Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
retail or import-export activities. Monitoring included periodic reports,
perhaps a site visit, and a final evaluation within two years to determine
whether the success of the business justified lifting 'the terms and conditions'
of the visa, freeing the entrepreneur from constant monitoring and permit-
ting advance toward citizenship. CIC officials responsible for monitoring told
me that four routine letters would be sent to business immigrants at six-
monthly intervals. Entrepreneurs were advised to update their files, and to
present their report requesting removal of terms and conditions within a year
of launching their business. Telephone contact and site visits would be con-
ducted as necessary, though at that time CIC estimated that less than ten
percent of files received visits. Business immigrants were encouraged to
attend orientation seminars organized by the provincial government, to main-
tain contact with federal officials who monitored their file, and with the pro-
vincial office that provided counselling aid; the immigrant organization,
SUCCESS, also offered an advisory programme. Attendance at the seminars
and an active file were regarded positively in the final assessment.
While entrepreneurs made some use of these services, the business per-
formance expected by their visa was an abiding burden, generating stress
and uncertainty. Sometimes frustrations were freely rendered:
When you look at the [initial] letter that comes from Citizenship and
Immigration Canada it always says for the immigrant entrepreneurs who
come here that they have to make a significant contribution to the Canadian
economy, right? Without fail it says that, but what have they done for the
immigrants? To give you a one-page visa that contains conditions and tell you
that you have to comply with them, I think it's a tyrannical attitude.
At a focus group of Taiwanese entrepreneur immigrants conducted in
Mandarin in 2002, a newcomer was actually advised by others to avoid the
entrepreneur stream in favour of the investor class:
If you wanted you could contact the immigration [authorities] and tell them you
wanted to change your status to investor immigrant. Don't push yourself into
this entrepreneur immigrant, it's really tiring and there are problems that follow.
Entrepreneurs have to follow a lot of regulations, a lot of restrictions, there are
many problems. First you have to hire an employee, run the business yourself
and you have to live here for at least two years.You have to find a business, when
you have found it, one year has already passed. When you start your business, it's
almost time to file in your application [to have terms and conditions lifted].
Your case would not be processed until 12 months later, not removing condi-
tions… If your business in Taiwan is good, why don't you stay in Taiwan? If you
were an investor immigrant you only have to live here for six months. Then you
could stay in Taiwan to make more money… If you compare the business in
Vancouver with the business in Taiwan you would not come here.
