Owner operator LMIA, Work permit and PR

[rchugh]

Hi @rchugh, are you saying your friend was approved with 00 LMIA 2 days after he submitted the application? I understand the regular processing time for this kind of application is between 10-50 days.

That's true. He went to the border for a flagpolling the next day and is running his business here since last 10 months.

 

[TryNow]

1. @canadavisaQs - I am planning to apply for LMIA Owner operator for Software Services. I am having 15 years of software experience in same company taken several roles. Currently working as software Architect where I have few Leads working under me and several engineers under the lead.will it be considered as manager experience or should my designation as Manager?
2. My second question is that while LIMA in progress, do we need to have physical leased office space or is it ok to have virtual/co-shared office?
3. And also, is there location preference given for LMIA approval, if we start our company in Alberta rather than Ontario/Toronto?

 

[Ghurala]

1. @canadavisaQs - I am planning to apply for LMIA Owner operator for Software Services. I am having 15 years of software experience in same company taken several roles. Currently working as software Architect where I have few Leads working under me and several engineers under the lead.will it be considered as manager experience or should my designation as Manager?
2. My second question is that while LIMA in progress, do we need to have physical leased office space or is it ok to have virtual/co-shared office?
3. And also, is there location preference given for LMIA approval, if we start our company in Alberta rather than Ontario/Toronto?

If you are aiming for 200 points then even manager experience wouldn't work, but if you can structure your new company in Canada in a way that you are a senior manager then it will give you 200 points. Moreover, one of the key requirement for OOLMIA is the "Operational need" which means that you need to be in Canada in order to run your business and having virtual office contradicts this requirements. I wouldn't recommend virtual/co-shared office. on the contrary, I would suggest to try to open up a business in a place which has some unemployment rate.

 

[TryNow]

If you are aiming for 200 points then even manager experience wouldn't work, but if you can structure your new company in Canada in a way that you are a senior manager then it will give you 200 points. Moreover, one of the key requirement for OOLMIA is the "Operational need" which means that you need to be in Canada in order to run your business and having virtual office contradicts this requirements. I wouldn't recommend virtual/co-shared office. on the contrary, I would suggest to try to open up a business in a place which has some unemployment rate.

Thanks for your reply.

For software services company with one or two employees at starting stage, cannot we use shared offices during initial months instead of leased office space?

 

[jwen984]

Guys, do you know how to open a coporate account with a bank when you are out of Canada? I just called HSBC vancouver branch and they told me the majority shareholder has to be in Canada to open the account...

 

[Ghurala]

Thanks for your reply.

For software services company with one or two employees at starting stage, cannot we use shared offices during initial months instead of leased office space?

yes you can, make sure you have strong transition, hiring and training plan with the application.

 

[canadavisaQs]

Guys, do you know how to open a coporate account with a bank when you are out of Canada? I just called HSBC vancouver branch and they told me the majority shareholder has to be in Canada to open the account...

Bullshit, i opened an account with RBC and its been up and running for over a year. I do not have any canadian visa to ever visit, my company does not have any canadian share holders, its 100% owned by me.

also, same for US... you can open a bank account without being in US.

 

[powerpay]

Bullshit, i opened an account with RBC and its been up and running for over a year. I do not have any canadian visa to ever visit, my company does not have any canadian share holders, its 100% owned by me.

also, same for US... you can open a bank account without being in US.

Can you let me know which banks in the US, allows you to open a bank account without being there

 

[canadavisaQs]

Can you let me know which banks in the US, allows you to open a bank account without being there

Last week i did this with 1st Century Bank.

Anyone is qualified to open a bank account in US, regardless of their immigration status. Even if you illelegally in US, banks don't care. So the question is, do they want to meet you physically to give you an account? in my experience, yes and no, some banks do and some don't care.

During the covid times, most of them are happy to just open an account via email and phone calls.

 

[samkbr69]

It can be bit complex program but I think OOLMIA is one of the best program for someone who doesn't qualify for any other program. All PNP entrepreneur programs have net worth requirement and also quotas for the year, most applicant either doesn't either meet the net worth or left behind due to the quota. But beauty of OOLMIA program is, there is no minimum investment requirement, no net worth requirement and no QUOTAS. Now many Folks, have this question, so what would be the enough investment or how much funds to show? The answer is very simple, "your investment and your funds should make sense with your business plan". This programs gets complex and challenging when applicants doesn't really focus on all the ESDC guidelines. Buying a business or showing huge funds are simply not enough.I have studied cases where an applicant with 250k investment have received negative LMIA but an applicant who have only made 40K of investment received positive LMIA and work permit. There are many other factors that need to be looked at in detail such as Transition plan, Company structure, demonstration on the creation or retention of Canadian jobs. One of the main reason that ESDC officer issues NOC O or A LMIA instead of NOC OO is poorly explained company structure.

Business plan is the soul of this program, there are guys who can make you a business plan for 250$ and there are who do it for 5k, but at the end of the day its is your and your representative responsibility to make sure that you are following all the ESDC guidelines and that your business plan is making sense in regards to your company structure and your investments/funds.

Where can we get the ESDC guidelines?

 

[powerpay]

please let me know if owner operator lmia can be apply for as a sole proprietor or has to be corporation ?

 

[jwen984]

Bullshit, i opened an account with RBC and its been up and running for over a year. I do not have any canadian visa to ever visit, my company does not have any canadian share holders, its 100% owned by me.

also, same for US... you can open a bank account without being in US.

That's weird. I contacted HSBC, RBC, TD Bank and they all gave me the same answer. Did you apply for the bank account online?

 

[Kuldeep1313]

Hi to all
I am from india
My employer nd
lawyer from alberta apply online for lmia (noc-b, 1241 administrative assistant) On 1 may 2020.nd pay the lmia fee.then on 25 june email from esdc. You may withdraw your file or process the file yes or no . Nd 2 week advertise more. We submit yes . Till day no any response from esdc. What you say guys . I will get lmia postive or not.

 

[canuck78]

That's weird. I contacted HSBC, RBC, TD Bank and they all gave me the same answer. Did you apply for the bank account online?

Perhaps it is the company’s bank account If you can prove that the company is located and registered in Canada.

 

[21Goose]

Hi to all
I am from india
My employer nd
lawyer from alberta apply online for lmia (noc-b, 1241 administrative assistant) On 1 may 2020.nd pay the lmia fee.then on 25 june email from esdc. You may withdraw your file or process the file yes or no . Nd 2 week advertise more. We submit yes . Till day no any response from esdc. What you say guys . I will get lmia postive or not.

Unlikely.