Bring A Corporation into Ontario

If you have an existing corporation in Canada such as a federal corporation or Alberta corporation and wish to operate that corporation within the province of Ontario, a Form 2 Initial Notice is required. The filing is available for both a for profit business corporation and not for profit business corporation type.

By completing the Form 2 Initial Notice , your corporation will obtain an Ontario corporate number and have a presence within the jurisdiction of Ontario.

The existing corporation can be from any jurisdiction in Canada including: Alberta, British Columbia, Canada (federal), Quebec, Manitoba, Newfoundland/Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Saskatchewan or New Brunswick.

When to file a Form 2 Initial Notice?

The only time you are required to file a foreign domestic corporation within the province of Ontario is when the business will operate a physical address within the jurisdiction of Ontario. The filing is not necessary if you solely have clients in the province. It is only MANDATORY when you set up a physical address whether that is an office, warehouse, storage facility etc.

When to file a Form 2 Notice of Change?

The Notice of Change is available to those who have filed the initial notice already but require updates to the home jurisdiction address, the address in Ontario, name and address of the agent in Ontario or when the corporation ceases to exist within Ontario.

How do I know the filing has been completed?

Historically, when the Form 2 Initial Notice was filed, a copy of the completed filing would be provided by the province with the Ontario corporate number. Since the new OBR system came into effect in Ontario, we receive an email confirmation that the filing has taken place with the Ontario corporate number.

With respect to the Form 2 Notice of Change, our office only receives an email from the province confirming the filing has been received and the corporation has been updated.

Corporate Entity Report request

We recommend ordering a corporate entity report for the corporation in Ontario as part of your Form 2 Initial Notice Filing or Notice of Change filing. The entity report will provide the details related to your filing with the province of Ontario and can be used with your financial institution, CRA or any related third parties upon completion of your filing in Ontario.

What filing is required for a foreign corporation outside of Canada that wants to operate within Ontario?

A different filing is required called an Extra Province Licence to register a foreign corporation in Ontario. We can assist you to complete this filing. The existing corporation can be from any jurisdiction OUTSIDE of Canada including: United States of America, Japan, German, Switzerland, New Zealand, Ireland, Israel, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, France, Italy etc.

ONTARIO CORP NUMBER IN 3-4 BUSINESS DAYS

CHIEF OFFICER/MANAGER
NOT REQUIRED

MAKE CHANGES TO
AN EXISTING EPL

Do I need an Extra Provincial License?

When you have an existing corporation outside of the Province of Ontario and you are setting up a physical business location within Ontario, you are required to file the Form 2 within 60 days of bringing your corporation into Ontario. This is called the Initial Notice (Form 2). Once filed, you will receive an Ontario Corporation Number that establishes the corporation’s presence within Ontario for the Provincial Government.

How do I make changes to my existing Extra Provincial License?

If you have already filed an Initial Notice and obtained an Ontario corporation number but have made a change to the corporation, for example, the physical location of the business within Ontario or within the home jurisdiction, you are to notify the Provincial Government by filing the Notice of Change (Form 2) within 15 days of that change.

What is required to register?

Corporations that wish to operate in Ontario must meet a number of requirements. They must use their exact corporate name from the home jurisdiction of the corporation when registering their businesses in Ontario. Secondary business names (division of business names) can be registered once an Extra Provincial License has been acquired.

Is there any documentation needed in order to register?

When filing the Initial Notice and Notice of Change (Form 2) within Ontario, the Provincial government requires a copy of the certificate page from the Articles of Incorporation and/or Articles of Amendment when a name change has occurred. The Provincial Government wants to ensure that the businesses requesting to come into Ontario are legally incorporating in their home jurisdiction and that the name provided for the corporation is the correct legal name.

What if I don’t have a Chief Officer/Manager in Ontario?

The chief officer/manager in Ontario is optional. If you have a staff member in Ontario who you want to represent the corporation, you may provide that individual’s information including last name, first name and middle name with the full address for that individual.

What is the processing time for new extra-provincial registrations?

Once the information is received we will process the documentation manually and file with the government. The process takes 3-4 business days and we will receive your Ontario corporate number from the Provincial Government and forward it to you. Please maintain this addition to your corporate records.

How much does it cost to obtain an Extra-Provincial Licence?

An extra-provincial licence costs $169.49 in total. The fee is made up of $149.99 for our fee for preparing the form, filing and gaining approval from you to proceed. If you are looking to make changes to your existing extra-provincial registration, the cost would be the same. The Initial Notice and Notice of Change use the same form and the difference between the two is the processing time.

What is the processing time for making changes to an EPL?

The process of filing the Notice of Change with the Provincial Government is done manually. This filing takes 25 business days to process. The Provincial Government does not provide a confirmation to us of the completion of the filing. It is recommended that after the 25 business days, you request a corporate profile report of your corporation. The report will provide the most recent information for the corporation. This can also be ordered through our website.

The Change I Want to Make Isn’t Listed

Our team is here to help you. We would love to hear from you with any questions you have. Our business is to help you with your business!

What is the Naics Code?

The Naics code was introduced in October of 2021 as part of the new Ontario Business Registry (OBR) system in Ontario. The Naics code essentially is your business activity consisting of a 6 digit code that is required by the province of Ontario. Whether your filing a new Initial notice or Notice of Change the Naics code is required. If you are updating and already have an established Naics code, you will need to provide the code as part of the filing submission. Most individuals will be providing a code as a new item to the Ontario system.

What is a Company Key?

The Company Key was also established under the new OBC system in October of 2021. The company key is a 9 digit number provided to new businesses coming into Ontario and can be used for any subsequent filing. If you are filing a Notice of Change and do not have a Company Key, in most circumstances, as an intermediary to the Province of Ontario, we can submit your filing without the requirement of the company key.

Extra Provincial Licence

For corporations outside of Canada that wish to operate within Ontario, the Extra Provincial Licence is available for registration

Related Services:
Foreign Extra Provincial Registration (Existing Corp Outside Of Canada)