Thanks for your replies. Regarding teaming up with someone else to buy a biz, this isn't the issue in itself.
As an example, we have seen a property currently run as a B&B which we could purchase and employ a resident in some capacity there, the problem is, the requirement seems to be I need to have run a biz within last 5 years employing people. They want to know (I guess) . Unfortunately, for personal reasons I sold my biz about 12 years ago. I do still have an interest in an unrelated MLM biz but have been living in Brazil for the past 2 years.

It seems amazing that this one detail could stop us from going to Canada even though we would have around $500,000 (Can).