LMIA Exempt Work Permit under International Mobility Program (C11)

As the name suggests, the C11 program is meant for foreign nationals who are looking to immigrate to Canada as entrepreneurs and either set up a new business or buy an existing business, ensuring that they acquire a majority stake of more than 50% in the business. This is a multi-stage process and it does not guarantee permanent residence right at the very beginning. Rather, one has to prove to The Canadian government that one is financially and physically invested in the said Canadian business for a period of at least 1 year and this eventually can lead to Permanent Residence.

Prior to this program, the Owner-Operator LMIA program was the most popular for such aspirants, where an LMIA was required but applicants could receive a boost of up to 200 CRS points on their Express Entry profiles, right away, once they received a positive decision on their LMIA applications. The Owner-Operator LMIA program was discontinued in April of 2021.

Under the C11 program, while there is an LMIA exemption (under Code C11), the foreign entrepreneur can apply for a Work Permit and arrive in Canada to start the operations of his/her business, and once the applicant has gained at least 12 months of work experience managing said business, he/she becomes eligible to receive a boost of up to 200 CRS points on his/her Express Entry profile. These 200 points could potentially lead to the applicant receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Permanent Residence and after applying, the applicant could potentially continue living in Canada while he/she awaits a decision on his/her application. The process may seem long and tedious but it can eventually lead to Permanent Residence if handled properly at each stage of the process.