I'm a veterinarian who wants to start a one person veterinary practice in northwest Ontario. The area has been chronically underserved by veterinarians, and a committee has been actively trying to recruit a veterinarian for over six years. The district is very eager to have me come and start my own office. They receive money from the province to help pay for veterinarian service in their remote area, $40,000 a year, and I would receive that money as part of my income. The district also has money available to loan in order to get a business going. I would be working with large animals, mainly beef and dairy cattle, as well as horses, goats, and other farm animals.

I've submitted an assessment, but I thought I'd shoot an idea out onto the forum as well.

The annual stipend from the province starts new April 1st, and I hope to be ready to go to work by then. I've completed most of what I need to get licensed to practice veterinary medicine in Ontario, the main stumbling block is that I need a work permit to get licensed. I need a job to get a work permit, and I can't work without a license. Almost the old catch 22.

My long term plan is to get Canadian citizenship once I become eligible.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice you can offer.

As a general rule, a work permit for self employment is not allowable for the purpose of pursuing new business. In the NAFTA Professional category, however, a self employed person may apply if the work in Canada has otherwise been pre-arranged. If your "client" is the district and the work for such is pre-arranged, then the case seems viable as a Professional. If you intend to simply establish a business in order to pursue clients, then you may need to consider other avenues of NAFTA such as Trader or Investor.