An accomplished senior executive from the UAE contacted us to advise him on purchasing a franchise in Canada. The client’s budget was between CAD $300,000 and CAD $350,000. The facts of this business immigration case were as follows:
- The client had senior executive experience in the construction industry and management of properties;
- The client wanted to use his previous experience in the business development of his Canadian franchise;
- One of the main goals of the client was to immigrate to Canada in 2022;
- The client and his family are citizens of India but have been living in Dubai for several years; and
- The client wanted to bring his spouse and their child to Canada with him.
Our business immigration lawyers conducted considerable research and assessment of possible franchise options, which were proposed to the client. The client decided to pursue a promising franchise opportunity with a recognized North American painting franchisor. The existing franchise was located in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
The Timeline of the Case
To be eligible for a business immigration pathway under Canadian law, our client invested in purchasing the franchise. Our client’s investment made him and his spouse eligible for Canadian work permits, and their child became eligible for a student visa.
The client signed a Letter of Intent to purchase a franchise on 22 March 2021. Then, our business immigration lawyers incorporated the business on 23 November 2021.
The immigration application was submitted on 2 February 2022 under the C11 Entrepreneur Work Permit program. The application was quickly approved on 29 March 2022.
The client received a work permit, his spouse obtained an open work permit, and their child received a study permit.
Lessons Learned from the Case
Franchise business immigration is one of the great options for foreign entrepreneurs looking to do business in Canada. When approaching buying a franchise, clients will have two options. One is to take over an existing franchise location and the second one would be to open a brand-new franchise location. Our client in this case chose to take over an existing one.
There are a few benefits of pursuing this option:
- Existing franchise businesses already have an existing location, which saves you time and money on searching for and securing commercial property;
- You have an opportunity to interview and talk to the seller, which means you can gain sales data and confirm the profitability of the business;
- You can conduct third-party analysis to strengthen your understanding of the existing client base and the viability of the franchise location;
- You will generally already have the staff needed to run the franchise, making the start-up process much easier; and
- With an existing franchise, you will be able to generate income from day one.
On the other hand, there are advantages of buying a NEW franchise location:
- A new franchise will have a clean reputation in the community and will not have any pre-existing negative operational habits;
- You will most definitely receive new equipment when opening a new franchise; and
- Sometimes new franchise locations are less expensive because you are not getting an existing client base and cash flow.
Why You Should Choose Sobirovs as Legal Advisors for Your Business Immigration to Canada
Buying a new or an existing franchise can be uncharted territory for any entrepreneur. Especially when that entrepreneur is from outside of Canada. At Sobirovs, we rely on our extensive business knowledge and numerous successful business immigration cases to find perfect solutions for you and your family.
In 2021 alone, we served 453 individuals in business immigration-related cases! We provide tailor-made solutions that are specific to you, your business, and your background. Our business immigration lawyers provide the highest client care in the industry and are with you from start to finish of your immigration journey.
Take these 3 steps to learn more about your business immigration possibilities and let’s team up to achieve your goals today:
- Step 1: Check your eligibility for business immigration programs using our Free Instant Assessment tool.
- Step 2: Check our fees using our Fee Calculator. Don’t worry if the fees estimated by the Fee Calculator seem too high. We can give you a discount if your case is strong.
- Step 3: Book a 1-hour Strategy Meeting with our senior business immigration lawyer to discuss your immigration case in more detail. If we take you as our next client after this meeting, the fee you paid for the meeting will be applied towards our legal retainer.