Toronto is actively recruiting Indian tech workers to move to Canada! Many young, educated Indian tech workers continue to choose Canada over the United States due to the difficulty of getting a U.S. H-1B visa and other employment-based immigrant visas. Indian nationals have the highest success rate when applying for Canadian immigration compared to any other country. The number of Indians becoming Permanent Residents in Canada more than doubled from 2016 to 2020.
Toronto and Canada have put programs in place to encourage foreign national entrepreneurs to move to Toronto.
Canada's Start-Up Visa Program
The Start-Up Visa Program focuses on entrepreneurs who want to immigrate to Canada and can build businesses and create jobs for Canadians and help build the economy. The Start-Up Visa allows applicants to obtain their Permanent Residency.
“The start-up visa (SUV) program is a perfect launchpad for Indian entrepreneurs looking to start their business in Canada,” said Neha Bahl, Chief Executive Officer of Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC).
Start-Up Visa Requirements
- Up to 5 people can apply for a Start-Up Visa
- Each of those applicants must have at least 10% of voting rights or more in that particular Start-up
- The designated angel investor group or venture capital fund or business incubator and the applicants must jointly hold more than 50% of the voting rights
- Meet the Canadian language benchmark (CLB) 5 in all four categories (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in either English or French; and
- Must meet the low-income threshold as set by IRCC and provide for the cost of living before earning any income.
- Pay all application, biometric fees and third-party fees
- Get a letter of support from a designated organization
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Soft-Landing Program
The Toronto Business Development Center (TBDC) offers programs that provide access to a network of key resources that can help accelerate growth for start-ups. TBDC plans to help over 1,000 startups to set up businesses in the country by 2025 and has helped 100 entrepreneurs launch a business over the past year despite the pandemic.
The Soft-Landing Program at TBDC is designed for "established international scale-ups and start-ups looking to expand their businesses in North America. TBDC provides a one-stop-shop of services including access to government programs, marketing support, business network, access to talent and capital."
Key features of Toronto's Soft-Landing Program include:
- Low-Risk Entry
- Access to Incubators
- Access to Resources
- Business Relationships
- Network & Events
- Partner Services
In March 2021 TBDC partnered with Cisco LaunchPad to launch joint ecosystem initiatives for startups in Canada and India and to scale up tech startups based in India. Applications are available on the TBDC website.
Learn More:
- 7 Ways Indians Can Immigrate to Canada in 2021
- How Indian Tech Workers Can Move From the United States to Canada
- Indian Migration to Canada Up 50%
- How Indian Tech Workers and Small Business Owners Can Immigrate from the U.S. to Canada
Are You An Indian Tech Entrepreneur Who Wants To Move To Canada?
At Ackah Business Immigration Law, our goal is to make Crossing Borders Seamlessly a reality and to smooth your way to new opportunities in Canada.
Evelyn L. Ackah is the Founder and Managing Lawyer at Ackah Business Immigration Law and has exclusively practiced immigration law for over 20 years. Ackah Law is headquartered in Calgary with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. Contact Ackah Law today at (403) 452‑9515 or email us directly at contact@ackahlaw.com.
