LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS IMMIGRANT OPTION

As discussed in the chapter on immigration, there is another completely different route to working in Canada: as a self-employed person or entrepreneur. You will have read in that chapter what the necessary qualifications are for the Business Immigration Programme; if you fit the specifications and are interested in working for yourself there are quite a few factors to consider.

Attracting the business immigrant

The Business Immigration Programme has proved very successful, with investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed people accounting for nearly 8% of all immigrants to Canada. That number continues to climb. What is the attraction for the businessperson and entrepreneur?

• Canada’s wealth of natural resources means that energy is cheap.
• There is a sophisticated network of transportation systems, making goods easily available and facilitating distribution of your product.
• The workforce is highly educated and provides another valuable resource.
• Canada has a proactive approach to taxation of Research and Development (R&D). Tax treatment of R&D is more favourable than in any other industrialised nation, including the US. One hundred per cent deduction for current R&D expenditure is allowed, as well as for capital expenditure on R&D machinery and equipment.
• The Government is keen to encourage a successful environment for business. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the US and Mexico has created a North American trading bloc of 360 million consumers, larger even than the European Union.
• The Government has various schemes to encourage participation in the business forum. For example, Small Business loans can provide up to $250,000 for new enterprise.

Investing wisely

For those with investment funds, Canada offers excellent opportunities. Property and business prices are generally half those in the UK. The following will give you some idea of the returns anticipated in business investment areas:

Passive real estate (multi-flat buildings)	10–12 per cent
Semi-active investments (shopping centres, etc.)	10–15 per cent
Active business (hotels, motels, etc.)	15–30 per cent
Active small business (fast-food, retail stores, etc.)	20–40 per cent

Getting advice

The business immigrant option can get rather complicated. Many immigration consultants provide advice and assistance with Immigrant Investor Programmes. You will find a list of these consultants in Useful Addresses.

Choosing the best areas

Report on Business magazine identified the best cities in Canada in which to do business. They were:

• Saint John’s, New Brunswick
• Lethbridge, Alberta
• Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Ottawa-Carleton, Ontario
• Missassauga, Ontario.

According to the study these five showed ‘the traits that business is currently looking for: dedicated, trainable workforces within short commutes; transportation routes or telecommuncations highways that afford easy access to markets; bottom-line advantages such as low labour and tax costs; infrastructure for telecommunications, pharmaceutical or engineering industries; universities with top research programmes; and pro-business attitude’.

Finding more help

Several organisations offer help and information for Business Immigrants.

The Federal Business Development Bank

This is a government agency formed to help promote and assist small business development and establishment.

Business Development Bank of Canada
BDC Building
5 Place Ville Marie, Suite 400
Montreal, PQ, H3B 5E7
Tel: (877) 232 2269
email: info@bdc.ca

They have an excellent website at www.bdc.ca which is full of information about starting a business, acquisitions, financing and much more. Well worth a visit.

The Department of Canadian Heritage

They produce a directory of Canadian ethnocultural organisations which are specifically oriented toward business. The directory, called Multiculturalism Means Business, can be obtained by phoning 1-819-997 0797. They also have an informative website at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca

Economic Development Departments

The individual provinces offer an invaluable information service for business migrants in the form of brochures, seminars and counselling services. You need to contact the Economic Development Department of the province in which you are interested. Their addresses are in Useful Addresses.

Being self-employed

If you do not intend to set up a business in Canada employing other Canadians, you still may be able to enter as a ‘self-employed person’; the requisites for this category are detailed in Chapter 2. The official definition refers to someone who has the ability to purchase a business in Canada that will create employment for themself and make a significant contribution to the economy, cultural or artistic life of Canada. It includes farmers, artists, salespeople and those who can provide a specialised trade or service. Worth investigating if you prefer to go your own way. Self-employed immigrants account for approximately 12 per cent of successful business immigrants each year.

ASSESSING YOUR CHANCES

If you have a British qualification in any profession you will need to find out how it translates into the Canadian market. Some qualifications will be acceptable as they stand, others will need to be augmented by further training in Canada or some sort of examination on arrival. Occupations currently requiring assessment by professional bodies or organisations include:

accountants	occupational therapists
engineers	pharmacists
speech language pathologists	technicians
audiologists	technologists

Checking your credentials

If you feel this might apply to you, get in touch as soon as possible with The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC). This is a very helpful organisation which assists individuals who want to know how to get their qualifications recognised in Canada. They do this by directing you to the appropriate regulatory body or professional association. Note that in Canada the assessment of foreign credentials and qualifications is done by professional regulatory bodies in each province. CICIC has a database of professional associations and provides information on the steps you will need to take to obtain recognition. For those with access to the Internet, the CICIC now has an informative website at www.cicic.ca/, which includes up-to-date information on credential evaluation services. The fact sheets on this site are very helpful. In particular, take a look at www.cicic.ca/factsheets/factsheet2en, which looks at the assessment and recognition of credentials for the specific purpose of employment in Canada and www.cicic.ca/professions/ professionsen.asp, which relates to specific professions and trades.

Getting help with your check

There are credential evaluation services which provide an assessment of qualifications for general employment purposes.

They will supply you with a letter of opinion regarding the value of your credentials. If you are a member of a professional body they will probably be able to advise you about the status of your qualifications in Canada. A fee is normally charged. You will find most have information and applications forms available on-line. These services are offered by:

Comparative Education Service, 315 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M55 1A3. Tel: (416) 978 2185. Fax: (416) 978 7022. Website: www.adm.utoronto .ca/ces

Academic Credentials Evaluation Service, York University, 150 Atkinson Building, 4700 Keele St, North York, ON M3J 1P3. Tel: (416) 736 5787. Website: www.yorku.ca

International Credential Assessment Service of Canada, Inc., 147 Wyndham Street North, Suite 409, Guelph ON N1H 4E9. Tel: (519) 763 7282. Fax: (519) 763 6964. email: info@icascanada.ca

International Credential 3700 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, BC, V5G 3H2. Tel: (604) 432 8800. Fax: (604) 435 7033. email: icesinfo@bcit.ca

International Qualifications Assessment Service, Main Floor, 10808-99th Ave, Edmonton, ALT5J 3S8. Tel: (403) 427 2655. Fax: (403) 422 9734. email: IQAS@lab.gov.ab.ca

For the Province of Quebec only:

Service des Equivalences, Ministère des Relations avec les Citoyens et de 1’Immigration, 360 rue McGill, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2EP. Tel: (514) 873 5647. Fax: (514) 873 8701. See website: www.immigration-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/francais/education/evaluation

CASE STUDIES

Samantha plans ahead

Samantha knows she wants to continue her career as a dietitian once she arrives in Canada, and it is on this basis that she intends to make her immigration application. However, she is concerned that her British qualifications may not be acceptable in Canada.

She writes to The Canadian Centre for International Credentials and discovers that she will have to undertake a short upgrading course. Fortunately, this can be done whilst she is still in Britain.

Samantha completes the course over the next two months on a correspondence basis. She is then given full accreditation when she applies to Canadian Immigration.

George looks at his options

Fully trained as an electronic engineer, George specialised for some years in audio electronics.

‘What I’d really like to do is get work in a recording studio, maintaining and upgrading the equipment. I wonder what sort of opportunities are available?’

‘Perhaps you could write to some sort of association over there who could give you an idea?’ his wife suggests.

George consults the Canadian Almanac and Directory (available at larger libraries and on-line at www.mmltd.com.Directories/ Cdn_Almanac.htm) and gets the addresses of the Canadian recording industry associations. From these he finds that he may well be able to find work in that field, particularly in Vancouver or Toronto.

FINDING OUT ABOUT PAY SCALES

The pay structure in Canada is roughly similar to that in Britain in terms of which jobs would be considered poorly paid, medium or well paid. However, salaries tend to be higher on the whole, particularly in the lower paid sections.

You can get an up-to-date and accurate idea of the going rates for various jobs by studying the advertisements and contacting employment agencies. There can be significant differences, depending on locale. Pay tends to be higher in the major cities, such as Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto where accommodation costs are high.

MAKING CHOICES

A great many factors come into your choice of job in Canada. First and foremost will be the basis on which you apply for your visa. Study carefully the Occupations List at the end of this book. After that you need to look at what is available in the area you have chosen and how best you can fill that need. Will you, perhaps, come slightly downscale from your current career status in order to enter an industry that is growing and flourishing in Canada?

The major industries

Here is a brief overview of the major industries, although it is worth remembering that almost any industry you can think of will be represented somewhere in Canada.

• Agriculture. In fact only 7 per cent of land in Canada is arable, but Canada is one of the top exporters of cereal in the world.
• Fishing and fisheries. Canada is the world’s leading exporter of fish and seafood.
• Forestry. A massive industry, but potentially troubled due to past over-exploitation of resources and current ecological concerns. Included under this heading is paper and pulp production which continues to flourish.
• Iron and steel. Manufacturing companies spread throughout many parts of Canada.
• Manufacturing. Includes food products, motor vehicles, electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles, aircraft, petroleum products, steel, aircraft and aerospace, industrial and agricultural machinery.
• Mining. Canada’s mineral reserves are immense and include zinc, nickel, gold, silver, iron ore, uranium, copper, cobalt and lead.
• Petro-chemicals and gas. Canada is one of the world’s foremost petroleum producers.
• Transportation. Understandably, in a country of this size, the transportation industry is very important. Development and manufacture of transportation equipment is a key area.
• Tourism. A growth industry, with more and more people from all over the world seeing Canada as an ideal holiday destination.

CHECKLIST

• The Immigration Requirements are essential reading.
• You might qualify as a Business Immigrant or self-employed person.
• The various publications advertising jobs overseas are a good source of employment opportunities.
• If you are a student contemplating a year out or short-term employment, contact an organisation specialising in student exchange, such as BUNAC.
• If you are a teacher, an exchange visit may be appropriate. Contact The League for Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers.
• The Live-in Caregiver programme is an excellent route for those qualified.
• You need to find out if your professional qualifications are acceptable in Canada and, if not, what you have to do to make sure they are. Your best contact is the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.
• Have a look at salary scales, bearing in mind that they vary according to locale.