How to Immigrate to Canada from Indonesia: Business.

Canada has recently been experiencing an upswing in business immigration from entrepreneurs, business owners, and self-employed individuals. Canadian permanent residents are individuals from other countries who have been granted permanent residency in Canada, giving them access to healthcare, the ability to live and work anywhere in Canada, and the possibility of applying for Canadian citizenship after a certain period. In this article, we deeply dive into how to immigrate to Canada from Indonesia. You will learn about official immigration programs for entrepreneurs and companies. We are proud to be able to use our business acumen to provide the most complete and current information about business immigration in Canada. It is crucial to select the right visa program to ensure a smooth immigration process and achieve your goals.

Overview of Canadian Immigration Programs for Indonesian Entrepreneurs

Canada offers a wide range of immigration programs designed to attract skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and families worldwide. The Canadian government has meticulously crafted these programs to address the country’s labour market needs and foster economic growth. Among the most popular immigration programs are the Express Entry program, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), Business Immigration pathways on federal and provincial levels, and Family Sponsorship.

The Express Entry program is a points-based system that manages applications for three federal economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. It is known for its efficiency and speed, often processing applications within six months.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) allow provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada after that individual meets specific criteria. Entrepreneurs establishing new or purchasing an existing business in Canadian provinces may also benefit from the PNPs.

Below, we will explain the most suitable immigration programs for Indonesian entrepreneurs, investors, and businesses who want to immigrate to Canada.

Eligibility Criteria for Business Immigration

To immigrate to Canada through a business immigration pathway, Indonesian entrepreneurs and investors must meet several key eligibility requirements. These criteria vary depending on the specific immigration program but generally include financial capacity, relevant business experience, and a viable business proposal that aligns with Canada’s economic goals.

Most business immigration programs, such as the Start-Up Visa (SUV), Entrepreneur Work Permit (C11), and Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), require applicants to demonstrate prior experience in managing or owning a business. This experience must be well-documented through financial statements, business registration records, and reference letters. A minimum investment amount is also required, which varies by province and program. For example, PNPs may require an investment of CAD $100,000 to CAD $600,000, depending on the location and industry.

Applicants must also show they have sufficient liquid funds to support themselves and their business operations in Canada. In many cases, immigration officers assess not only the minimum investment requirement but also additional funds for operational expenses and unforeseen business costs. A well-structured business plan is crucial, as it should outline the business concept, market research, job creation potential, and financial projections.

Another critical factor is language proficiency in English or French. While not all business immigration pathways have strict language requirements, proving proficiency through an IELTS or TEF exam can significantly strengthen an application, particularly for those seeking permanent residency. These language exams are important to demonstrate proficiency and meet the eligibility criteria, ensuring that Indonesian entrepreneurs can successfully transition to the Canadian business landscape while contributing to the economy.

Choosing the Right Province or Territory

Selecting the right province or territory is one of the most important decisions for Indonesian business immigrants. Each province has its own economic priorities, industry strengths, and business immigration programs, making it essential to choose a location that aligns with an entrepreneur’s business goals and investment capacity.

For Indonesian entrepreneurs looking for a large consumer market and strong economic infrastructure, Ontario and British Columbia are popular choices. Ontario, home to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, offers vast opportunities in technology, finance, and trade, while British Columbia provides an excellent environment for businesses in natural resources, trade, and the hospitality sector. Both provinces have their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) dedicated to business immigration.

British Columbia also offers a specialized Tech Pilot Program aimed at attracting skilled immigrants in high-demand IT occupations, supporting its burgeoning tech sector.

Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are attractive options for those seeking a lower cost of living and potential incentives. With its strong energy sector and growing tech industry, Alberta has a business-friendly tax system, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba offer streamlined immigration pathways for agriculture, manufacturing, and service-based industries.

Entrepreneurs looking to invest in rural areas or smaller communities may find promising opportunities in the Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Island). These provinces actively encourage business immigration through PNPs with lower investment thresholds and strong government support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Ultimately, choosing the right province or territory depends on an entrepreneur’s industry focus, business goals, and preferred lifestyle. Working with experienced immigration advisors can help Indonesian entrepreneurs identify the most suitable location to successfully transition to Canada.

Business Immigration to Canada from Indonesia

Indonesian entrepreneurs and business owners have a myriad of options for achieving their immigration goals. Each program allows applicants and their family members to become eligible for permanent residency through the Express Entry program and other programs. There are four main pathways Indonesian business immigrants choose to pursue their business plans. Some of the paths are subject to NOC (National Occupational Classification).

As part of the immigration process, obtaining a medical report from approved physicians to demonstrate the applicant’s health status and police certificate is essential.

• The ICT program allows well-established and operational businesses to move critical company members with proven work experience to Canada. This stream is well-suited for mature businesses with stable operations. The ICT work permit is not tied to a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that shows the unavailability of local candidates for the job.
• Entrepreneur Work Permits – Got the best idea for the next big thing? This visa program is for you! Individuals with high net worth and applicable skills can invest in Canadian businesses or create one from the ground up. This program is well suited to experienced managers or entrepreneurs with business foundations.
• Provincial programs are an excellent fit for entrepreneurs with a location-specific strategy or require specific logistics. Most Canadian provinces and territories offer specific PNP programs for business immigrants to invest and work in a specific national region. The most popular pathways for Indonesian newcomers have remained in Ontario and British Columbia, with Alberta and Nova Scotia gaining popularity, too.
• The Owner-Operator program has been a historically popular visa program for Indonesian businesspeople and previously offered a streamlined expansion process. However, significant changes made to the program in April 2021 have switched the Indonesian creators’ sights to applying via a standard LMIA pathway. More are choosing the streamlined and specific Entrepreneur Work Programs.

Pro Tips for Canada Visa Application in Indonesia: Helpful for All Canadian Immigration Programs

Indonesian business owners and entrepreneurs know what they want. However, as all seasoned business people know, learning is the only way to grow. To maximize your immigration success, read our compiled tips below and set yourself up for a great journey to Canada:

Include Extensive Financial Documentation and Educational Credential Assessment

The officers in the Canadian Visa Office in Indonesia will scrutinize the evidence of your financial capacity. Therefore, you must show sufficient liquid funds to develop your Canadian business using relevant documents. Corporate and personal bank statements can be used as such documents, along with savings account statements, etc. However, Visa Officers would like to see more than minimum financial capacity. We recommend showing that you have set aside additional funds to cover operational costs and unexpected expenses.

For example, if you plan to invest CAD $150,000 into a Canadian business, you must show an additional CAD $100,000 in available funds. We recommend that you also show evidence of personal and non-liquid assets with your business immigration application.

Include Evidence About Relevant Experience

Very often, Visa Officers will require Indonesian business immigrants to show that they would be able to establish business operations and successfully run them in Canada. It is also important to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to validate your educational qualifications against Canadian standards. Thus, as an Indonesian business immigrant, it is crucial to show significant evidence of relevant education, industry, and managerial experience. More importantly, you must show that you have acquired transferrable skills. Based on our experience, we strongly suggest including evidence of business ownership, educational diplomas, certificates of training courses, and reference letters in your application. You should include any relevant evidence to show that you have the necessary experience and skills to succeed in your new role in Canada.

Include Evidence of Commitment

You must show evidence of your commitment to the execution of your business plan. This requirement can only be fulfilled by putting your money at risk and investing in completing your business plan. There must be evidence of, for example, buying a business, investing in a Canadian business, signing a commercial lease, employing workers, ordering equipment, etc. Only real and actual steps that you have taken to execute your business vision will be perceived by Visa Officers as you showing commitment to the business plan.

Best Businesses in Canada for Immigrants from Indonesia: Impact on the Canadian Economy

Indonesian businesses supply the world with goods and services, and Canadians have benefitted from their expertise for decades. Indonesia boasts a global reputation in exports, outpacing industry competitors in the rubber, woven clothing, and electric machinery sectors.

Those sectors alone accounted for 40.5% of Canadian imports from Indonesia in 2019. As these industries boost the Indonesian economy, many are looking for opportunities to grow their success. More and more Indonesian businesses are choosing Canada as their future home.

Rubber Industry

Canada enjoys robust trade relations with Indonesia in the rubber industry. In 2021 alone, Canadian imports of Indonesian plastic and rubber goods topped CAD $261,087,779. In this same vein, industry professionals with expertise in manufacturing and extraction are finding their skills embraced in the ever-growing Canadian sector.

Apparel Sector

Indonesia is one of the top global exporters of apparel products. The apparel articles sector is consistently one of the top ten Canadian imports from Indonesia. Indonesian entrepreneurs and business owners in this sector can leverage their products and their expertise to enrich the Canadian economy and society.

Leather and fur product imports alone reached CAD $40,910,283 in 2021, and textile products were booming at $344,280,208. As Canadian businesses continue experiencing supply chain shortages, this economic and material boost is a lifeline.

Trades

Indonesia and Canada have enjoyed a historically profitable and robust trade relationship. In June of 2021, the nations announced the beginning of negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The Canadian government celebrated the news as part of its commitment to investment ties with fast-growing markets worldwide. Currently, Canada and Indonesia are at the advanced level of negotiations with respect to the Canada-Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which is expected to be signed in 2025.

In 2020 alone, Indonesia and Canada enjoyed two-way merchandise trading totalling $3.4 billion CAD. Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, stated:

“The commercial relationship between Canada and Indonesia has a significant potential for growth. A comprehensive agreement can provide Canadians with:

• enhanced access to Southeast Asian supply chains,
• unlock opportunities for world-class Canadian goods and services in this rapidly growing market, and
• drive long-term job creation and sustainable, inclusive growth for generations to come.”

Our Experience & Statistics for SMEs & Investors Entering Canada from Indonesia

Our practice is humbled to have been working with Indonesian startups, investors, entrepreneurs, and companies since the beginning of our practice. We welcome Indonesian applicants and have advised many clients on their immigration pathways. Below is a quick summary of facts that we have witnessed throughout the years:

• between CAD $200,000 – CAD $300,000
• 95%
• British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta
• 2-3 months

Types of business:

• Franchised businesses (retail, marketing, food industry and professional services)
• Trade (apparel, fur, leather goods, petroleum, palm oil, nickel articles, etc.)
• Electrical machinery and equipment

Top reasons for rejection:

• Insufficient funds
• The potential success of the business in Canada

Facts About Migrating to Canada from Indonesia

Although the Indonesian population in Canada is one of the smallest, it is one of the fastest-growing. The majority of Indonesian immigrants to Canada came in 1960, and during that period, the trade and immigration relationship between the countries blossomed. Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta have historically proved to be the most popular destinations for Indonesian immigrants on Canadian business visas. 52% of Indonesian immigrants have settled in Toronto or Vancouver.

Canada has many pathways that Indonesian business immigrants have chosen to enrich their future. For years, Canadian businesses have highlighted the expertise and good business practices present in Indonesian industries and are eager to welcome Indonesian newcomers into the social and economic world.

International students from Indonesia can also gain permanent residency in Canada through educational programs. The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is particularly beneficial, as completing a two-year program can facilitate their transition from student status to becoming eligible for immigration through work experience and various provincial programs.

Indonesian Canadians are already making their mark.

In a recent profile, student Raph Widjaja spoke about the power of continuing cultural celebrations after landing in Canada. She shared that she couldn’t remember a time she didn’t celebrate Imlek, a Lunar New Year holiday usually marked by visiting businesses in her native Jakarta to eat specialty foods before attending a lantern festival in her neighbourhood.

“You would get to light up a lantern, write what you wished for, and then float them up to the sky with everyone in the neighbourhood.”

Widjaja reiterated the shared Indonesian and Canadian values of diversity and respect: “Indonesians pride themselves in the fact that there are a lot of cultures and people that live here, so we’re going to respect their traditions and also have our interpretations.” Although she has been in Canada for the last Lunar New Year, she planned to celebrate it with friends in Ottawa. She said, “It’s not about your ethnicity… It’s all about being surrounded by the people you love, eating good food, and just welcoming the new year.”

Canadian officials are heralding Indonesian innovation as a boon to the global economy. Business Council of Canada President Goldy Hyder described.) recently increased trade efforts with Indonesia as “a critical element in driving a strong and lasting post-pandemic recovery that boosts the quality of life for all Canadians.” He called Indonesia “one of the largest markets not covered by an existing trade agreement…an important part of the increasingly integrated economy in Southeast Asia…[and] a significant growth opportunity for Canadian businesses.”

Creating a community through food is a popular practice. In the Hamilton region, owners Bobby Saputra and Hana Taresha have launched the food pop-up “Indonesian’s Flavour.” The owners hail from Surabaya, a meeting point of culinary traditions and home to some of the best cooking in the world. Both moved to Canada nearly 10 years ago in different fields but transitioned their home cooking skills to the real deal when they noticed a high-demand market for Indonesian cuisine in the GTA.

Although there are many fantastic restaurants, there is undoubtedly space available to better represent the many cuisines of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Straits. Indonesian’s Flavour is quickly becoming a local favourite, and their cooking is already being hailed as “a real treat,” delicious homestyle food made with “so much technique and intuition.”

Indonesian innovators have been making Canada home for generations, but the nation remains a welcoming home for new Indonesian talent. Whether you’re just starting to imagine a Canadian future for your business or if you’ve always wanted to make the leap, we are here to help launch your passion in Canada.

How Sobirovs Law Firm Can Help Indonesian Entrepreneurs and Businesses

Navigating the business immigration process to Canada can be complex, but with the right guidance, Indonesian entrepreneurs and business owners can successfully establish their presence in the Canadian market. At Sobirovs Law Firm, we specialize in business immigration law, providing tailored legal and strategic support to ensure a smooth transition for Indonesian investors, business owners, and entrepreneurs.

Comprehensive Business Immigration Support

Our team of experienced immigration lawyers and business advisors assists Indonesian clients in selecting the most suitable immigration pathway based on their business goals, investment capacity, and industry expertise. Whether applying for the Start-Up Visa (SUV), Intra-Company Transfer (ICT), Entrepreneur Work Permit (C11), or Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), we provide personalized guidance at every stage.

We help clients prepare strong applications by ensuring they meet the eligibility criteria, including financial documentation, business experience verification, and compliance with Canadian immigration laws. Our expertise extends to business plan development, ensuring that our clients present a viable and compelling business proposal that aligns with Canadian economic priorities.

Assistance in Business Selection and Establishment

For Indonesian entrepreneurs looking to start a new business or acquire an existing one in Canada, our firm provides valuable insights and connections within the Canadian business ecosystem. We conduct market research, business feasibility analysis, and due diligence to help clients make informed decisions about where and how to invest. Additionally, we assist in negotiating business purchases, drafting contracts, and ensuring regulatory compliance for business operations in Canada.

Legal Compliance and Post-Arrival Support

Successfully immigrating to Canada is just the beginning. We provide ongoing legal and compliance support to ensure our clients meet their business and immigration obligations. This includes work permit extensions, transition to permanent residency, business expansion support, and corporate structuring advice tailored to their needs.

Furthermore, our firm facilitates networking opportunities with local business communities, government agencies, and economic development organizations, helping Indonesian entrepreneurs integrate into the Canadian market with confidence.

Why Choose Sobirovs Law Firm?

• Expertise in Business Immigration – We have helped numerous entrepreneurs and investors successfully relocate to Canada.
• Tailored Legal Strategies – We customize immigration and business strategies based on each client’s specific goals.
• End-to-End Support – From application preparation to business establishment and permanent residency, we provide comprehensive assistance.
• Strong Track Record – Our firm has a high success rate in securing business immigration approvals for international clients.

At Sobirovs Law Firm, we are committed to helping Indonesian entrepreneurs and businesses seamlessly transition to Canada and build successful ventures. If you are ready to start your journey to Canada, contact us today to explore your business immigration options.