Am I able to immigrate to Canada?

[DavidZAllen]

Hello!

I have a bit of a strange work experience history and it has made me very confused as to what program, if any, would allow me to immigrate to Canada. I'd like to consult with you fine people of the forums before looking into paying for immigration lawyers.

My situation:
- I graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2016 in Computer Science
- I have worked no official full-time job
- Instead, I am the CEO of my small business: Black Plasma Studios, LLC
- I have been self-employed for this business earning living wages for around two years now
- I work full-time creating 3D animations for my company and those animations are posted to YouTube
- I have at least three independant contractors working for my company full time. One of them works from Canada
- I also have three years of part-time work as a Teaching Assistant at my university
- I have around $100,000CAD in savings

I have considered the Self Employed immigration program, however my work doesn't really provide any service or create a lot of jobs. Also the processing time is a bit deterring.

I have looked into the Express Entry due to the fact that I work full-time in a skilled profession, however it is nearly impossible to prove that I am working full-time for my work experience because I do not provide any work to clients or have hours logged.

I am looking into Open Work Permits but unsure of whether I'd be applicable if I intend to continue working self-employed for my company.

All of the Business programs require way too much money or a huge investment by investors which I very much doubt would work.


Ideally I'd like to live/work in Canada for at least the next 5-10 years for my company which I would move to Canada with me. I would like to room with my workers and fellow animators who currently live in Canada.

Any advice/feedback would be great!

 

[scylla]

The only open work permit you might qualify for is an IEC / Working Holiday Visa program. Whether you qualify will depended on your country of citizenship and age. For some countries, there is a high volume of applicants for this program and a limited number of spaces - and it's a matter of luck whether you are selected. Of course this program only allows you to work in Canada temporarily - not for 5-10 years.

For immigration, Express Entry is probably your best bet. Join the Express Entry section of the forum and look for threads on self employment to see how people who are self employed have proven their work experience.

 

[scylla]

Looks like you're from the US - so SWAP is the working holiday visa program you would need to look into to see if you qualify. I believe one of the requirements is that you are a recent graduate.

 

[DavidZAllen]

Following a chain of some websites and posts, SWAP told me to see if I'm eligible from the IEC. According to the IEC eligibility page, there is no option for the USA.

 

[Desperate girl]

Hello!

I have a bit of a strange work experience history and it has made me very confused as to what program, if any, would allow me to immigrate to Canada. I'd like to consult with you fine people of the forums before looking into paying for immigration lawyers.

My situation:
- I graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2016 in Computer Science
- I have worked no official full-time job
- Instead, I am the CEO of my small business: Black Plasma Studios, LLC
- I have been self-employed for this business earning living wages for around two years now
- I work full-time creating 3D animations for my company and those animations are posted to YouTube
- I have at least three independant contractors working for my company full time. One of them works from Canada
- I also have three years of part-time work as a Teaching Assistant at my university
- I have around $100,000CAD in savings

I have considered the Self Employed immigration program, however my work doesn't really provide any service or create a lot of jobs. Also the processing time is a bit deterring.

I have looked into the Express Entry due to the fact that I work full-time in a skilled profession, however it is nearly impossible to prove that I am working full-time for my work experience because I do not provide any work to clients or have hours logged.

I am looking into Open Work Permits but unsure of whether I'd be applicable if I intend to continue working self-employed for my company.

All of the Business programs require way too much money or a huge investment by investors which I very much doubt would work.


Ideally I'd like to live/work in Canada for at least the next 5-10 years for my company which I would move to Canada with me. I would like to room with my workers and fellow animators who currently live in Canada.

Any advice/feedback would be great!

 

[Desperate girl]

Hi there! I'm new in this forum so i dont know where to post my question. My friend entered Canada in 2009 as a refugee claimant but got denied. He was just renewing his work permit every year. He applied for PRRA on Feb 2016. He had to go back home to see his mom (Colombia) so he decided to withdrew his application. He informed the immigration and the border security for his departure. He didn't overstay and didn't have any criminal records. Can he still return to Canada? Does he need to wait for a certain period of time before he can apply again? How long does he need to wait before applying? Thank you for all the info u can give me please

 

[scylla]

Hi there! I'm new in this forum so i dont know where to post my question. My friend entered Canada in 2009 as a refugee claimant but got denied. He was just renewing his work permit every year. He applied for PRRA on Feb 2016. He had to go back home to see his mom (Colombia) so he decided to withdrew his application. He informed the immigration and the border security for his departure. He didn't overstay and didn't have any criminal records. Can he still return to Canada? Does he need to wait for a certain period of time before he can apply again? How long does he need to wait before applying? Thank you for all the info u can give me please

He requires a visitor visa to return to Canada. Given his immigration history and how much time he has spent in Canada over the last few years, it's extremely unlikely a TRV will be approved soon. He should work to establish ties to Colombia (job, assets, property, etc.). I would wait at least a year before trying for a TRV. Even then, it's probably going to be challenging to be approved.

 

[Desperate girl]

If he applies for a visitor visa, he still needs to wait for at least a year before applying?

 

[scylla]

If he applies for a visitor visa, he still needs to wait for at least a year before applying?

He can apply right away if he wants. Realistically I think there's zero chance he'll be approved if he applies now. To be approved for a visitor visa, you have to demonstrate strong ties to your home country and prove you have no plans to remain in Canada long terms. He's lived in Canada for the last 7 years, has a failed refugee claim and very weak ties to his home country given he just returned. Odds are really against him.

If he wants to return, he would be better off seeing if he qualifies to apply for PR.

 

[Desperate girl]

Thank you for the advice scylla