Exploring North American Investment as a Means to Immigration: Similarities between a Business Plan for E2 Applications and an LMIA Owner Operator Business Plan
Are you considering emigrating and have your sights set on Canada or the United States? If you are able to make an investment in a business, you may want to consider an LMIA owner operator arrangement in Canada or an E2 visa option in the U.S. If you plan to pursue either of these routes you will need either a business plan for E2 visa or an LMIA Owner Operator Business Plan. In either case, your business plan must do the following: Clarify if a Start Up or Existing Business You want to make apparent from the very beginning of your Business Plan for E2 or LMIA owner operator business plan whether the business you are investing in is a start-up or an established business. Both countries and immigration paths permit investment in either, however it can have an impact on
the likelihood for case success, especially in the case of the LMIA. If you are a intending to invest in a start-up, make sure to fully understand how this will impact your application and explore other options to ensure the E2 visa in the U.S. or the LMIA owner operator in Canada is, in fact, the best route for you. Requires a Significant Investment In both immigration streams, one of the core requirements is that you are not only making an investment but, making a significant one. In Canada, your Owner Operator LMIA Business Plan must demonstrate that your investment will give you a controlling interest in the chosen company. Meanwhile, your business plan for E2 visa doesn’t need to lead to a controlling interest but, still needs to be significant in relation to the size of the business. In fact, the smaller the business, the higher the percentage of investment that should be sought. Demonstrates Your Role in the Business Unlike in the LMIA, the E2 Visa does not require a controlling interest in the business. However, if you are to be successful in your application under this circumstance, you must have operation control and play a significant role in running the business. This needs to be in a supervisory, executive, or highly skilled capacity. In terms of the LMIA owner operator, as the name might imply, you are expected to have a controlling interest and materially participate in running the business. In both the business plan for your E2 visa application and the LMIA owner operator business plan you need to make very clear what role you will have in the business. Proves Benefit to the Economy These two particular paths to immigration in Canada and the United States are all about one thing: bringing benefit to the economy. Each country has their own way for measuring this but, the benefit must be substantial. In the Business Plan for E2, despite the size of the business, it must generate
significant profits to be considered. In other words, it must generate well beyond what is needed to pay the salary of the applicant and other employees. In terms of the LMIA owner operator business plan, in addition to showing a profitable company, it must show a clear intention and plan to create jobs for existing citizens. These are just a few of the similarities between the LMIA Owner Operator Business Plan in Canada and a business plan for E2 in the United States. There are, of course, also differences. However, in the end, regardless which country you choose to pursue and which specific business or investment immigration path you select, a business plan will almost always need these elements to give you the best chance at case success.