Moving to Canada

Choose a route that fits your actual circumstances

Canada has multiple immigration routes, including economic, provincial and family pathways. Each has its own selection criteria and application process. Owning a company or buying an investment does not by itself provide a general right to live and work in Canada.

The federal Start-Up Visa programme is paused to new applications: IRCC states that the pause began on 30 June 2026. Existing accepted applications continue to be processed. A website still promoting unrestricted new applications is missing a material change.

Do the tax work before the move

When Canadian tax residence begins, worldwide-income reporting becomes relevant. Review foreign corporations, trusts, investment funds, pensions and planned disposals before that date. Immigration status and tax residence should be analysed separately.

Create a record of ownership and values at entry, identify instruments that receive different treatment in Canada, and map who will manage foreign businesses after arrival. An overseas company that has worked well for years may require a different operating arrangement once its decision-maker lives in Canada.

Prepare the application and the arrival

• Select the programme and verify whether it is currently accepting applications.
• Prepare identity, family, police, medical, language, education and business evidence required by that route.
• Distinguish approval, permission to work, physical arrival and completion of residence formalities.
• Arrange housing, health coverage, banking and the practical relocation of dependants.
• Confirm payroll and company obligations if you will work from Canada for a foreign enterprise.

Budget for dependencies

Government processing times depend on the route and applicant; there is no useful single Canada immigration timeline. Document collection, language testing, provincial nomination where relevant and consular or biometric steps may all sit outside a headline processing estimate.

A complete budget should separate government charges, professional support, moving costs and required settlement or investment funds. Programme-specific fees and thresholds should be confirmed when the route is selected. The most valuable first conversation is usually about your intended business and family life, not a visa label.

Document the opening position before residence begins

A newcomer can become subject to worldwide taxation from the relevant Canadian-residence date. Prepare an asset schedule showing legal owner, acquisition cost, market value and currency at that point. The immigration landing date and the tax-residence date should be tested against the facts rather than assumed identical.

CRA describes deemed acquisition rules for many assets brought into the Canadian tax net, with exceptions. Keep supporting valuations for private companies and unusual investments. An overseas broker’s annual statement may not provide the exact entry-date information later needed to calculate a Canadian gain.

Foreign companies and trusts can change the complexity

Review interests in companies, partnerships, foundations and trusts before the move. Entity classification, foreign-affiliate attribution and reporting can differ from the treatment in the former country. A distribution after arrival may have a different result from one made before residence starts, but acceleration must be tested in both countries.

If the newcomer will run a foreign company from Canada, analyse central management and control and any Canadian business presence. Retaining overseas registration and a local director does not settle where actual decisions occur. A plan can preserve foreign operations only if the relevant functions and authority genuinely remain abroad.

The first-year operating checklist

Agree who handles the departure return in the old country, the Canadian first return, payroll or self-employment registrations and company filings. Reconcile bank tax-residence declarations with the analysis and retain proof of foreign tax paid. Check provincial health, driving and schooling requirements through the appropriate local authorities; they are not determined by federal tax status.

An arrival plan is especially useful before a business sale, large dividend, trust distribution or change in management. It should identify the decision dates and documents before those events occur, rather than leave a return preparer to reconstruct them afterward.