July 9, 2021
From Coast-to-Coast, CIVS is Canada’s national immigration firm specializing in helping entrepreneurial newcomers live the Canadian dream.
Owner Operator LMIA Approval in Smithville, Ontario
CIVS Successfully Pioneers New Approach for Approval Under High Wage LMIA Stream (Formerly the Owner Operator LMIA Pathway) Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
Canada Immigration and Visa Services – CIVS – proudly congratulates our client and dear friend, Imtiaz Hussain Bhatti, restaurant owner operator for Buzzards Pizza business, located in Smithville, Ontario, on his approval today, July 9, 2021 for a self-employed, high wage LMIA, formerly known as the Owner Operator LMIA variation. This is the first approval of a Self-Employed LMIA. As a leading business immigration practice having assisted hundreds of business owners immigrate to Canada, CIVS is a pioneer in this refined approach under the new rules as the Self-Employed LMIA.
Imtiaz is a Pakistani national with experience managing locations of one of the world’s largest franchises in both the UK and Australia and comes armed with restaurant management and extensive business ownership experience. Imtiaz will bring his international experience to Canada and expand the offerings of his current business creating jobs, opportunities, and economic activity for Smithville and the surrounding community. We look forward to a Work Permit approval and subsequent pathway to permanent residence for Imtiaz and his family.
If you are an experienced entrepreneur, educated professional with skilled work experience, business owner, or have extensive management experience, a Self-Employed LMIA under the High Wage LMIA Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program may be the ideal option for entrepreneurs, educated professionals and business owners to pursue permanent residence in Canada. Please contact CIVS today if you are considering purchasing or starting an operational business in Canada to create and retain jobs for Canadians, create your own management job, and permanently resettle to Canada with a Self-Employed LMIA.
The rules and process may have changed for Owner Operators to immigrate to Canada, but what has not changed is the CIVS commitment to entrepreneurial newcomers seeking the Canadian Dream. The experienced team at CIVS lives by our modus operandi Promises Made are Promises Delivered. Contact CIVS today to receive a detailed questionnaire and consultation to determine if you are eligible for immigration to Canada as a business owner through the Self-Employed LMIA pathway.

Acknowledgments
We also want to thank everyone for making our acclaimed publications about business investment immigration and the Owner Operator Pathway to Canada top-ranked through Amazon books. These publications include the following:
- Owner Operator LMIA Guidebook
- Owner Operator LMIA Guidebook Hong Kong Edition
- Intra Company Transferees (ICT) Guidebook
- How to Find LMIA Jobs in Canada, Start-up Visa Guidebook
- The Rural Alberta Advantage for Investor Immigrants
- Why Immigrants Should Choose Alberta, Canada for Permanent Residence
These publications may be supplemented by purchasing an extended resources version through our website https://civs.ca/resources/
The extended version online is suited for those individuals who wish to see examples of real-life submissions to the government of Canada under the Owner Operator program.
There are also additional resources available for digital download via https://civs.ca/resources/ including sample business plans, template documents and video tutorials.
We also provide professional service packages on an hourly and flat fee basis.
About the Owner Operator Pathway:
The Owner Operator pathway is an efficient process by which foreign nationals may permanently resettle to Canada by starting or purchasing a business.
For the Owner Operator LMIA investor immigrant pathway, the process can be summarized in the following manner:
- Become a majority shareholder in an eligible Canadian business or prepare to start your own business in Canada.
- Submit an application for an Owner Operator LMIA to ESDC (Service Canada) for approval with the support of a professional RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant).
- Once a positive LMIA has been achieved, apply for a Work Permit through an RCIC with the approved LMIA that will be valid for the next 1-2 years.
- Now that you have a positive LMIA and valid work permit, you can own and operate your business in Canada. During this time, while consulting with an RCIC, you can apply for permanent residency to Canada through Express Entry or a Provincial Nominee Program depending on your credentials and situation.
Of course, before purchasing or investigating starting a business, a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) should be obtained so you can travel in and out of Canada.
The owner-operator LMIA stream may be the best pathway for you and your family to immigrate to Canada, especially if you have an existing business, experience in business, and relatively high net worth. For more information on the Owner-Operator LMIA pathway, please visit the Business Entrepreneur Immigration section on our website or our Blog which has an extensive amount of content and articles to help inform you of the process. Specifically, the article linked here outlines the step by step process for the Federal LMIA Owner Operator Pathway to Permanent Residency for business owners.
Immigrating to Canada as Business Owner – Owner Operator LMIA Step by Step
For more information on being a Canadian investor immigrant and obtaining permanent residency, please contact us.
Sean G McKinsley, Managing Partner & Founder
RCIC & ICCRC Member R529731
Office: +1-587-400-3350
Fax: +1-587-400-4515
WhatsApp: +1-587-703-9805
Email: sean.mckinsley@civs.ca
Nikola Misina, Partner
RCIC & ICCRC Member R524218
Office: +1-587-400-3350
Fax: +1-587-400-4515
WhatsApp: +1-587-893-7427
Email: nikola.misina@civs.ca
Steve Paolasini, Senior National Vice-President, B. Eng
Office: +1-587-400-3350
Fax: +1-587-400-4515
WhatsApp: +1-587-703-9805
Email: steve.paolasini@civs.ca
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