Relocate To Canada

How to Expand Your Business and Business Services

Expanding involves a comprehensive well-designed legal process.

1. Check if your company is eligible to expand to Canada under the Intra-Company Transferee (ICT) Program

Not all business owners can move their companies to Canada and to do so you must comply with the following requirements

A company in your country must be active, selling, or providing services at the moment.
Your company must be at least 1 year old. The older the company, the better it is.
A running company must have employees. A minimum of one employee should be hired by the company
While there is no minimum amount to operate a business in Canada, but your company must have sufficient funds to grow your business in Canada. At least $100,000 should be present to sustain the business.
The company should be officially incorporated or registered in the home country, with a complete tax payment record, and has its own registered office.

In this expansion, the applicant(s) itself has to comply with some requirements: Not every person from your company or business group can migrate to work in Canada. The owner of the company, executives, supervisors, and key staff individuals can migrate to work in Canada.

Executives must demonstrate inclusion/work in the company for at least one year in the last three years.
Managers must show at least one year of work in the last three years with the home company and their administrative job.
Key personnel should demonstrate at least one-year work with the home company; appropriate training, industry mastery and exclusive information.

Now that we’ve looked at eligibility and some of the criteria you will need to put in place, let’s see one of the most important elements when relocating, which is how to register your company in Canada.

2. Establishing your company in Canada

When establishing your presence in Canada, you can register your existing company’s branch or incorporate a completely new related company in Canada.

Choose a Canadian province where you wish to do business; Most provinces require that you have at least 1 Canadian director on your board of directors.
Canadian director(s) could be a nominee director or a full-fledged director who is responsible and are answerable for managing your Canadian operations
If you don’t have someone who can act as your Canadian Director, it is recommended that you get your Canadian law firm’s guidance on this issue.
Also, choose the corporate structure of your Canadian organization. For more information on choosing a business structure, you should take advice from a business lawyer or an accountant.
Once you have your company registered in Canada and have finished every single other step, you can apply for a work permit to work at your newly established Canadian company

3. Arrive and begin working in Canada

It usually takes between 1-4 months for the Canadian authorities to process your work permit application

Once your work permit application is approved, you will be issued a work visa to travel to Canada (depending on your citizenship). The work permit document will be issued at the port of entry upon your arrival to Canada.

You have the option to extend your work permit for up to 5-7 years. The owner of the company, executives, supervisors, and key staff individuals can migrate to work in Canada.

However, this option depends on the type of role you have in your company. At the end of your first year in Canada, you must demonstrate to the Canadian immigration authorities three things to extend your work permit:

You have a genuine business, and your business is actively selling goods or services in Canada.
The requirement does not mandate that the company needs to be profitable at any cost
A general requirement is to keep the company running and active.
You have a physical office and presence in Canada
Virtual offices and workstations do not count.
You should have at least 1 Canadian citizen or permanent resident employee working for your company

These are the most important factors to be established and shown to the Canadian immigration authorities to extend the work permit.

4. Apply for Permanent Residence

In general, your business must be “active” before you can apply for permanent residence, which means that the company

Is not a sham and is actively selling goods or services to actual customers?
Has all licenses and permits necessary to operate in Canada
Has a physical location and presence within Canada
Has at least one Canadian employee apart from you and who is not related to you

Once your Canadian business is active, you can apply for the Canadian permanent residency (PR) as the manager of your business. To qualify as a manager in the company, you need to comply with the following

This is how the process for moving your existing company to Canada works and if you still have questions, please contact us.

Are you excited about starting or expanding your business to Canada and international market?

ZoomStartups experts can assist businesses in conducting international commercialization and development activities in the Canadian market. We provide training and preparation of Startup Visa candidates for Designated Organizations. Induction of the candidates and businesses with the Incubators, Angels and VCs for our quality of preparatory work to make sure the application passes through stringent vetting process.

Our Packages

$1,250 CAD

ICT Eligibility Guide
Business Document Checklist
Foreign Company Document Guide.
Canadian Company Document Guide
Business Plan Template
Employer Support Letter Template
Transfer Letter Template
Job Duties Template
Organization Chart Templates
IRCC Form Guidance
Submission Guide
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$5,500.00 CAD

ICT Eligibility Guide
Business Document Checklist
Foreign Company Document Guide
Canadian Company Document Guide
Business Plan Template
Employer Support Letter Template
Transfer Letter Template
Job Duties Template
Organization Chart Templates
IRCC Form Guidance
Enhanced business plan structure
Detailed executive/managerial role explanation
Specialized knowledge justification template
New office expansion explanation template
Proof of funds explanation template
Family purpose of travel letter template
Document organization strategy
File naming and upload structure
Optional review preparation checklist
12 months office lease
Refusal Prevention Guide

Reasons why ICT Application fails?

Most ICT Refusals Happen Because the Business Is Not Presented Properly

Many business owners believe that simply opening a Canadian corporation is enough. It is not.

Your foreign company is NOT active and genuine
Your Canadian company is NOT connected to the foreign company
The applicant NEVER worked for the foreign company
The Canadian role is executive, managerial, or specialized NOT justified
The Canadian expansion is NOT realistic and properly documented
The business has NO funds, structure, and a genuine operational plan

The company’s documents are weak, generic, or unclear; your application may be refused.

WHO THIS IS FOR

This Package Is Best For

Business owners outside Canada
Companies expanding to Canada
Executives transferring to a Canadian branch or subsidiary
Senior managers being moved to Canadian operations
Specialized knowledge workers needed in Canada
Foreign companies opening a new Canadian office
Existing Canadian companies transferring staff from an overseas related company

Businesses for ICT Canada Expansion

IT & Software Companies
Digital Marketing & E-commerce Companies
Import / Export & Trading Companies
Manufacturing Businesses
Professional Services Companies
Construction & Real Estate Businesses
Education & Training Businesses
Logistics & Transportation Businesses
Food & Restaurant Chains
Healthcare & Wellness Businesses

How It Works

Step 1: Complete the ICT Pre-Screening Form
Tell us about your foreign company, Canadian expansion plan, ownership structure, and applicant role.

Step 2: Get Your Business Shortlisted
We review whether your business appears suitable for ICT preparation before activating the package.

Step 3: Access Your ICT Package
Receive structured checklists, templates, guides, and business expansion documents.

Step 4: Prepare Your Documents
Use the dashboard and package materials to organize your applicant, foreign company, and Canadian company documents.

Step 5: Complete Your Application
Follow the submission guide and prepare your final application package for submission.

Step 6: Add Review Support If Needed
Upgrade to application review or business plan support before submission.

COMPLIANCE DISCLAIMER

Important Notice

“Zoomstartups provides document preparation tools, templates, checklists, and structured application guidance. Approval is not guaranteed. Final decisions are made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Only licensed professionals may provide legal advice, immigration strategy, or representation. Optional professional review or consultation may be available where applicable.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ICT the same as a business immigration program?

No. ICT is a work permit pathway for eligible intra-company transferees. It may support Canadian business expansion, but eligibility depends on the company structure, applicant role, and documentation.

Do I need a Canadian company before applying?

For most ICT expansion cases, you need a Canadian company or a clear Canadian business structure. For new office cases, incorporation alone is not enough. You must show a genuine plan to operate in Canada.

Can a small business qualify?

Possibly, but the business must be genuine, active, and well-documented. Very weak or paper-only businesses are risky.

Can the owner transfer himself or herself?

Possibly, if the ownership structure, role, foreign business activity, and Canadian business plan support the application.

Can family members be included?

Family members may be included depending on the circumstances, but their documents and eligibility must be properly prepared.

Is professional review included?

Professional review is not included in the basic package. It can be added separately.

Ready to Expand Your Business to Canada?

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