory for the Ontario investment program and only provides additional points.

Points for specific past work experience

Specific past work experience	Points
None	–
One	15
Two	25
Three	35
Total	35

Education level

You can earn points based on your highest level of education. However, for the Ontario entrepreneurial immigration program, no minimum education is considered, and you can gain up to a maximum of 10 points based on your education level. Certificates from English language training courses like ESL do not count as academic qualifications and carry no points for this program.

Points for education level

Education level	Points
Incomplete higher education beyond high school	–
Post-secondary education above high school – 2-year program	5
Post-secondary education above high school – 3-year program or more	10
Total	10

If you receive an invitation to apply for the Ontario Entrepreneur Program, you need to provide your educational qualifications along with their credentials assessment. The assessment of your educational credentials must be done through one of the organizations recognized by the Canadian immigration department, whose names you can find below:

Comparative Education Service – University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies,

International Credential Assessment Service of Canada,

World Education Services,

International Qualifications Assessment Service,

International Credential Evaluation Service,

Medical Council of Canada (specific to doctors)

Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (specific to pharmacists)

Language Skills

An English or French language score is another factor for earning points in the Ontario Investment Program. Although there’s no requirement to provide a language score at the time of submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI), when you apply for provincial nomination (the next step after launching or developing a business in Canada), you must provide an English or French language score at CLB 4 level or its equivalent.

Equivalent scores for CLB 4 are mentioned at the beginning of the article in the section “Requirements for Provincial Nomination.” The maximum score you can earn from the language score is 10 points.

Language skill scores:

Language Level	Score
No language score or CLB 3 or lower	–
CLB 4 or equivalent	5
CLB 5 or higher or equivalent	10
Total	10

Important !

If you have a business partner, they must also provide an English or French language score at the level of CLB 4.

Investment factors

Another scoring factor in the province of Ontario is investment factors, which are calculated based on options such as net worth, personal investment amount, and exploratory visits.

The highest score you can achieve from all these factors is 46 points.

Net Worth Criteria

The maximum score for the net worth section is 15 points. Your net worth must come from legal means and be verifiable. Net worth includes all your cash and non-cash assets that are in your name, your spouse’s name, or both names. Mortgage debt and personal loans are not considered assets.

Examples of net worth include:

Cash

Assets in bank accounts

Term deposits

Real estate

Investments in bonds, stocks, and mutual funds

Investments in one or more businesses

Pensions and other assets

To qualify for the Ontario entrepreneurship program, you must show a specific amount of assets, the details of which are mentioned in the section “Requirements for the Ontario Investment Program.”

Net Worth Scoring

	Net Worth	Score
If the proposed business is located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)	Less than $800,000	Not eligible for the program
	$800,000 to $2,499,999	5
	$2,500,000 or more	10
If the proposed business is outside the Greater Toronto Area or relates to digital communications or information and communications technology (regardless of location)	Less than $400,000	Not eligible for the program
	$400,000 to $999,999	10
	$1,000,000 or more	15
Total		15

!Important

If you have a business partner, they must also prove the required amount as assets.

Amount of Personal Investment

Pay attention to a few points regarding personal investment factors in the Ontario Entrepreneurship Program, and then we’ll explain the related scores:

The amount of personal investment is separate from net worth but must be derived from it. The maximum score for this section is 25 points. To qualify for the Ontario Entrepreneur Program, depending on the location of the proposed business, you need to present a certain amount for investment in the project, which we described earlier in this article under the requirements for entrepreneurship in Ontario. You must own at least one-third of the shares of the proposed business. Even if your spouse owns part of the business shares, one-third of the total business shares must be registered in your name. If you have business partners, they must also own at least one-third of the business shares.

Investment from third parties (Schedule I bank, Schedule II bank, or Institutional Investor) does not earn points. For example, if you invest $2 million and third-party investors contribute an additional $1 million, only your personal investment will earn points.

Points related to personal investment

	Investment Amount	Points
If the proposed business is located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA):	Less than $600,000	Not eligible for the program
	$600,000to $1,499,999	10
	$1,500,000 to $2,999,999	15
	$3,000,000 or more	20
if the proposed business is outside the Greater Toronto Area or related to the digital communications or IT sector (regardless of location)	Less than $200,000	Not eligible for the program
	$200,000 to $499,999	15
	$500,000 to $799,999	20
	$800,000 or more	25
Total		25

Exploratory trip

An exploratory trip refers to a journey taken to visit a specific business and examine its various aspects. In Ontario’s investment method, if you have purchased a business or are in the process of buying one, an exploratory trip is mandatory and must be conducted within a year before the EOI registration date.

The maximum score you can receive from this section is 6 points. If you receive an invitation to apply for the Ontario Entrepreneur Program, you will need to provide documentation related to the trip if it has been done prior, including: round-trip tickets, hotel stay receipts, email correspondence with businesses in Ontario, photos, etc.

Scores related to the exploratory trip:

Exploratory trip	Score
Exploratory trip not taken	–
Exploratory trip taken to Ontario	6
Total	6

Factors related to business concepts

The Business Concept is a description of your proposed business plan that provides a lot of information about the business idea and its components. In the business concept, scoring is based on three factors: business model, business location, and job creation.

The maximum score you can earn from this section is 74 points, of which you must receive at least 37 points to be placed in the draw pool.

Scores related to the business concept:

Business concept factors	Score
Business type:Description of the proposed business, Market research, Working in key sectors and economic, benefit , Capital allocation	50
Business location: Establishing regional businesses	10
Job creation: Creating or maintaining local jobs High-level jobs with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3	14
Total	74

Business type

Regarding the business type, you need to explain how your proposed business will generate revenue and profit, how it will be viable, and how under your management it has the potential for sustainable business success. For the business model, you should discuss aspects like: the description of the proposed business, market research, how it will have economic benefits, and capital allocation.

Business Description

Describe your business strategy and the products or services you will offer. Also, talk about your role in the success of the business and how your ownership or management experience impacts the creation and launch of the new venture.

Scoring related to the business description:

Business Description	Score
Unclear or undesirable descriptions	–
Average descriptions	7
Good descriptions	15
Total	15

Market Research

In the market research section, you should provide an effective strategy for entering the market that shows how your proposed business will succeed in Ontario, and extensive research should be conducted in this area. If you’re looking to buy a business, you need to explain how that business will grow and expand under your management.

Scoring related to market research:

Market Research	Score
Unclear or undesirable descriptions	–
Average descriptions	7
Good descriptions	15
Total	15

Economic Benefit and Business in Key Areas

Explain how your business will have a significant economic benefit for the province of Ontario. Another factor by which you can earn points is if your business is in the priority sectors identified by the Government of Ontario. While being in key sectors is not a mandatory factor for the Ontario Entrepreneur Program, it can earn you extra points. The key business sectors defined as economic priorities in Ontario include:

Aerospace

Automotive

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Clean Technologies

Financial Services

Food and Beverage Manufacturing

Forestry

Control of Automated and Robotic Devices

Information Technology

Life Sciences

Mining

Tourism

Scoring related to economic benefits and key sectors:

Economic Benefit and Key Sectors	Score
Unclear or undesirable descriptions	–
Average descriptions	5
Good descriptions	10
Total	10

Capital Allocation

Break down the amount of capital you intend to allocate for your proposed business into smaller parts, and analyze how much to assign to each section and how this will contribute to the growth and development of the business.

Points related to capital allocation:

Analyze the capital allocated to different sections	Score
Unclear or undesirable descriptions	–
Average descriptions	5
Good descriptions	10
Total	10

Business Location

Ontario’s provincial program categorizes business startup locations by population into three groups based on the census statistics of metropolitan areas (CMA) and census agglomerations (CA) in Canada. Each location receives a specific score, which you can see in the table below.

Points related to business location:

Business Location	Score
Areas with a population of 175,000 or more	–
Areas with a population over 100,000 but less than 175,000	5
Areas with a population of 100,000 or less	10
Total	10

Job Creation

You earn points based on the total number of permanent, full-time jobs you create for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Job creation must occur within the first 20 months of starting the business.

If the business location is in the Greater Toronto Area, you must create at least 2 jobs, and if it’s outside this area, you must create at least 1 job. These jobs should pay the average wage in Ontario and involve a minimum of 30 hours of work per week and at least 1,560 hours of work over a one-year period.

Points for job creation:

Creating jobs with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3	Score
Creating 2 jobs for businesses located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) , Creating 1 job for businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area and jobs in digital communications or information and communications technology	3
3-4 jobs	5
5 or more jobs	7
Total	7

You will receive additional points for creating jobs with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3. NOC Skill Level 0 corresponds to management jobs, TEER 1 is for professional jobs like medicine and law, and TEER 2, 3 pertains to technical occupations such as plumbing, mechanics, or chef.

Creating jobs with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3	Score
No jobs created with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3	–
Creating 1 job in occupations with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3	5
Creating 2 jobs or more in occupations with NOC codes TEER 0, 1, 2, 3	7
Total	7

Requirements for Obtaining an Ontario Entrepreneur Visa

Documents proving your ownership or senior management experience in a business in your country, such as ownership deeds, financial statements, and recommendation letters from investors, suppliers, or employers you’ve worked with.

Documents showing your net worth, including property deeds, assets in bank accounts, investments in bonds, stocks, etc.

Documents indicating the amount of personal investment, such as bank statements and account activity.

Documents proving your ownership in the business purchased in Ontario, like ownership deeds or sales agreements.

If you buy a business, documents related to your exploratory trip, such as round-trip plane tickets, hotel stay receipts, emails corresponding with investors in Ontario, etc.

A business plan.

English or French language scores, such as IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF.

Educational documents and their evaluations by recognized institutions in Canada.

Identification documents like a birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate (if applicable).

Cost of the Ontario Entrepreneur Visa

To obtain an Ontario investment visa, in addition to the costs for translating documents and the evaluation of educational documents, other fees are necessary, as outlined below.

Cost for processing an entrepreneur application in the province and with the federal Canadian immigration office

Application Type	Fee per person (Canadian dollars)
Review of the Ontario Entrepreneur Program OINP	$3,500
Review of the main applicant’s work permit application in IRCC	$255
Review of the spouse’s work permit application in IRCC	$255
Review of the children’s visitor visa application in IRCC	$100

Fingerprinting Fees

Application Type	Fee per person (Canadian dollars)
Fingerprinting or biometrics	$85 per person
Family fingerprinting (two or more people)	$170

Cost for processing the application for Canadian permanent residence

The fee for a work visa application in the startup program per primary applicant
Review of the main applicant’s permanent residence application	$1,365
Review of the spouse’s permanent residence application	$1,365
Review of each child’s permanent residence application	$230

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Frequently asked questions

How much is the minimum initial investment for the Ontario Entrepreneurship Program?

The minimum capital for businesses outside the Greater Toronto Area is $200,000.

How long does it take to review the Ontario Entrepreneurship Program?

On average,

the review time for the EOI application is less than 30 days,

the review time for the entrepreneurship file in OINP is two to three months (depends on the complexity of the case),

the review time for the work permit file is 2 to 4 months.

The processing time for cases could be less or more than the stated duration due to factors like: the workload of Ontario Immigration or Federal Immigration, applying from inside or outside of Canada, or the country from which you are applying.

Does the Ontario Entrepreneurship Program require a job offer?

No. In the Ontario Entrepreneurship Program, you either establish and launch a business in this province or purchase an existing business, so there’s no need to have a job offer.

What’s the minimum work experience needed for the Ontario Entrepreneurship Program?

The minimum experience required is 2 years of ownership or senior management experience in a business in your home country, which must have been acquired within the last 60 months.

Is it mandatory to start a business after receiving the Ontario Entrepreneur Visa?

Yes. After obtaining the work permit and entering Canada, you must fulfill the commitments of the executive agreement with the province and start or expand the proposed business.

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