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Immigration + M&A Specialist

Buying a Business in Canada as Part of an Immigration Pathway

BizBuy.ca specializes in immigration-linked business acquisitions. Whether you're applying for BC PNP Entrepreneur, a C-11 self-employed work permit, or structuring a corporate acquisition for ICT purposes — we are Canada's buyer-side acquisition consultant for internationally mobile buyers.

BC PNP Entrepreneur
C-11 Work Permit
Start-Up Visa
ICT Pathway

Important: BizBuy.ca provides business acquisition consulting only. We are not immigration consultants or lawyers. Immigration decisions must be made with a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or immigration lawyer. We coordinate with your immigration professional to align business deal timing with program requirements.

Why Immigrant Buyers Choose BizBuy.ca

Buying a business for immigration purposes has unique requirements that general business brokers don't understand. You need a buyer-side consultant who knows both the M&A process and the immigration program requirements.

Buyer-Only Representation

We never represent sellers. Immigration buyers face extra complexity — you need a consultant who is 100% on your side.

Immigration-M&A Intersection

We work directly with your immigration lawyer so the business deal timeline aligns with immigration deadlines and milestones.

Program-Eligible Businesses

Not every business for sale meets immigration program requirements. We pre-screen for eligibility before you spend money on lawyers or due diligence.

Multilingual Team

Ali Sedighi and the BizBuy.ca team are fluent in English and Farsi, and work with Chinese, Korean, and Arabic-speaking buyers regularly.

Immigration Pathways We Support

Each immigration pathway has different business eligibility criteria, minimum investment thresholds, and operational requirements. We assess your pathway first, then find businesses that fit.

Most PopularBC PNP

BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Program

Purchase and operate an eligible BC business as a pathway to provincial nomination and permanent residency. Business purchase price and active management requirements vary by category.

Key Requirements

  • Minimum net worth (varies by category — Base: $300K, Regional: $200K)
  • Business purchase price: typically $100K–$500K+ depending on region
  • Active day-to-day management role required
  • Minimum job creation for Canadian citizens/PRs
  • Personal score and invitation to apply system

Our Role

We identify businesses that meet BC PNP eligibility criteria, structure the purchase price to satisfy the program minimums, and coordinate with your immigration lawyer throughout the process.

Canada-WideFederal

Federal Start-Up Visa — Business Acquisition

While the Start-Up Visa primarily targets new ventures, certain acquisition structures can qualify — particularly where the acquired business is repositioned as an innovative startup. We assess eligibility case by case.

Key Requirements

  • Support from a designated Canadian organization (VC, angel group, or incubator)
  • Ownership of at least 10% of voting shares
  • Business must be innovative, scalable, and create jobs
  • CLB 5 language proficiency

Our Role

We assess whether an acquisition-plus-transformation meets Start-Up Visa criteria and structure the deal accordingly. Works best for tech and platform acquisitions.

Bridge StrategyWork Permit

C-11 Self-Employed Work Permit

Purchase a business and obtain a temporary work permit as a self-employed person (C-11). Commonly used as a bridge while applying for provincial nomination. Available to most nationalities.

Key Requirements

  • Purchase and own a legitimate Canadian business
  • Active management and operational role
  • Business must be viable (revenue-generating or commercially established)
  • No specific net worth minimum (but viable business required)

Our Role

We structure the acquisition to clearly demonstrate owner-operator status. The acquired business itself serves as the evidence of self-employment for the permit application.

Corporate BuyersFederal

Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) + Business Acquisition

Corporate buyers with foreign parent companies can acquire a Canadian business and transfer executives under the ICT pathway. The Canadian acquisition becomes the qualifying entity for ICT work permits.

Key Requirements

  • Existing foreign parent/affiliate company
  • Qualifying relationship between foreign and Canadian entity
  • Executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge role
  • Canadian entity must be actively doing business

Our Role

We structure the Canadian entity acquisition to satisfy ICT requirements and coordinate with corporate immigration counsel.

How the Process Works

Immigration-linked acquisitions typically run on a tighter timeline than standard acquisitions. Here's how we align the M&A process with your immigration milestones.

01

Immigration Strategy Alignment

We review your immigration pathway with your RCIC/lawyer to understand eligible business types, price ranges, and timing requirements.

02

Targeted Business Search

We search on-market and off-market for businesses that meet both your operational preferences AND the program's eligibility criteria.

03

Parallel Due Diligence

Business due diligence and immigration documentation preparation run simultaneously to avoid timeline slippage between the two processes.

04

Close + Immigration Filing

Closing the acquisition provides the evidence documents your immigration professional needs for the application or nomination.

Planning to Move to Canada Through a Business Purchase?

Book a free 30-minute consultation with Ali Sedighi. We'll review your immigration pathway, budget, and timeline — and tell you honestly whether an acquisition is the right strategy.