The Canada Immigrant Investor Program makes it possible for established business
people wishing to live and work in Canada to obtain their permanent resident status
by investing $400,000 into Canada’s economy. If you are unsure whether you qualify
for an investor immigration visa or have a specific question about your case, please
book a consultation with one of our specialist immigration staff.
Quick Index
About the Investor Immigration Class
Canada guarantees the use of this money to directly influence the creation of new
jobs and to strengthen its economy. Your investment is managed by Citizenship and
Immigration Canada (CIC) and promises the return of your investment in approximately
5 years, interest free.
Investors must:
- demonstrate their business credentials
- have a minimum net worth of C$800,000 (obtained legally)
- invest C$400,000
Who Can Apply?
The criteria for eligibility under the Canada Immigrant Investor Program are:
- You must have managed a business for at least 2 years in a 5 year period from the
date of your application, or managed a minimum staff of 5 employees in a 5 year
period from the date of your application, or a combination of one year experience
from both of the previous requirements. You must have a net worth of at least C$800,000
of which you are able to invest C$400,000. In order to prove this, you will have
to satisfy a visa officer in proving that the collective assets of yours and of
your spouses or common law partner were obtained legally. Finally, the visa officer
may also request from you documents that will prove your income sources and your
net worth.
- You must also demonstrate your ability to support yourself and your dependants once
in Canada. Your ability to support your dependants differs according to how many
there are.
- You must attain a minimum of 35 selection criteria points. If there is a difference
of opinion between yours and the officer’s assessment, the officer’s assessment
will prevail.
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Selection Criteria
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Maximum Points
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Education
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25
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Business experience
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35
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Age
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10
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Ability in English and/or French
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24
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Adaptability
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6
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Total
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100
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- You must (along with your family, if applicable) meet the medical and security requirements.
For the medical exam, key points that are looked at are whether or not you are a
danger to public health and safety, or if your health would be an excessive demand
on the health and social services in Canada.
Note: Examination results are only valid for 12 months prior to your application.
A security check is also needed for the Canada Immigrant Investor Program (sometimes
referred to as a police certificate, good conduct certificates, judicial record
extracts, etc) in order to determine if the applicants have a criminal record. The
certificate must be issued no more than three months before your application is
submitted and if the original certificate is not in either English or French, you
must submit both the original copy and the translation prepared by an accredited
translator. You must also meet any other requirements set out by Canadian or Quebec
immigration.
Quebec Immigrant Investor Program
The province of Quebec manages its own immigrant investor program. All applicants
to the investor program must be selected by Quebec and must plan on settling in
Quebec. For more information about investing in Quebec, please visit the website
of the Quebec Government
Investors: After you arrive
Upon arrival into Canada, you will be greeted by a Canada Border Services Agency
(CBSA) officer who is in charge of border and point of entry clearance. The CBSA
officer will ask you to show your passport and other travel documents so make sure
to have them readily available.
The following documents must be presented:
- Valid passport and/or travel documents. You cannot immigrate to Canada with a valid
passport.
- Valid permanent resident visa and your confirmation of permanent residence (COPR).
- Proof of sufficient funds for yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada.
You must answer all the questions the officer asks truthfully. If you give incomplete
or false answers you may be denied entry. If the officer is satisfied and there
are no problems at the point of entry, you will be authorized to enter Canada. Finally,
your permanent resident card will be mailed to your new address in Canada.
Disclosure of Funds
When you arrive in Canada under the investor immigrant class, remember to disclose
any amount over $10,000 to the CBSA officer. Not disclosing this information is
subject to a fine, or potentially imprisonment. These funds could be in the form
of: cash, securities in bearer form (stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills),
or negotiable instruments in bearer form (banker’s drafts, cheques, travellers’
cheques or money orders).
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