Under the updated framework, using a home address as a registered business location is no longer an automatic red flag. IRCC instructs officers to assess the residential address alongside the specific nature of the business. While larger commercial operations like full-scale restaurants naturally require traditional commercial real estate, companies offering handmade goods or digital services can legitimately run out of a home.

Crucially, IRCC eliminated the previous requirement that an employer must maintain a physical commercial address where the foreign worker physically performs their daily duties. This change removes a major barrier for firms utilizing remote setups, client-site deployments, or off-site work arrangements, provided the employer can prove the commercial activity itself is real.

Verifying ‘Active Engagement’

To secure an employer-specific work permit, the hiring company must pass four job offer genuineness tests, including proof that the business is actively engaged in ongoing operations. An entity that exists only on paper or as a shell company created to facilitate foreign entry will be rejected.

To prove active commercial engagement, employers must present concrete evidence beyond legal incorporation, demonstrating that they regularly supply goods or services. Relevant proof evaluated by officers includes:

1. Operational business licenses and necessary local permits.
2. Active client contracts, invoices, or documented proof of ongoing commercial transactions.
3. Proof of consistent employee payments and payroll records.
4. Records showing ongoing purchases of business-related goods and supplies.
5. Evidence of a stable physical business address or established operational model in Canada.

No single document guarantees approval, as officers are instructed to review the full commercial record holistically.

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