Responding Quickly to a Rule Change Right Before Filing: Opening a Path With a Business Owner (Formerly Entrepreneur) Work Permit｜Ms. H
Date Posted:June 23, 2025
Last Updated:September 24, 2026
After graduating from a Canadian school as an international student, Ms. H was considering which visa would let her work in Canada. She spent a long time comparing other countries and planning her life before finally consulting Shiraishi VisaJP Canada about an Entrepreneur (Business Owner) Work Permit, and obtained it successfully. Here she tells us what she felt along the way and how we handled her case.
They handled everything very carefully, and I was able to proceed with the application with peace of mind.
Business Owner Work Permit (formerly Entrepreneur Work Permit)
Business Owner
N/A
Japan
Same day (port of entry application)
Key Points from the Consultant
From the moment she first came to our Vancouver office, my impression was of someone with a clear idea of the business she wanted to run and a strong will to do it.
After about six months of consultation by email, we began preparing the entrepreneur work permit application in earnest. Late in the preparation, this category underwent major changes: the assessment criteria became far stricter and the name changed to the Business Owner Work Permit. From there we revised the documents at speed, and I believe we ended up with a very strong application package.
She approached the application with determination right to the end, so I imagine she was composed during the review at the airport as well. In a port of entry application it is important to know in advance what to say and what not to, and to be able to state your case properly. Ms. H is an excellent person who does exactly that.
She will now run her own company in Canada. As a fellow business owner, I am cheering her on.
Immigration Consultant
Born in Japan. After earning a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan, she worked for six years in New York as a marketing consultant at a major travel agency, while also studying in an MBA program at the City University of New York. After returning to Japan, she managed the visa center of the same travel company, handling various international visa applications for foreign clients.
Client Comments
Why did you decide to immigrate to Canada?
Having graduated from a school in Canada, I felt that Canada suited me better than Japan as a place to work.
What made you choose Shiraishi VisaJP Canada?
Beyond their experience with a wide range of visa applications, in the consulting before filing they explained the information I needed and how to proceed very carefully, which gave me confidence.
What was the most memorable part of the process?
Right before filing, I learned that the category was being renamed from the Entrepreneur Work Permit to the Business Owner Work Permit and that the requirements were being substantially revised, which alarmed me considerably. Applying just as a system changes really is nerve-racking.
How was your experience using Shiraishi VisaJP Canada’s services?
They handled everything very carefully, and I was able to proceed with the application with peace of mind.
Future outlook and a message for those planning to travel to Canada
I think Canada offers more opportunities to work than Japan, and that the way women work is properly protected by its systems. For anyone who wants to take on a new challenge, I feel Canada is a very good option.
Additional Comments
I agonised over visa applications in Canada for about three years, going back to my student days, and contacted them twice via LINE during that time. I had been fretting over which visa would suit me and what life would look like afterwards so that I could work in Canada after graduating, and it was only after speaking directly with Ms. Shiraishi that I finally got a sense of direction. Because I was also considering other countries, it took me quite a while to commit to applying, but they answered my questions attentively and I was able to leave it in their hands with confidence. Thank you.
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