Starting a Business in Canada: An Entrepreneur (C11) Work Permit Issued Same-Day at the Port of Entry｜Ms. Y
Date Posted:September 9, 2026
Last Updated:September 24, 2026
This case involves Ms. Y, who drew on the career and professional network she had built in Japan to start a business in Canada, and obtained an entrepreneur work permit (C11) on the same day at the port of entry. A C11 permit is not granted automatically upon incorporating a company: the application must set out the viability of the business, the applicant’s background and funding, and the economic and social benefit the business will bring to Canada. Shiraishi VisaJP Canada supported her throughout, from incorporating the Canadian company and refining the business plan to weighing an online application against an application at the port of entry.
They understood our circumstances and our wishes, and worked out with us the best available option at each stage rather than pressing a single fixed approach on us.
Entrepreneur Work Permit (C11)
Director
N/A
Japan
Same day (application at the port of entry)
Key Points from the Consultant
What stayed with us from our very first consultation with Ms. Y was that her aim was not permanent residence in itself, nor simply enrolling her children in Canadian schools. She wanted to draw on the experience and professional network she had built in Japan and take on a new business venture in Canada. What we proposed was an entrepreneur work permit under C11. A C11 permit is not something granted automatically once a company is incorporated. The application has to set out, as a whole, the viability of the business, the applicant's background and funding, and the economic and social benefit the venture will bring to Canada. In Ms. Y's case, we incorporated a Canadian company and revisited the business plan many times, working out step by step how the business would be established in Canada and how it would lead in future to employment and to commerce between Japan and Canada. We also weighed the advantages and risks of an online application against an application at the port of entry, and in the end, with a thoroughly prepared set of documents, she chose to apply on arrival. An application at the port of entry involves questions from the officer on the spot, so the period right up to departure must have been an anxious one. Ms. Y herself came prepared with a firm grasp of the business plan and the contents of the application, and the work permit was issued without difficulty. At Shiraishi VisaJP Canada we were genuinely relieved when the news reached us. Ms. Y's words — that rather than giving up because of your age or your circumstances, the moment you think you would like to try is the moment to take it on — are ones we hope will reach anyone considering a new challenge abroad. A visa is not the finish line; for Ms. Y it is the starting point of her business in Canada. We look forward to seeing her give shape to that venture step by step and open up new possibilities in Canada.
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?
It began with a wish to draw on the career and experience I had built in Japan while broadening my own possibilities in a new environment.
Rather than giving up because of my age or my circumstances, I felt that the moment I thought “I want to try this” was the moment to take the step, and so I did.
What made you choose Shiraishi VisaJP Canada?
This move involved both my own business and my children’s schooling, and there was a great deal about the visa process that I did not understand and that worried me.
While I was weighing several options, Ms. Shiraishi listened to me with real care from the very first consultation and worked through realistic approaches suited to my situation together with me.
The main reason I felt comfortable entrusting the case to them was that they did not simply push the application forward — they explained the risks as clearly as the advantages.
What was the most memorable part of the process?
My case differed from the typical one in some respects, and I agonised right up to the end over the method of application and the timing of travel.
In the days just before departure I worried about whether the visa would really be issued, but I was able to prepare while consulting Ms. Shiraishi at every turn.
When I actually arrived in Canada and the visa was issued, everything I had prepared seemed to come together at once, and I was overjoyed. It became an unforgettable moment for my family as well.
How was your experience using Shiraishi VisaJP Canada’s services?
I am extremely satisfied.
Every time a question or a worry came up I was able to consult them, and they always responded thoughtfully. It was enormously reassuring.
What I valued most was that they did not press a single fixed approach on us. They understood our circumstances and our wishes, and worked out with us the best available option at each stage.
There is so much that is unfamiliar about moving abroad and applying for a visa, and it is easy to feel anxious, so having someone I could turn to with complete trust made a real difference. I am glad I went to Ms. Shiraishi.
Future outlook and a message for those planning to travel to Canada
From here I want to grow my own business in Canada while drawing on the experience I built in Japan, and keep taking on new challenges.
Of course, starting a new life abroad is not all enjoyment — the paperwork, the language and the living environment all bring their share of difficulty.
Even so, for anyone who feels they would like to try something abroad, I hope you will not decide it is impossible before you begin.
I had plenty of anxieties and hesitations myself, but by preparing one step at a time I was able to start my life in Canada. Hold on to the wish to try, and move forward one step at a time.
Additional Comments
Realising this move to Canada took a great deal of preparation and many decisions.
The visa in particular involved judgements we could not have made on our own, and being able to consult Ms. Shiraishi was deeply reassuring. Thank you for supporting us over such a long period leading up to our departure.
Our life in Canada has only just begun, and I am looking forward to building new work and a new life from here.
I am truly glad I went to Ms. Shiraishi. Thank you very much!
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