An entrepreneur work permit lets you come to Canada to own and actively run a Canadian business. With the Start-Up Visa and the federal Self-Employed Persons Program closed to new applicants, these work permits are now the main way in for foreign entrepreneurs in 2026. None of them gives you permanent residence automatically, so the pathway you choose on day one shapes your options later.
Entrepreneur work permits at a glance
Key takeaway
Most foreign entrepreneurs now use a C11 work permit, a provincial entrepreneur stream (C60), an Intra-Company Transfer or a treaty permit. Pick the one that fits your business and your long-term plan, not just the fastest route in.
Which Entrepreneur Work Permit Fits Your Business?
Each pathway is built for a different kind of entrepreneur. Here is how the main 2026 options compare.
C11 owner work permit
Who it fits
You will own at least 51% of a Canadian business and manage it day to day. No LMIA or job ad is needed.
Worth knowing
Permits last up to 18 months, and C11 time does not count for the Canadian Experience Class.
Provincial (C60)
Who it fits
You plan to settle in a province and want a direct path to a provincial nomination. The province issues a support letter for your work permit.
Worth knowing
Each province sets its own net worth, investment and job rules, usually under a performance agreement.
Intra-Company Transfer
Who it fits
You already own or work for an established company abroad and want to open or expand a Canadian office.
Worth knowing
You usually need at least one year of full-time work with the foreign company in the last three years.
Treaty investor or trader
Who it fits
You are a citizen of the US, Mexico or another treaty country and are making a substantial investment in, or doing major trade through, a Canadian business.
Worth knowing
No LMIA is needed under agreements such as CUSMA.
LMIA-based permit
Who it fits
A small number of owners who can pass a regular LMIA, with full recruitment, a prevailing wage and a business that can afford it.
Worth knowing
The special owner-operator LMIA ended on April 1, 2021. Speak to counsel before relying on this route.
Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed
Status
The Start-Up Visa closed to new applicants on January 1, 2026. The federal Self-Employed Persons Program is paused until further notice.
Worth knowing
IRCC has announced a new entrepreneur pilot but, as of October 2026, has not published its criteria or intake dates.
Go deeper: C11 work permit, C60 work permit, Intra-Company Transfer and treaty investors and traders.
Who Qualifies for a C11 Entrepreneur Work Permit?
The C11 is the most common federal route. It is LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program, which means you qualify because your business brings a significant benefit to Canada, not because of a job offer. Since May 27, 2025, IRCC assesses applications against these core requirements, case by case:
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Own at least 51% of the Canadian business
Your control must show in your shareholder agreement and corporate records.
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Run the business yourself, day to day
Passive investment is not enough.
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Show a significant benefit to Canada
Such as jobs for Canadians, exports, new technology or skills, or support for a regional community.
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Show relevant business experience
A track record of owning or managing a business, or senior experience in the same field.
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Prove sufficient funds
Enough to start the business and support yourself and your family until the business can.
No passive investor route
Canada has no federal visa for passive investors. Every entrepreneur work permit requires you to manage the business in Canada: set strategy, run operations and supervise staff.
What Must Your Business Plan Show?
The officer decides mainly from your business plan. A strong plan answers three groups of questions.
- Is the idea viable? What market research or results support it?
- Is it different? Does it offer a product or service not easily found in your target market?
- Is it funded? Can you cover start-up costs and the first year of operations?
- Jobs: how many Canadians and permanent residents will you hire, and when?
- Exports: will you sell Canadian products or services abroad?
- Innovation: will you bring new technology or skills to the local market?
- Regions: will you support a rural or regional community?
- Who is your target market?
- How will the business grow over the next three to five years?
- What role will any business partners play?
- If you are expanding a foreign company, how will the Canadian branch work with it?
How Long Does a C11 Permit Last, and Can It Lead to PR?
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Up to 18 months
Since May 27, 2025, a C11 work permit is issued for a maximum of 18 months (previously up to two years).
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Extensions depend on results
IRCC looks at what the business has actually achieved, such as revenue, hires and operations, not at the original plan.
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No direct path to PR
C11 self-employment does not count toward the Canadian Experience Class. Most owners move to PR through a provincial entrepreneur stream or another program they qualify for.
Plan for PR from day one
No entrepreneur work permit leads to permanent residence automatically. Your PR options depend on the business meeting its plan, on you meeting the PR program’s own criteria, and on timing.
How Does the Application Process Work?
The steps are similar for a C11 and an ICT. Plan for each one:
Confirm which permit fits your business, your country of citizenship and your long-term plan.
Include a financial model and clear evidence of the benefit to Canada.
Incorporate a new company, buy an existing business, or open a Canadian branch of your foreign company.
Corporate records, proof of funds and their source, a lease if you have one, and proof of your business experience.
Your Canadian company submits the offer of employment in the IRCC Employer Portal and pays the $230 employer compliance fee. You then apply for the work permit online.
Give biometrics, and complete a medical exam if your country or job requires one.
If approved, you receive a port of entry letter and present it when you arrive in Canada.
Keep your status valid, file corporate and personal taxes, and run the business as your plan describes.
What Should You Weigh Before Applying?
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Is the business viable?
Has the idea been tested by market research or a pilot? Buying an existing business can work, as long as you take real operational control.
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Where will you settle?
Provinces differ in business climate and in their PR pathways.
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Do you have enough capital?
You need enough to launch, run and survive setbacks, plus support for your family.
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Can you hire locally?
Officers look for realistic hiring of Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
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Does your timeline work?
Allow for processing, biometrics and a possible medical exam before your business launch date.
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Is your business eligible?
IRCC will not issue work permits for businesses that offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massage. Provinces also publish their own lists of ineligible businesses.
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What is your plan B?
If the business falls short, you may have to leave Canada when your permit ends.
Can Your Family Come With You?
Your family can usually join you, but the rules for spouses changed on January 21, 2025.
Your spouse
The rule
Your spouse can get an open work permit if your job is in TEER 0 or 1 (or an eligible TEER 2 or 3 job) and your permit has at least 16 months left when they apply.
What it means for C11
A C11 lasts up to 18 months, so your spouse should apply with you or very soon after.
Children at school
The rule
Dependent children can come with you and attend school in Canada.
Worth knowing
Children who plan to study at college or university apply as international students.
Working children
The rule
Since January 21, 2025, dependent children no longer qualify for open work permits through a parent's work permit.
Worth knowing
They need their own work permit or study permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you cannot extend your permit and have no other status, yes. With planning, many owners extend their permit, move to a provincial entrepreneur stream, or apply for permanent residence under another program before their permit ends.
Up to 18 months. IRCC reduced the maximum from two years on May 27, 2025. Any extension is assessed on what your business has actually achieved.
Often, yes. Since January 21, 2025, your spouse qualifies for an open work permit only if your job is in TEER 0 or 1 (or an eligible TEER 2 or 3 job) and your permit has at least 16 months of validity left when they apply.
No. Since May 27, 2025, time on a C11 permit does not count toward the Canadian Experience Class. Most owners pursue permanent residence through a provincial entrepreneur stream or another program they qualify for.
The main IRCC fees are the $155 work permit fee, the $230 employer compliance fee paid by your Canadian company, and $85 for biometrics. Professional fees and business setup costs are separate.
Yes. Buying a business is a common route, as long as you own at least 51%, take real operational control and can show the purchase brings a significant benefit to Canada.
Not for new applicants. The Start-Up Visa closed to new applicants on January 1, 2026. IRCC has announced a new entrepreneur pilot but, as of October 2026, has not published its criteria or intake dates.
IRCC will not issue work permits for businesses that offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massage. It will also refuse applications where the business is a passive investment or lacks a credible plan for jobs, revenue and benefit to Canada. Provincial streams publish their own lists of ineligible businesses.
How Sobirovs Law Firm Can Help
We help foreign entrepreneurs and business owners choose the right pathway, structure the Canadian business, prepare the business plan and work permit application and, when the business is ready, apply for permanent residence through a provincial program or another eligible stream.
Every case is different. Book a strategy meeting to get a clear, honest assessment of your options.
Related guides
- C11 Work Permit: Canada’s LMIA-Exempt Pathway for Entrepreneurs
- C60 Work Permit for Provincial Entrepreneur Streams
- Intra-Company Transfer Canada: ICT Work Permit Guide
- Start a Business in Canada as a Foreigner
- Business Immigration vs. Express Entry: What’s Right for You?
- Success Story: Entrepreneur from Oman Builds a Life in Canada
