If you've ever thought about starting your own business in Canada, Marilene Quintana's story, our director of operations, in Discover Magazine is a must-read.
Founder and senior consultant of E-visa Immigration, Marilene shares her journey from her own immigration to Vancouver in 2012 to building one of the leading immigration advisory firms in Canada. Learn how she turned her expertise into an essential service for those seeking a new life in Canada and discover the immigration programs for entrepreneurs that can make your dream a reality.
Check out the interesting insights from the article:
"When deciding to open your own business abroad to help Brazilians who want to immigrate to another country and those who seek to venture in distant lands? This was the case for Marilene Quintana, co-founder and senior consultant of E-visa Immigration. She came to Vancouver in 2012 to do a study program that included work for a year. But Marilene's intention was already to seek ways to stay permanently in the country.
"When I arrived, it wasn't so easy to find information on how to extend visas and immigrate. So, I started researching a lot and consulted professionals. With less than a year living in Canada, I was already well on my way, working in the field, and the process of permanent residence was underway with employer support," she said.
With all the knowledge she gained from her own immigration process, Marilene began to help friends, researching and trying to guide them in the best way possible. "My boyfriend at the time, now husband, noticed that my eyes sparkled when I helped people and when I was talking about immigration. He encouraged me to make it my profession."
In 2014, after completing the Immigration Law program in Canada and becoming an immigration consultant, Marilene founded the E-visa company. "I always said that Canada was wonderful, just lacked more Brazilians (laughs), so I made this my mission since the opening of E-Visa until today," she said.
Marilene saw the venture become, in a few years, one of the largest advisory firms not only for Brazilians but for people from any part of the world interested in living in Canada, whether temporarily or permanently.
According to her, the company started small, but then added assistants, and today there are four offices: Vancouver and Toronto (Canada), São Paulo (Brazil), and Tehran (Iran), and more than 50 employees.
Immigrating by Entrepreneurship
In addition to the regular immigration process, E-Visa Immigration also helps those who want to venture in Canada. "We start with eligibility analysis and guidance on the process, time, risks, costs, and also clarify all candidates' doubts. In addition, we prepare an in-house business plan, already aligned to meet all the objectives of each of the immigration programs," explained Marilene.
Among the various programs offered by the local government, one of the most sought after by Brazilians who want to venture and immigrate to Canada is the Startup Visa process. This program is based on an innovative idea that can help a company solidify a success story in the market.
The Startup Visa has no age requirement, academic level, or professional experience, and the required level of English or French is only pre-intermediate (CLB5).
According to Marilene, opening a company in Canada is a relatively simplified process. "But before registering the company, it is essential to understand which visa or immigration program will best meet each person's objectives."
In 2021, Canada set a historical record of new businesses opened in just one year. According to the Government Federal Companies Map, four million companies were established in that period.
Common immigration processes for entrepreneurs:
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Work Permit for Entrepreneurs: based on the economic, social, and cultural benefits that the company will bring to Canada;
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LMIA Owner / Operator: similar to the work visa for entrepreneurs, but validated by Service Canada, impact assessment on the labor market;
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Self-employed Program: focused on people in the area of culture, arts, and sports.
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Provincial Programs for Entrepreneurs: each province has its minimum investment criteria, types of accepted companies, among others; and
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Startup Visa: based on an innovative idea that can become a successful company."
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