Unlike citizenship-by-investment programs, Canadian immigration is a route to long-term residence, available through business, family reunification, Canadian ancestry or youth work mobility. We work with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC) and Canadian lawyers across four pathways.
Choose the pathway that matches your situation, or let us assess the most suitable route free of charge.
For business owners: net worth from CAD 300,000 and a genuine business you actively manage.
Details →If a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was Canadian, you may already be a citizen.
Details →Citizens of partner countries aged 18–35: an open work permit to work and travel in Canada for up to 24 months.
Details →Available where the partner is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; no investment is required.
Details →A route for experienced entrepreneurs who establish or acquire, and actively manage, a business in British Columbia. The applicant first obtains a temporary work permit to operate the business; after meeting the performance agreement, a provincial nomination is issued and the applicant applies for permanent residence.
| Requirement | Base Stream | Regional Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Business location | Anywhere in BC, including Metro Vancouver | Participating communities outside Metro Vancouver |
| Personal net worth | CAD $600,000 | CAD $300,000 |
| Minimum investment | CAD $200,000 | CAD $100,000 |
| Job creation | At least one full-time position | At least one full-time position |
| Community referral | Not required | Required before applying |
Within the past 10 years: three years as an owner-manager, or four years in senior management, or one year as an owner-manager plus two years in senior management.
English or French at approximately CLB 4, a comparatively low threshold.
The applicant must be actively involved in day-to-day management; permanent residence is not granted upfront but only after the business has been operated and the performance agreement met.
Invitations depend on the registration score: business experience, net worth, investment size, and the feasibility of the business plan and its benefit to the BC economy.
Submit a registration to BC PNP and receive a score.
Issued in periodic rounds based on score; the entrepreneur category is typically invited monthly or on a regular cycle.
Business plan, net-worth documentation, source of funds, investment plan and supporting documents.
On approval, a performance agreement is signed with BC and a support letter issued for the work permit application.
The investment is completed, the business operated and the agreed jobs created.
After the agreement is met, the BC nomination is issued and the permanent residence application filed with IRCC. Total timeline: approximately four years.
Government fees follow the IRCC (and, where applicable, BC PNP) schedule current at filing and are set out, together with the licensed partner's professional fees, in a written quotation before engagement.
Canada's Citizenship Act has been amended (Bill C-3, in force 15 December 2025), removing the first-generation limit and substantially widening eligibility. This is not immigration but confirmation of citizenship the applicant may already hold.
Proof that the parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was born in Canada; the applicant's birth certificate; and, where required, evidence of the Canadian parent's three years of physical presence.
As at August 2026 processing takes approximately 19 months; this figure changes, so IRCC's published time at filing governs. Government fees follow IRCC's schedule current at filing and are set out in the written quotation.
A temporary-residence program allowing young people from countries with a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada to live, work and gain international experience for a limited period. It is designed for cultural exchange and genuine work experience and is often the most accessible first step into Canada.
An open work permit allowing work for almost any employer in Canada while travelling. Valid for up to 24 months (23 months for New Zealand citizens).
An employer-specific work permit for up to 24 months, in a position that contributes to professional development.
An employer-specific work permit of up to 12 months to complete a placement required as part of post-secondary studies.
Citizenship of a partner country; aged 18–35; a valid passport; funds of at least CAD 2,500; health insurance covering the entire stay; and admissibility to Canada.
The 2026 season includes more than 35 partner countries, among them South Korea (age limit raised to 35), Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. Mainland China, Russia and the Gulf states are not currently in the program. Quotas and age limits vary by country; IRCC's official list governs.
A family reunification program allowing a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to sponsor a spouse or partner for permanent residence. Its purpose is to reunite families while confirming that the relationship is genuine and not entered into for immigration purposes.
Aged 18 or over; a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act. Permanent residents must reside in Canada; citizens living abroad may sponsor if they intend to return when the applicant becomes a permanent resident. The sponsor must not be barred, for example by receiving social assistance other than for disability, defaulting on a previous sponsorship undertaking, or certain criminal convictions.
A legally married spouse; a common-law partner after at least 12 consecutive months of cohabitation in a conjugal relationship; or, in limited cases, a conjugal partner where legal or objective barriers prevent marriage or cohabitation. The relationship must be genuine and the applicant admissible on medical, criminality and security grounds.
| Approximate timing | Stage |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sponsorship and permanent residence applications are submitted online through the IRCC PR Portal. |
| 1–2 months | IRCC issues an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) confirming the application is complete. |
| 2–4 months | Biometrics instruction letter (if required), medical examination request or review of an upfront medical, and assessment of the sponsor's eligibility. |
| 4–8 months | IRCC assesses the genuineness of the relationship, reviews the evidence and conducts criminality, security and background checks; additional documents or an interview may be requested. |
| 8–12 months | Final decision; on approval the applicant receives a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and completes landing. |
The table shows the sequence of stages for a straightforward file (closest to an outland case). Official processing times are currently approximately 20–28 months for inland and generally under 20 months for outland applications, and they change continually; IRCC's published processing time at filing governs.
Government fees follow the IRCC (and, where applicable, BC PNP) schedule current at filing and are set out, together with the licensed partner's professional fees, in a written quotation before engagement.
An online master's degree from an accredited US university, taught primarily in Chinese and compatible with full-time employment. Following an ECA from a designated body such as WES, it may increase the education score in points-based applications, subject to the policies in force at the time of filing.
The fees and rules on this page are based on the following official publications. Where they differ, the official source prevails; we re-check them at every update (last reviewed 2026-10-06).
No. The applicant first receives a temporary work permit and must actively run the business in British Columbia. Only after the performance agreement is met is the provincial nomination issued, followed by the permanent residence application to IRCC. The full path typically takes around four years.
The Base stream permits a business anywhere in BC, including Metro Vancouver, and requires net worth of CAD 600,000 with an investment of CAD 200,000. The Regional stream is limited to participating communities outside Metro Vancouver and requires a community referral first, but halves the thresholds to CAD 300,000 and CAD 100,000.
If you were born outside Canada before 15 December 2025, Bill C-3 removed the first-generation limit, so a Canadian parent, grandparent or even great-grandparent may qualify you, with no residence proof required from that ancestor. Processing takes approximately 19 months.
No. IEC is open only to citizens of countries holding a Youth Mobility Agreement with Canada. Mainland China, Russia and the Gulf states are not in the program; South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong are, for applicants aged 18 to 35, with Korea's age limit having been raised to 35.
Inland applications take approximately 20–28 months but allow an open work permit; outland applications are generally under 20 months. Government fees follow IRCC's schedule current at filing and are set out, together with the licensed partner's professional fees, in the written quotation.
Every Canadian case is handled together with a licensed partner. Under section 91 of Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, only RCICs, Canadian lawyers and Quebec notaries may represent clients for a fee. We provide consultation, document preparation and coordination; formal representation is provided by the licensed professional.
Yes, as an outland application. This category is usually faster, generally under 20 months, with fewer travel restrictions during processing, but the open work permit is not available. The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; a citizen living abroad must intend to return to Canada when the applicant becomes a permanent resident.
Yes. They differ in nature: citizenship by investment provides a second nationality and passport within months, whereas Canadian immigration is a multi-year route aimed at long-term residence. All nationalities and statuses must be declared truthfully in any Canadian application. We can coordinate both plans within a single consultation and assess them together with our licensed partner.
Leave your details and we will identify the most suitable pathway free of charge, then arrange a formal assessment with our licensed partner.
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