Business & Investor Immigration-Provincial

BC Entrepreneur Program

The British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration stream of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has a unique registration system, known as the Entrepreneur Immigration Registration. The registration process functions like an 'Expression of Interest Model', which means eligible candidates, who have registered, must be invited to apply before they can submit an application to the program.

Successful candidates will obtain a work permit and, if the business operation in British Columbia fulfills the requirements of the stream on an ongoing basis, they will be able to apply for permanent residence in Canada through the BC PNP. This stream provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for experienced businesspeople who can establish themselves in B.C. and invest in and operate a commercially viable business that can provide significant benefits to the provincial economy.

Minimum Requirements for Candidates

Personal net worth of at least $600,000 (including cash, assets in bank accounts, fixed deposits, real properties, investments, etc). The net worth must be legally obtained and may be under the spouse or common-law partner's name. This net worth must verifiable if invited to apply;

Post-secondary credential or experience as an active business owner-manager with 100 percent ownership of the business for at least three of the past five years.

Eligible experience as an active business owner/manager and/or senior manager;

Submit a business concept that demonstrates an active and ongoing management role in the day-to-day operations of the proposed business and the creation of at least one new job in the proposed B.C. business; and

Personal investment of CAD $200,000 in eligible expenses.

Application Process

Prepare for registration by conducting business research. International entrepreneurs are encouraged to conduct an exploratory visit to B.C. to learn about business opportunities and the local business environment.

Individuals must register with the BC PNP by creating an online profile, paying fees and obtaining a registration score based on various factors, including business ownership/senior management experience, personal net worth, adaptability, business concept and others. Candidates will be assigned a score for the business concept within six weeks of creating a profile.

The highest-ranked candidates are invited during periodic draws held by the BC PNP.

If invited to apply, candidates have four months (120 days) to submit a complete application under the BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Stream, obtain a review of the declared personal net worth and funds, and pay the required fees. Applications are assessed based on program criteria. Applicants may be invited to attend an in-person interview in Vancouver during the application assessment stage.

If an application is approved, international entrepreneurs sign a Performance Agreement and receive a Letter of Confirmation to apply for a two-year work permit with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Once they arrive in B.C., international entrepreneurs have up to 20 months, or 610 days, to implement the business plan, actively manage their business, meet all the conditions of the signed Performance Agreement, and demonstrate residency within 100km of the business (for at least 75% of the work permit period).

Between 18 and 20 months after arriving in the province, entrepreneurs must submit a final report to the BC PNP describing their business activities while on a valid work permit.

The Government of British Columbia nominates approved entrepreneur applicants by issuing a confirmation of nomination, which enables entrepreneurs and their eligible dependent family members to apply for permanent residence with IRCC.

IRCC may review additional information in the application to ensure that the nominee continues operation of the business and residence in B.C.

BC Regional Pilot Program

The BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration — Regional Pilot is a new immigration pathway for foreign nationals looking to start and run a new business in smaller communities across British Columbia. The business must be established in a community of fewer than 75,000 people located more than 30 kilometres from a larger city. The process is as under :

STEP 1:  Identify Community Location for Your New Business Start Up

There are over 30 participating BC communities in the program all looking to attract foreign investor businesses to their community. The population of these communities’ range between 2,000 to 60,000. Each community has identified at least 3 main investment priorities across various industries. Your investment plans must align with the community investment priorities.

STEP 2:   Create Your Unique Business Plan

After identifying the community, you would like to start your new business, it is time to start developing a business plan for your new business. This business plan should consider the business concept, preliminary investment breakdown, job creation plan, financial projections and the positive benefit to the community.

STEP 3: Community Visit

In order to be eligible for and submit a registration to the BC PNP under the Regional Pilot Program, you must align with the business priorities of the community and also make an exploratory visit to the community in which you intend to establish a business.  This visit is important to evaluate business opportunities, refine business model, perform market research and connect with local contacts.  This will also be a good chance to learn more about living in the community in which you intend to start a business.  During your visit you must meet with the designated community contact person to discuss your business proposal.

At this point, the participating communities will not provide a letter of support for you to obtain a Temporary Resident Visa to conduct an exploratory visit to B.C.

STEP 4: Receive Community Referral

A referral from the community will only be given after a site visit and only if your business aligns with the community’s target industries. You may also be required to meet any conditions or requirements set by the community in order to obtain a referral which makes the community visit a very important step of the process.

STEP 5:  Register Online

Online registration is the first step to immigrating to British Columbia as an immigrant entrepreneur. You must carefully review the EI – Regional Pilot requirements before completing your registration. Based on the information you provide you will receive a score that will determine your eligibility.

Before you can submit your registration, you need to provide:

• Your valid referral form from the community contact;
• Your valid language test result;
• Biographical page (and signature page) of your current passport *;
• Current photograph; and
• Use of a representative form, if applicable.

Upon completion of the registration scoring, you will receive an email from the BC PNP indicating your total score and whether you have met the minimum requirements to be entered in the qualified pool. The process typically takes 4 weeks and you will be able to view your registration score, including scores for each section

STEP 6: Receive an Invitation

Once you are entered into the pool you will be ranked along with other registrants. The BC PNP will invite the highest scoring registrants to apply. If you get selected you will be sent an email with instructions on how to complete an EI – Regional Pilot application. You will have 120 days from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application. This gives you time to finalize your business plan.

If you have not been invited, you can improve your score by developing a new business concept, conducting more research into the business environment in B.C., or improving your adaptability and submitting a new registration

STEP 7:  Confirmation of Net Worth

Confirming your net worth is a vital part of the process and to qualify for the BC PNP. You must engage the services of  BC PNP-authorized professional accounting firm. The accounting firm will complete a certification report of your total net worth. Costs associated with the process must be paid by the applicant after entering an agreement with an accounting firm. The time to obtain the verification report varies depending on the amount of financial information provided and may take up to 60 days. The report, once completed, is valid for a year.

STEP 8: Application Submission

After you gather all supporting documents, your net worth reports and a detailed business plan you have up to 120 days to apply. The BC Government Application fee is $3,500 CAD, non-refundable.

STEP 9: Decision on Application

Following the submission of your application, the BC PNP will access your application according to different criteria.

These include:

• Whether your entry will be of benefit to the economic development of BC;
• Your ability and intention to permanently settle and become economically established in BC;
• Whether you have entered, or intend to enter into an immigration-linked investment scheme;
• Whether the information provided in relation to your application is accurate, complete and reliable; and
• Whether you will provide active and ongoing management of the eligible business from within B.C

If after reviewing the BC PNP program require more clarification, an official may offer you an opportunity to address some concerns regarding your application. These concerns must be addressed seriously and in a timely manner as unsatisfactory information may lead to the refusal of your application.

If the BC PNP is satisfied you will get invited for an interview.

The interview will take place in the Vancouver head office. During the interview, you will be expected to describe your business/work experience and answer in-depth questions about your application. The interview will be in English, and your authorized immigration representative may attend.

At this point, you may require a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to attend the in-person interview. The invitation email by BC PNP may be used at this point to apply for your visitor visa. If you do not attend the interview in person, your application will be refused.

If your interview was successful, your application will be approved and you are required to sign a performance agreement.

STEP 10: Approval

Once your application is approved, you will be issued a Performance agreement. The performance agreement is a legal document that outlines the terms and conditions you must meet for the BC PNP and is unique to each applicant.

• type of business and location
• eligible investment amounts
• the number and type of positions to be created for Canadians or permanent residents
• active management requirement
• residency requirements
• timeframes within which you must meet these requirements

All terms and conditions of this agreement must be met within the outlined time frames and failure to do so will result in the refusal of the nomination. Once the agreement is signed, the BC PNP will issue you a letter of confirmation.

STEP 11: Coming to Canada

The letter of confirmation issued by the BC PNP will allow you to apply to IRCC for a 2-year work permit. This will allow you to move to Canada with you family to start implementing your business plan. You have 90 days from the time you apply for permanent residency to apply for a work permit. If applicable, your spouse or common-law partner will be eligible to apply for an open work permit, and your dependent children will be eligible for study permits to attend elementary or secondary school. You must arrive in B.C. with your valid work permit within 365 days (12 months) from the date of your letter of confirmation or your application will be closed and no further support from the immigration will be provided.

STEP 12: Building your Business:

You must meet all conditions stated in your performance agreement during the validity of your work permit in order to be finally approved for nomination. You must prove that you did so by submitting a final report to BC PNP approximately 12 to 20 months after the issuance date of your work permit. In your report, you must demonstrate that you have met the terms and conditions described in your signed Performance Agreement. The BC PNP will evaluate your final report, and may at its discretion, request additional information and/or conduct a site visit at your B.C. business in order to assess eligibility for nomination.  If you fail to meet the terms and conditions of the Performance Agreement during the mandatory timeframes, your application may be refused at the nomination stage and your file will be closed.

If your final report is approved the BC PNP will issue you a confirmation of nomination with conditions. The confirmation letter will allow you to apply for PR under the provincial nominee program.

STEP 13: Apply for PR to become Permanent Resident

After your application has been approved as Provincial nominee, you must apply to PR within 180 days. IRCC will assess your application for permanent residence to ensure you meet the security and admissibility requirements, including medical and security checks, and that you continue to meet the requirements of the Provincial Nominee class.