FAQ’s

The candidate should have a qualifying business and must acquire a Letter of Support (LOS) from the designated organization. To get this letter of support, the applicant pitches his or her business idea to the Canadian designated bodies: Venture capital fund, Angel investor group, or a designated Canadian business incubator program. Apart from this, the applicant has to qualify for the minimum English language proficiency benchmark and must have sufficient money to manage living expenses in Canada, till such time that the business starts making money.

The assessment of your business proposal determines the minimum investment required for the Canada Start-up Visa Program.

To begin with the application process for a Canada start-up visa, prepare a business plan after thorough market research. Next, the business idea has to be convincing enough for the designated organization so that they support the start-up when the plan is presented before them. Once, the idea has been approved, the designated authorities will send a commitment letter to the IRCC and will issue a Letter of Support to the applicant. Once the Letter of support has been received, arrange for all the documents that are being asked for in the Canada Start-up Visa application and submit it along with the required fees. The respective authorities will then review the file and a decision will be taken on your application.

To apply for a Canada start-up visa you will be required to have scored a Canadian Language Benchmark of 5. Along with your application, you must submit the results of a third-party language test that showcases that you fulfill the eligibility requirement to apply for a Canada Start-up visa. Language is an important requirement when you apply for a visa, and helps you in getting you the proper score. To prove your proficiency in English, you should be able to take a language test by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The first authority to review your application is the organization you requested support from. If you manage to get a support letter from this organization, your application will be reviewed by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. Note that your application might also be subject to an independent peer-review process. This process is done to make sure that your activities are legal and that the designated organization’s standards are compatible with the rest of the industry.

There is no standard application letter as every organization has different requirements. What is important is to convince them that your idea is worth the support. Sometimes they require a business plan or present your idea in person.

An essential person is the one that is critical to the business. An essential person will be defined as essential on the letter and certificate provided by the designated organization.

LMIA known as Labor Market Impact Assessment is one of the documents needed by the Canadian employer to hire foreign workers. The LMIA sometimes called a “confirmation letter” shows that a foreign worker is needed to fill in the current vacancy and no Canadian is equipped enough to do the job.

Here are the top 5 requirements for employers to have an LMIA

• The employer must have a legitimate business
• The employer must provide products or services to the public
• The employer must be capable of paying a salary to the foreign worker
• The employer must show proof of a genuine need for a foreign worker
• The employer must also show evidence that they have not laid off any employee in the past
• 12 months before the application

There are 8 different types of LMIA:

• Low-wage LMIA
• High-wage LMIA
• LMIA for agricultural workers
• LMIA for seasonal agricultural workers
• LMIA to support the PR visa application
• Dual intent LMIA
• LMIA for global talent stream
• LMIA for in-home caregivers

Many employers in Canada know very well that application for LIMA approval isn’t straightforward. It is generally difficult to get an LMIA and the process can take up to 3 months.

Employers are most likely to get a positive LMIA if they can prove that hiring a foreign worker will not hinder or hurt the Canadian labor market.

• The LMIA is valid for 6 months.

Yes, an employer’s LMIA application can be rejected, if the Canadian government finds out that hiring a foreign worker for the position can have more of a negative impair than a positive one in the development of a strong Canadian economy.

The LMIA costs 1000$ per worker.