Temporary Business Work in Canada

C11 Entrepreneur Work Permit

Interested in establishing, purchasing or operating your own business in Canada? The C11 entrepreneur work permit offers eligible business owners an opportunity to come to Canada temporarily and actively operate or manage their own business. It is designed for entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals whose work is expected to provide a significant economic, social or cultural benefit to Canadians or permanent residents.

Whether you plan to launch a new venture, acquire an existing business or offer specialized services, eligibility depends on your ownership and active role, the strength of your business plan and the benefits your work is expected to bring to Canada.

01 What Is a C11 Work Permit?

The C11 work permit is an employer-specific work permit issued under Canada’s International Mobility Program (IMP). It authorizes you to work in your own Canadian business, subject to the conditions shown on your permit.

To apply, you do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or prior approval from a province or territory. However, you generally need to submit an offer of employment for yourself through IRCC’s Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee before submitting your work permit application.

02 Who Can Apply?

You may be eligible if you:

own and control at least 51% of the Canadian business;
have the experience, skills and ability to establish or operate the proposed business;
have sufficient business funds, along with separate funds to support yourself and your family members;
can demonstrate that your work will provide a significant benefit to Canada; and
can satisfy IRCC that you will leave Canada when your authorized stay ends.

Your business plan should clearly explain how you will start or run a genuine business in Canada. You should also show that you have enough funds to carry out your plan, taking into account the type of business, its location and its operating costs.

You also need to meet the general work permit and admissibility requirements.

03 What Is a Significant Benefit to Canada?

Significant benefit means that your work is expected to make a meaningful economic, social or cultural contribution beyond the benefit to you and your family. The application needs to explain what you expect to achieve during the requested work permit period and support those expectations with credible evidence.

Potential benefits include:

creating or maintaining meaningful employment for Canadians or permanent residents;
supporting economic development in a rural or underserved community;
introducing an innovative product, service or technology;
expanding Canadian exports or access to international markets; or
making an important social or cultural contribution.

The location and local need matter. For example, a business providing an essential service in a community with few alternatives may have a different impact from a similar business in a city where that service is widely available.

IRCC considers the business plan, market, location, investment, employment plans and your background. Purchasing or registering a business alone does not establish significant benefit.

04 How the Process Works

Develop the Business Plan

Prepare a detailed business plan explaining the business model, ownership, location, market, investment, operations, financial projections, employment plans and expected benefits to Canada.

Explain the practical steps you will take to start or run the business. A general market analysis alone is not enough.

Explain how long you intend to stay in Canada. If the business will continue after you leave, include a plan for how it will be managed in your absence.

Prepare the Business and Financial Evidence

Provide evidence of your business ownership or proposed purchase, available investment and operating funds, and any meaningful steps you have taken to prepare the business.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include incorporation documents, a purchase agreement, location information, contracts, licences or other evidence showing that the proposal is genuine and achievable.

Keep the funds needed for your business separate from the funds needed to support you and any accompanying family members.

Submit the Offer of Employment

Before applying for your work permit, you generally need to submit an offer of employment for yourself through IRCC’s Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee.

Include the resulting offer of employment number in your work permit application.

Apply for the C11 Work Permit

Submit your work permit application with the business plan and supporting evidence. Explain your qualifying ownership, relevant experience, sufficient funds, expected benefit to Canada and genuine temporary purpose.

IRCC assesses the complete application and makes the final decision.

Establish or Operate the Business

Once you are authorized to work, establish or operate the business in line with your permit conditions and employer obligations.

Business records, financial statements, tax filings, contracts and payroll information may help demonstrate the development and benefits of the business.

05 Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an LMIA or a job offer from another employer?+

You do not need an LMIA or a job offer from an unrelated Canadian employer. However, you generally need to submit an offer of employment for yourself through the Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee before applying for your work permit.

Is C11 an open work permit?+

No. It is an employer-specific work permit connected to your Canadian business. Your work is subject to the conditions shown on the permit.

How much of the business do I need to own?+

You need to own and control at least 51% of the Canadian business. An applicant who owns less than 51% is generally treated as an employee rather than a business owner for work-permit purposes.

Is there a minimum investment?+

There is no single minimum investment amount for every C11 application. Your funds need to be sufficient to establish or purchase the business, cover its operating costs and carry out your plan. Personal support funds are assessed separately.

How much money do I need for living expenses?+

Personal support funds are assessed separately from business funds. IRCC’s guidance uses the Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) for your family size to assess support for at least 18 months, or the duration of your stay if shorter. These funds should be transferable, available to you in Canada and free of debts or other obligations. The LICO figures are updated annually.

Can I start a new business or purchase an existing one?+

Either option may be possible. The key is a viable proposal supported by evidence of your ownership, active role and the significant benefit expected from your work in Canada.

How long is the work permit valid?+

C11 work permits are normally issued for up to 18 months. The actual validity period depends on the employment offer, passport validity and IRCC’s assessment of the temporary work proposed.

Can I extend my C11 work permit?+

An extension may be possible, but it is not automatic. You need to explain why you need more time to start or run your business, show the progress you have made and explain how your work has benefited Canada and will continue to do so. You also need to satisfy IRCC that you will leave Canada when your authorized stay ends.

Can my family come to Canada with me?+

Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children may apply to accompany you. Their options depend on their circumstances and the current requirements. A spouse’s work permit is not automatic, and children may need a study permit or visitor status.

Does C11 lead to permanent residence?+

C11 is a temporary work permit category, not a permanent residence program. Permanent residence requires eligibility under a separate program. If your main goal is to settle permanently in Canada, assess the appropriate immigration pathway before applying.

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01 What is an Entrepreneur Work Permit

An entrepreneur work permit for business owners seeking only temporary residence, commonly identified by LMIA exemption code C11, is an employer-specific work permit within Canada's International Mobility Program. It can authorize a majority owner to perform a defined period of work in their Canadian business without first obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

This category is for a genuinely temporary or seasonal business purpose. Your application must identify the work you will complete, the requested period, when you will depart, and how the business will be transferred, managed, paused, or concluded without your continued presence. A visa officer must also be satisfied that significant economic, social, or cultural benefit will arise from your work during that requested period, not only from speculative results expected after you leave.

As of July 2026, IRCC directs that this business-owner work permit be considered only where the applicant controls at least 51% of the business. An owner with less than 51% must qualify as an employee under another LMIA-exempt category or through the LMIA process. Confirm the current entrepreneur work permit instructions before applying because program guidance can change.

A business-owner work permit is not permanent residence, an open work permit, or a guarantee of entry. It authorizes only the work described by its conditions and does not authorize study that requires a study permit. You may also need a visitor visa or eTA to travel, and a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) border services officer makes the final admission decision at the port of entry.

02 Self-Employed Owners and Entrepreneurs

A self-employed owner usually performs the business's core work personally. The person's income comes mainly from their own trade, profession, or service, and the operation commonly has no staff outside the owner's family. A guide delivering tours, an independent craftsperson, or a specialist providing a scarce service may fit this profile, depending on how the business actually operates.

An entrepreneur builds and directs an operation that employs people beyond the family. The owner carries the commercial risk, makes the major business decisions, and normally hires and supervises non-family workers to deliver the business's products or services. The role may include launching operations, arranging financing, developing markets, and putting a management team in place.

The visa officer looks at the real duties and staffing model, not the label used in the application. Both profiles must meet the same majority-control, temporary-purpose, financial, admissibility, and significant-benefit requirements. Neither profile covers passive investment.

This entrepreneur work permit is limited to owners seeking only temporary residence for the proposed work. It is not the category for a provincial or territorial business candidate carrying out a plan tied to intended permanent residence.

C60 applies to supported provincial or territorial business candidates who have not yet been formally nominated, and to certain eligible Quebec business applicants with the required selection documents. They are pursuing an eventual permanent residence route and must meet both the supporting program's conditions and the federal work permit rules.

T13 may apply after formal provincial or territorial nomination where the nominee has the required support letter and LMIA-exempt offer of employment. A nomination or provincial support does not guarantee a federal work permit, and each category has separate requirements.

Provincial, territorial, and Quebec business programs can open, pause, or change independently. If your real plan is permanent residence, identify the applicable permanent-residence-linked route before filing. Do not present that plan as a temporary business-owner assignment.

A person without qualifying provincial, territorial, or Quebec support may need another work permit category or an LMIA. Incorporation or business ownership does not create a work permit category by itself.

03 Who May Qualify

An entrepreneur work permit application must establish majority control, a temporary business mandate, and significant benefit within the same requested period. You generally need to show that:

you control at least 51% of the business and will actively perform the proposed work rather than remain a passive investor
the work is temporary or seasonal, with defined objectives, a proposed departure date, and a credible transition or exit plan
your experience, skills, and business record prepare you to perform the proposed role
the business model is viable and supported by realistic market, financial, and operational evidence
you have separate, lawful funds for personal and family support and enough business funds to establish or operate the venture and pay yourself
your work during the requested permit period will create or maintain significant economic, social, or cultural benefits or opportunities for Canadians or permanent residents
you meet the general requirements for temporary residence, including satisfying the visa officer that you will leave Canada by the end of your authorized stay
you are not inadmissible to Canada on grounds such as criminality, security, or health

Showing Benefit During the Temporary Work Period

The benefit must be concrete, significant, and tied to what you personally will accomplish before the requested permit ends. Depending on the business, relevant evidence can include jobs created or preserved during the mandate, contracts delivered, exports launched, workers trained, specialized knowledge transferred, or an underserved service made operational. Long-range forecasts can provide context, but benefits that may appear only after your departure cannot replace evidence of impact during your authorized work.

Explaining the Temporary Purpose

State the limited assignment in practical terms. For example, you may need to launch operations, train a Canadian or permanent resident manager, stabilize an acquired business, deliver a defined project, or operate a genuinely seasonal venture. The plan should explain when your work ends, who takes over, what happens to the business, and why your continued physical presence will no longer be required.

Every case depends on the person's facts, documents, immigration history, business proposal, and the legal requirements in force when they apply. The right strategy and evidence can differ even for businesses in the same industry.

04 How to Apply

The business owner acts as both employer and employee for the LMIA-exempt offer. The business, temporary-work, and immigration records should therefore be prepared as one consistent application.

Confirm the Correct Work Permit Category

Confirm that you control at least 51%, seek only temporary residence for this work, and are not a C60 or T13 business candidate or an employee who needs another LMIA or IMP route.

Define the Temporary Mandate

Set out the work to be completed, its dates, the significant benefit produced during that period, your departure date, and the transition, succession, seasonal closure, or exit plan.

Build the Business Record

Document majority ownership, the operating plan, separate personal and business funds, market need, implementation steps, your experience, and time-bound benefit.

Submit Your Own Offer of Employment

As both employer and employee, submit the offer for yourself through the Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee before applying. Use IMM 5802 only in the rare situation where IRCC specifically authorizes that alternative.

File the Work Permit Application

Apply through the correct IRCC process with the offer number, proof of 51% control, business evidence, separate funding evidence, temporary-purpose record, forms, and applicable fees.

Complete Further Requirements

Provide biometrics, a medical examination, police documents, an interview, or additional evidence if IRCC requires them for your circumstances.

Travel and Receive the Permit

If you applied outside Canada and are approved, travel with your letter of introduction and required entry document. A CBSA border services officer confirms admissibility and, if satisfied, issues the work permit at the port of entry.

05 Documents, Funds and Business Evidence

The documents should let a visa officer trace the proposal from majority control and separate funding to temporary work, benefit, and departure. A typical application may include:

a valid passport, completed forms, photographs, and the LMIA-exempt offer of employment number
articles, share registers, certificates, shareholder or partnership agreements, purchase records, and other proof that you control at least 51% of the business
a business plan covering the product or service, market, competition, operations, staffing, financial forecasts, risks, and milestones within the requested permit period
a temporary-work plan naming the assignment, start and end dates, departure date, and transition, succession, seasonal closure, sale, or other exit arrangements
evidence showing how your own work will produce significant benefit during the requested period, with measurable timing and outcomes
separate proof of personal support money that you can use in Canada and that is not committed to debts or other obligations
proof of a distinct pool of business capital sufficient to establish or operate the venture, meet its obligations, and pay you for the offered work
your résumé, business ownership or management history, education, professional credentials, and evidence of relevant achievements
leases, licences, registrations, supplier arrangements, client interest, contracts, market research, and other proof that preparation is real
evidence of ties outside Canada, previous immigration compliance, family circumstances, and practical arrangements supporting your departure
medical, police, biometrics, and family documents where required

Personal Support Funds and Business Funds

Personal support money cannot also be counted as business capital. The personal pool must remain available for living costs for you and your accompanying family. The business pool must separately cover the credible cost of establishing or operating the business and paying the owner under the offer.

As of July 2026, IRCC measures personal support money against the applicable low-income cut-off (LICO) for the family size. You must show enough for 18 months, or for the full proposed stay when it is shorter. The money must be accessible for living costs in Canada and free from debts or other claims. Business capital cannot be counted toward this personal benchmark. LICO figures change each year, so confirm the current official amount before applying.

Buying an Existing Business

If you plan to acquire a business, provide the purchase terms, valuation or due-diligence material, current financial statements, payroll and tax records, licences, and proof of at least 51% control. Explain the temporary work you will perform, the benefit it will deliver during that period, and who will manage the business after your departure. The purchase itself does not prove significant benefit.

Businesses that Normally Continue Year-Round

A continuing business does not make the owner's work temporary. If the enterprise will remain open, provide stronger evidence of the limited assignment and a definite handover to a manager or successor who can lawfully continue operations without you. A plan requiring your indefinite day-to-day presence conflicts with the entrepreneur work permit's temporary purpose.

Accompanying Family Members

A spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child must submit the application required for their own temporary status and provide relationship and admissibility documents. A family member does not receive work or study authorization automatically; eligibility depends on the rules in force and that person's circumstances.

06 Permit Length, Extensions and Travel

An entrepreneur work permit is employer-specific and may restrict the business or employer, occupation, and work location. The authorized period reflects the temporary assignment and can be shortened by passport validity or other case-specific limits.

As of July 2026, IRCC tells visa officers not to issue an initial business-owner work permit for more than 18 months, and the approved period can be shorter. If the offer requests more time, the evidence must still establish when the owner's involvement will end and how the operation will continue afterward. Any later permit requires a new assessment. Confirm the current instructions before applying.

An extension is not automatic. Compare the original plan with real results, such as operations opened, Canadian jobs maintained, contracts completed, workers trained, or documented delays. Then identify the limited tasks that still require you, the benefit those tasks will produce before the new period ends, and the date another person will assume responsibility. Outcomes expected only after you leave cannot carry the significant-benefit case.

The work permit is different from a travel document. A valid permit authorizes the work described on it, but it does not by itself let you board a flight or re-enter Canada. You also need a valid visitor visa or eTA when one is required, and entry is reassessed at the port of entry.

If IRCC receives a complete extension application before your permit expires, you remain in Canada, and you continue under the same conditions, maintained status may let you keep working while IRCC decides. If you leave Canada while relying on maintained status, you may be allowed to return, but you generally cannot resume work until the extension is approved.

The entrepreneur work permit should not be presented as the first stage of a planned permanent-residence process. If your purpose changes or you obtain provincial, territorial, or Quebec support, identify the work permit category that applies to the new facts rather than assuming the original category can continue.

07 Refusals and Reapplying

Applications may be refused where the applicant controls less than 51%, the work appears indefinite, the exit plan is not credible, or the application reveals an intended permanent-residence strategy that belongs under another category. Refusal can also follow where benefit is speculative or expected only after departure, personal and business funds overlap, the business plan is weak, or the applicant's experience does not support the proposed role.

Problems with the self-submitted Employer Portal offer, compliance fee, work permit requirements, or admissibility can also affect the result. A refusal does not prevent a new application, but submitting the same plan and documents is likely to produce the same result. First review the visa officer's reasons and the application that was actually filed. Then correct inaccuracies, choose the proper category, fill the evidentiary gaps, and respond with stronger, verifiable material before reapplying.

08 Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the entrepreneur work permit if I own less than 51%?+

No. Current IRCC instructions limit this business-owner category to applicants who control at least 51% of the business. With a smaller interest, you are treated as an employee and must qualify under another LMIA exemption or through the LMIA process.

Is the initial permit automatically valid for 18 months?+

No. Eighteen months is the ceiling under the current initial-permit instructions, not a standard entitlement. The visa officer can authorize less time based on the assignment, requested dates, passport validity, and evidence. An offer seeking a longer period needs persuasive proof that the owner's role still has a fixed endpoint and workable handover arrangements.

Can the business continue after I leave Canada?+

It may, but your own work must have a defined end. Explain who will lawfully manage the business after your departure and provide a credible transition or succession plan. The significant benefit supporting the permit must arise from your work during the requested period, not only from hoped-for results after you leave.

Does business-owner work count for the Canadian Experience Class?+

No. Work gained as either a self-employed owner or an entrepreneur under this permit does not count toward the Canadian Experience Class minimum work-experience requirement. A narrow public policy can treat qualifying publicly funded medical services differently. Another immigration program may assess business activity under its own rules, but this permit does not create a permanent residence pathway.

Can an entrepreneur work permit be extended?+

You may apply, but a second application must do more than repeat the original forecasts. Use operating records to show that your authorized work produced real Canadian benefit, explain the limited task that remains, and provide a credible handover and departure date.

Who submits the offer of employment?+

You are both employer and employee for this purpose. Submit the offer for yourself through the Employer Portal and pay the employer compliance fee before filing the work permit application. IMM 5802 is used only if IRCC specifically authorizes that exceptional submission method.