Canadians buying and operating a US business?

November 17, 2022

by a searcher from University of British Columbia in Ottawa, ON, Canada

I've been searching in Ontario for the better part of a year with little luck. I am thinking of expanding my search to the eastern US.

Have any Canadian Search Funders bought a US business? What visa did you get? What was the processing time like?

Thanks!

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Reply by a searcher
from University of Manitoba in Vancouver, BC, Canada

1. search phase - you can visit the USA and have meetings to find and negotiate with your target. Some border officers will ask more questions than others about your travel intentions, but it's generally not too bad at this phase.
2. Once you have a deal about to close, there are numerous immigration lawyers (especially near border towns) who can help with the correct visa options to allow you to live & work in the USA. Somewhat depends on deal size, your skill set etc, but it's absolutely possible. Find the deal first and don't let the work permit/visa hold you up.

Reply by a searcher
from University of Pennsylvania in Oakville, ON, Canada

If you can solve for financing (let's say via seller financing or raising equity capital or using a non-bank financing options), acquiring a US business for a Canadian is fairly simple. The visa category will depend on the size and nature of business you are acquiring and also your nationality at the time of application. If you are a Canadian citizen, the lowest bar would be an E-2 visa that will allow you to own and run a business in the States while living there with your immediate family including dependent kids (up to a certain age). Trust this helps.

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