CPTPP – Canada Investor Work Permit Program

The Investor Work Permit program under Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) provides an excellent pathway for citizens of Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Peru, and Vietnam to secure an investor work permit in Canada. This option is available for those planning to invest substantial capital to develop a commercially viable business in the country. Successful applicants receive a one-year employer-specific work permit upon approval, which is renewable upon expiry, provided certain requirements are met.

Eligible individuals/investors must meet the following requirements:

General Requirements:
Be a citizen of Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Singapore or Vietnam, or a permanent resident of Australia;
Be at least 18 years old
Have a clean criminal record
Meet Canada’s medical admissibility requirements

Other Requirements
The investor/main applicant owns over 50% of the company’s shares and has made a substantial investment in the company
The business is a genuine and active commercial or entrepreneurial undertaking that operates to produce goods or services for profit
The investor’s funds come from legitimate sources.
The investor will work in a supervisory or executive capacity within the company, holding a high degree of control and responsibility over the company’s operations.

Typically, applicants should make a business investment of at least CAD 100,000. Where the applicant’s business plan that involves extensive infrastructure or higher anticipated expenses during the first two years of development, a higher level of investment may be necessary.

The Canadian government does not impose specific restrictions on industries for business ideas submitted under the CPTPP program. Generally, any business that is a legitimate and active commercial venture—with the intent to generate profit through the provision of goods or services—may be considered. Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive business plan that outlines their vision for the business, including investment strategies, market analysis, and plans for future growth or expansion. This plan should demonstrate the venture's potential viability and alignment with Canadian economic interests.

Yes, applicants can use an existing Canadian company to apply for the investor work permit under the CPTPP if they hold more than 50% of the company’s shares. Those who own 50% or less of a Canadian company in shares may consider establishing a separate business in Canada to support their investor work permit applications under CPTPP.

Yes, successful applicants for the CPTPP investor work permit can assist their minor children in applying for study permits, allowing the children to accompany them to Canada. Additionally, if the investor is a citizen of Australia, Chile, Japan, or Mexico, the investor can also help the spouse or common law partner apply for a spousal open work permit. Spouses or common-law partners of citizens of Vietnam, Peru and Brunei are not currently eligible for a spousal work permit under CPTPP.

This program offers several key benefits:
One-year employer specific work permit granted upon application approval
Ability to work on developing a Canadian company upon approval
No age limit
No personal net worth requirement
Quick processing time
Opportunity to extend the work permit upon expiry
Opportunity to help bring dependent family to Canada following application approval

The application process typically involves the following steps:
Gather essential business and personal documents
Apply for an offer of employment from IRCC using the company under the applicant’s ownership
Prepare and submit work permit application
Upon approval, successful applicants will need to visit Canada to collect their work permit.

Typically, the processing time for CPTPP investor work permit applications is around three months. However, actual processing times may vary depending on factors such as changes in IRCC’s capacity, the applicant's place of residence, and the complexity of the individual case.