The threshold question, passive holding or operating enterprise, often resolves quickly, because it turns on facts the owner already knows. Building a qualifying business, if that is the chosen path, takes far longer and involves acquisition, staffing and trading history. Treat the two as separate timelines, and remember that no decision date or outcome can be promised for any application that follows.
Answer the fit question before booking anything
Sequence matters more than speed here. Settle whether a qualifying enterprise exists, then decide whether to acquire or build one, then prepare evidence, and only then consider consular steps. Canadian citizens generally need an E visa, which adds an appointment to the schedule.
Reversing that order means paying for preparation on a case whose foundation has not been tested, which is the expensive way to learn the answer. Answer the fit question before booking anything, since the threshold of passive holding or operating enterprise usually resolves quickly on facts the owner already knows. Building a qualifying business, where that is the chosen path, takes far longer and involves acquisition, staffing, and a trading history, so treat the two as separate timelines.
Sequence matters more than speed: settle whether a qualifying enterprise exists, decide whether to acquire or build one, prepare evidence, and only then consider consular steps. Reversing that order means paying for preparation on an untested foundation.