Smart Immigration:
Canada’s Defining Move.

Real conversations. Real solutions. Shaping Canada’s future by reimagining economic immigration and unlocking the transformative potential of business immigration.

About This Initiative

What is Catalyst Canada?

Catalyst Canada is an initiative by the Business Immigration Committee of CILA. Our mission is simple: Break the silos and bring together lawyers, business leaders, policymakers, academics, civil society, and government to secure Canada’s future by fixing our immigration system.

Roundtable Highlights

Let's address the elephant in the room...

Beyond GDP. Beyond IRCC!

We need a NEW Investment Program!

Problem Statement

The Case for
Business Immigration

Public trust in Canada’s immigration system is eroding – not because of intolerance, but because it’s failing to deliver economic results. Business immigration – representing less than 0.2% of intake – is an untapped powerhouse. We’re missing the opportunity to attract the world’s brightest innovators, investors, and entrepreneurs – the very people who drive job creation, innovation, and long-term economic resilience. It’s not about increasing numbers – it’s about attracting the right talent, creating the right incentives, and building a system that works. Business immigration is Canada’s most powerful tool for rebuilding our economy – if we get it right.
 

Entrepreneurial Vacuum

Canada’s entrepreneurship rate has halved over the last 20 years. Yet business immigration accounts for less than 0.2% of total intake, the lowest among advanced economies. Without immediate action, Canada’s ability to create jobs and drive innovation keeps declining.

Succession Cliff

A wave of baby boomer retirements is about to leave thousands of businesses without successors – putting jobs, industries, and local economies at risk. Business immigration could close this gap and secure Canada’s economic future.

Losing the Global Edge

Countries like the US, Australia, and the UAE are aggressively courting high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs with fast, streamlined pathways. The UAE issued 250,000 golden visas in 2023. The US has 12,000 investors lined up – Canada has zero.

Productivity Emergency

Canada’s productivity growth is stalling, and business investment is drying up. We need more than just workers – we need entrepreneurs and innovators who can create jobs, drive investment, and boost long-term economic resilience.

40+ Months

Start-Up Visa delays keep applicants stuck in a backlog of over 3 years.

CLOSED

No federal program for non-innovative entrepreneurs.

CLOSED

Ontario no longer offers a program for entrepreneurs.

CLOSED

No federal investor pathway - a $100B+ market left wide open.

Immediate Action Needed

Canada is losing the world’s best innovators, creators, and entrepreneurs to more welcoming destinations.

With a $1.5 trillion succession tsunami looming and urgent gaps in infrastructure, venture capital, and productivity, business immigration isn’t just an opportunity - it’s an economic necessity.

How?

Our Blueprint for Change

1. Listen

We host roundtables with stakeholders to generate actionable solutions.

2. Build

We turn insights into a report with a clear roadmap.

3. Act

we engage policymakers to turn solutions into outcomes.

Featured Guests

Thought Leaders in Action

Catalyst Canada thrives on the insights of trailblazers in business, policy, and academia. Their expertise fuels the conversations that will reform and strengthen Canada’s economic immigration system.

Our Sponsors

Recent Roundtables

Subscribe to Catalyst Canada Youtube Channel

Latest Discussions

Beyond the Start-Up Visa Program: Canada’s Business Immigration Is Falling Behind| Roundtable #3

With the federal self-employed program suspended and the Start-Up Visa facing serious delays and oversight concerns, Canada’s business immigration system is under pressure. In this roundtable, Siavash Shekarian, host of Catalyst Canada, brings together leading immigration lawyers David Garson, Stephen Green, and Zeynab Ziaie Movahed to examine what’s going wrong—and what needs to change. From credibility issues and customer service failures to the urgent need for diversified pathways, the panel explores how Canada can rebuild trust, improve outcomes, and create a more effective framework for entrepreneurs and investors.

Past Discussions

Beyond GDP, Beyond IRCC: Rethinking Success and Administration in Business Immigration | Roundtable #6

Canada’s business immigration system is one of its most overlooked economic tools—and this roundtable is all about rethinking it. Hosted by Siavash Shekarian, Chair of CILA’s Business Immigration Committee, the discussion features Andrew Griffith, former Director General of Citizenship and Multiculturalism at IRCC, and Ümit Kiziltan, former Chief Data Officer and Director General of Research & Evaluation at IRCC. Together, they unpack what’s working, what’s broken, and what must urgently change—from flawed evaluation metrics and failed investor program legacies, to untapped data potential and the shortcomings of the Start-up Visa. They also explore whether IRCC is still the right body to lead business immigration, and the need for transparency, institutional reform, and true public–private collaboration.

Canada’s Immigration System Is Missing Its Biggest Economic Opportunity | Roundtable #5

Canada’s immigration system is failing to deliver on its economic promise. With business immigrants making up only 0.2% of total economic immigration, are we neglecting a critical pathway for innovation, investment, and job creation? In this powerful roundtable, moderated by Siavash Shekarian, Catalyst Canada convenes leading immigration lawyers—Sarah Adler, David Crawford, and Charles Pley—to unpack what's broken in Canada's business immigration framework and how to fix it.

From Criticism to Constructive Reform: The Case for a New Federal Investor Program | Roundtable #1

Canada needs to reintroduce a modern federal investor immigration program, and this roundtable is all about it. Hosted by Siavash Shekarian, Chair of CILA’s Business Immigration Committee, the discussion features leading immigration lawyers Kenneth Zaifman, Colin Singer, and Jean-François Harvey. Together, they examine how Canada can design a credible and competitive program that avoids past mistakes, responds to global investment migration trends, and balances public trust with effective policy. With over 80 countries actively competing for high-net-worth individuals, the panel makes a strong case for timely action.

What is Catalyst Canada and why it matters?

Canada’s future depends on smart immigration. With an existential crisis compounding declining entrepreneurship, stalling productivity, and fierce global competition, Canada is losing ground. It’s time to come together - and it’s time to act. Catalyst Canada is the bridge, bringing together business leaders, policymakers, and experts to drive bold reforms in economic immigration - turning challenges into opportunities and securing Canada’s economic future.

Guests’ Spotlights!

Our Team

Siavash Shekarian

Founder & Spokesperson

Siavash Shekarian is a business immigration lawyer, entrepreneur, and advocate with an engineering background. He advises startups and scaling businesses, navigating international disputes, including a multi-billion-dollar arbitration. Siavash has co-founded ventures in education, trade, real estate, and technology, serving as a legal advisor on various boards. As Chair of CILA’s Business Immigration Committee, he advocates for reform in Canada’s immigration system and works with global policy organizations like UNODC and UNICEF, while leading SHEKARIAN LAW PC to help entrepreneurs succeed in Canada.

Vishal Awtani

Stakeholder Collaboration Lead

Vishal is a corporate and immigration lawyer licensed in both India and Canada, with a background in business consulting. After a decade of legal experience in India, he founded GRAY JAY LAW PC in Canada. Vishal helps foreign entrepreneurs expand into Canada by offering legal and operational support, combining his business and legal expertise. He is dedicated to bridging the gap between business immigrants and policymakers through Catalyst Canada. His work focuses on creating practical solutions for corporate immigration clients, while also advocating for policies that support the growth of immigrant-led businesses in Canada.

Albertson Otchengco

Stakeholder Engagement Lead

Albertson joined CILA’s Business Immigration Committee and Catalyst Canada with the belief that catalyzing innovation in Canada will uplift the lives of his fellow immigrants. A business and start-up lawyer in the Philippines, Albertson immigrated to Canada in 2024 and is currently working toward becoming a licensed lawyer in Canada. He is currently working at LJD Law, an immigration law firm in Toronto, where his practice focuses on economic and business immigration. Albertson is dedicated to supporting immigrants through legal guidance, fostering opportunities for their success, and contributing to discussions on improving Canada’s immigration policies.

Join Catalyst Canada

This is an inclusive initiative, and we’re calling on diverse voices to help shape Canada’s future. Whether you’re a thought leader, expert, or simply passionate about what Canada can achieve through immigration, we want to hear from you.

Be a Guest

Share your expertise as a featured speaker.

Be a Sponsor

Support the initiative and gain recognition.

Share Your Insights

Have research, ideas, or leads? Let us know how we can make this initiative stronger.

Become an Ambassador

Passionate about impact? Click on the icon to apply and become a Catalyst Canada Ambassador!

Contact Us

Sponsorship Budget:
We offer sponsorship opportunities starting at $5,000 to ensure impactful engagement.

We’d Love to Hear From You!
Have a research paper, unique perspective, or fresh idea to share? Whether it’s a quick insight or a deep dive, your input can help shape the future of business immigration