lastchance

I am a UK Citizen. I have my company in the UK and I also have my company ins the US however my US visa is expiring REALLY soon and unable to get it renewed, but trying other avenues.
I need to be close to the US for many reasons and thought staying in Canada would be the best option.

I am wondering for someone like me, an entrepreneur, is there a way I can start my company and work for myself in Canada? What is the process?
For someone like me who does not drive, are services like uber/lyft available in Canada? I am looking at Vancouver BC since its close to the border of the US.

What about cost of living? I mean, a 1 or 2 bed house or apartment rental, typically how much are we talking?

Thank you for your help. I am pretty stressed at the moment and not sure where to go or what to do in these circumstances.

Siouxie

Hello and welcome to BE!


As your post is partially about immigration but mainly about lifestyle and costs, I'll move your post to the main Canada forum.

Could I suggest posting a separate thread about Immigration potential?

You can't just move here and start a business without a work permit or Permanent Residency, but you could perhaps apply for a start up visa - or else see if you could emigrate under Express Entry and then start your business once you have Permanent Residency. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcen...qnum=645&top=6 /

scilly

Vancouver is EXPENSIVE, even though prices for apartments, condos and single family houses are allegedly dropping.

Costs depend on where you want to live.

In the downtown peninsula, think $2500 and up to rent a 1 bedroom, $3000 and up for a 2 bedroom. Buying a condo in downtown seems to be around $1 million, if you want a reasonable-sized 2 bedroom.

Prices will drop as you go further from downtown ............... I ve seen 1 bedroom apartments ion the area where I live as low as $900 in a 3 storey walk-up and as high as $2000 in a high rise.


Vancouver does NOT have Uber, Lyft or any such car services, apart from a few totally illegal ones offered in certain locations. The provincial government is still debating how to allow such services without adversally affecting a protected taxi industry.

Transit is pretty good

scilly

But this would not happen immediately, would it??

Even the fastest way would take months??

rivingtonpike

As far as I know, pretty much ALL routes to remaining and working in Canada take a minimum of months to attain. Like most countries, you can't simply turn up and start working. According to the Canada Immigration website, assuming you are eligible in the first place, a start-up visa takes between 12 - 18 months from when you apply.

Aviator

Mexico is close to the US.

lastchance

Thank you all, I appreciate it!

indeed, I was not sure how the start-up visa works. They need some kind of sponsorship or some backing or something? Meh, not sure I follow much but most likely because I have a million things going on in my mind given my deadline and things to do and what to do

Siouxie

It does, but there is the potential to apply for a work permit as an essential worker (no LMIA required), once you have found a designated entity to support your application for PR.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...pplicants.html

scilly

But the OP says he has "my company" in the UK and "my company" in the US ...... thus implying that he is self-employed and running his own business.

Would this section apply to such a person?

Siouxie

So what is your point?

As far as I am aware there is nothing to preclude them starting a similar business in Canada, should they be able to get support from one of the designated entities and then enter as an essential worker (i.e the owner!) on a work permit until PR is granted.

They would need to have experience of running a business / owning a company in order to get the support letter in the first place for the PR application.
From the link given:

scilly

Well, if you are running your own business, surely you would need to find someone or some other business to support your application. Or would support from a bank be sufficient?

Surely it's easier to do that if you want employment and an employer supports you than if you want to maintain your independence?????

lastchance

Interesting but seems a little complicated in terms of getting support from incubators? Wonder how that works and whether or not I can get everything done in 2 months...

Siouxie

Perhaps it would be of help to read the link I gave earlier. In order to qualify for the Start up Visa, the applicant has to apply to one of the designated organisations for support of their business idea.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcen...qnum=645&top=6

This is ONLY for the Start Up Visa - which is a route for Permanent Residency.

Otherwise they would have to apply through Express Entry or obtain a job offer from an employer willing and able to go through the LMIA process, which is no longer a simple matter and enter on a Temporary Work Permit and hope that they could qualify for Permanent Residency at a later date either through Express Entry if they had enough points to get an invite from the pool, or for Provincial Nomination.



It's mostly explained on the Govt website in detail, how to go about it and how it works.
I would very much doubt if you could even get the initial support documentation in under 2 months unless you were ready to submit it within the next week or two. Immigration is never a fast thing. Your other alternative would be to see if you could get a job offer with an employer willing to go through the LMIA process - but even that will take several months.