Registering a company is one thing. Having legal authorization to work for that company is another. Business ownership and work authorization are two separate legal questions in Canada, and conflating them is the most common mistake people make. You can technically own a piece of a Canadian company on almost any status — but whether you can actively work in it depends entirely on the type of permit you hold.

For many newcomers, the difference between an open work permit and an employer‑specific (closed) work permit is not explained clearly at the start. They only discover the limits when a job offer changes, a workplace becomes unsafe, or a better opportunity appears in another province. By then, the wrong decision can be expensive, stressful, and difficult to unwind.