BC PNP - ENTREPRENEUR IMMIGRATION
The Entrepreneur Immigration stream of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is a path to immigrate to Canada and settle in B.C. for experienced entrepreneurs who can support innovation and economic growth in the province.
B.C. Government has declared 2 entrepreneur migration programs
1. Entrepreneur immigration – Base category program
2. Entrepreneur immigration – Regional pilot
If you want to immigrate to B.C. and are ready to invest in and actively manage a valid business here, you may qualify for our Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category. Here is an overview of the requirements.
Personal requirements
To qualify, you must:
• have a personal net worth of at least CAD$600,000
• demonstrate business and/or management experience
• have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• have basic English or French language proficiency equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher
You must also have been lawfully admitted in the country where you currently reside.
Please review our Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide to see the complete personal requirements.
Business, job and investment requirements
To qualify you must:
• establish an eligible new business or purchase and improve an existing business
• make an eligible personal investment of at least CAD$200,000 in the business
• create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in the business
Please review our Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide to see the complete business and investment requirements, including business eligibility and job requirements.
Registration and application fees
All applicants must pay the following fees:
• $300 registration fee
• $3,500 application fee
How does it work?
The first step is to research B.C.’s economy and regions to find a business opportunity. The WorkBC website provides comprehensive information and data about B.C.’s labour market and industries. When you have a business idea, please create a profile and a registration with our online application and registration system, BCPNP Online. Please include a business concept.
If you are eligible, you will receive a score based on your registration information. We will also put you into a qualified pool. Periodically, we invite people with the highest scores to apply through BCPNP Online.
See how to register and apply. Registration requires a non-refundable $300 fee.
How does it work?
You will receive a score based on the information you provide. If you meet the minimum requirements, you will be entered into the qualified pool. You will be ranked along with other registrants. We will send you an email to confirm your final score. Periodically, we invite the highest-scoring registrants to apply.
How do I register?
• Create an online profile with BCPNP Online
• Complete all sections of the registration, including a short business concept
• Submit your registration
The BC PNP reserves the right to make changes to the registration process without prior notice, including changes to the score grid, the minimum total score required in each section, how long registrations stay in the qualified pool, and the number and frequency of registrants invited to apply.
What happens next?
Periodically, the BC PNP will invite the highest-scoring registrants to submit a complete application. You stay in the pool for up to six months, or 180 days, or until you receive an invitation to apply. Registering does not guarantee that you will be invited to apply. For full details of the scoring system and registration process, please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB).
How many people do you invite?
We regularly draw from the qualified pool to invite candidates to apply. The number and frequency of invitations is based on annual nomination allocations set by IRCC. The number of invitations also depends on our ability to process applications in a timely way.
View current information about invitations to apply, including draw dates, number of invitations issued and minimum scores.
What happens next?
If you are invited to apply, you will have four months to submit a complete application through BCPNP Online.
What if I am not invited to apply?
You may wish to improve your score by proposing a new business concept or improving your adaptability score. This score takes into account factors such as your English language level, age and Canadian work experience. You may submit a new registration if you are not invited to apply after six months in the qualified pool.
How does it work?
The authorized accounting firm will review your personal net worth claims and verify your source of funds by assessing your supporting financial documentation. An authorized accounting firm is a professional chartered accounting services supplier, qualified by the BC PNP. A list of authorized accounting firms and instructions is included with your invitation to apply. You are responsible for all costs associated with this verification service.
What happens next?
When the review is complete, the authorized accounting firm will produce a report of your personal net worth, and send copies to you and the BC PNP.
How is my application assessed?
Your application will be assessed according to program criteria. You may be required to attend an in-person interview. We may refuse your application if your application details differ from your registration information.
What is the interview process?
We may invite you to attend an in-person interview at the BC PNP offices in Vancouver. In the interview, you will be asked about your business/work experience. You should also expect to discuss your business plan. We will assess your application according to the information you provide in both your application and interview.
What happens next?
If the application is approved, you will sign a Performance Agreement with B.C. Your Performance Agreement is unique to you. It is based on the information provided in your application, business plan and interview. After you sign your Performance Agreement, you will have up to 20 months, or 610 days, to implement your business proposal in B.C.
For more information about submitting your application, please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB).
How does it work?
We will give you a letter of support so you can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a two-year work permit. This will enable you and your dependents to move to B.C. so you can start implementing your business plan. You must arrive in B.C. with your valid work permit within 12 months, or 365 days, of the date of your letter of confirmation.
How do I establish my business?
Once you arrive in B.C. with your valid work permit, you will have up to 20 months, or 610 days, to implement your business plan, actively manage your business and meet all of the performance expectations in your signed Performance Agreement. You must submit a final report to the BC PNP between 18 and 20 months, or 550 and 610 days, after you arrive in B.C. with your valid work permit.
For more information about work permits and submitting your final report, please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration Post-Arrival Guide (PDF, 1MB).
How does it work?
In order to be approved for nomination, you must demonstrate you have met the terms and conditions of your performance agreement by submitting a final report to the BC PNP. You must submit proof of language proficiency to demonstrate that your language ability meets a Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4.
We will review and evaluate your final report. When we are satisfied that you have met your performance agreement terms, you will be required to sign a Conditions of Nomination declaration.
Once your signed Conditions of Nomination declaration has been received by the BC PNP, you will be issued a confirmation of nomination as a provincial nominee. You may then submit your application for permanent residence to IRCC under the Provincial Nominee Class.
For more information about nominations, please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration Post-Arrival Guide (PDF, 1MB).
The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot (EI – Regional Pilot) is focused on attracting entrepreneurs from around the world to establish businesses in regional communities. This will help meet the communities’ economic development needs and encourage investments outside urban areas.
Before considering the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot, you should familiarize yourself with the program criteria and check your eligibility. Please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot Program Guide for more information, including details on ineligible businesses.
As each community has the best knowledge of their local business environment, they are perfectly situated to identify economic development priorities and support services that give foreign entrepreneurs a good start in their journey to building successful businesses and growing the local economy.
Key features of the EI Regional Pilot:
• Active community role – participating communities have a key role in the pilot. They are actively involved in attracting foreign entrepreneurs to their community and working with local partners and existing networks to provide support for entrepreneurs settling into their communities.
• Referral from the community – participating communities may refer foreign entrepreneurs to the BC PNP whose business concept aligns with the community’s economic priorities. The foreign entrepreneur must be invited by the community to conduct an exploratory visit and present their concept to the community’s designated contact person prior to receiving a referral.
• Community concierge – a dedicated BC PNP concierge service supports communities with immigration program information.
• Invitations & prioritization – foreign entrepreneurs who are referred by a participating community are placed in a separate registration pool dedicated to the pilot when they register. Regional pilot registrations and applications are prioritized.
For a list of participating communities, visit the EI - Regional Pilot – Community Profiles page.
We ask interested parties to respect and follow a community’s specific process. Communities reserve the right to meet only with those potential applicants for the EI Regional Pilot that have been qualified through the community’s official intake process.
After reviewing the detailed community profiles and their priority sectors, you should contact the community using only the contact details listed in each community’s profile.
To reflect the lower costs of starting a business and settling in regional communities with smaller populations, the personal net worth and investment criteria is lower than the existing Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category (EI – Base Category). There is also a language proficiency requirement where the foreign entrepreneur must have a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 equivalent.
Before considering the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot, you should familiarize yourself with the program criteria and check your eligibility. For more information, including details on ineligible businesses, please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot Program Guide.
The EI - Regional Pilot is for foreign entrepreneurs who are planning to start a new business. Entrepreneurs wishing to purchase an existing business can register and apply under the
EI – Base Category of the BC PNP.
The pilot will be delivered for a two-year period and will be evaluated to ensure that the community and entrepreneur are benefitting the program, and to ensure continued program integrity for the BC PNP.
REGIONAL PILOT - COMMUNITY PROFILES
The following communities are participating in the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot. Please be advised that each community has implemented its own unique process for arranging exploratory visits or issuing referrals to foreign entrepreneurs. This may include the implementation of administrative fees for services related to the community’s administration of the EI Regional Pilot.
We ask interested parties to respect and follow a community’s specific process. Communities reserve the right to meet only with those potential applicants for the EI Regional Pilot that have been qualified through the community’s official intake process.
After reviewing the detailed community profiles and their priority sectors, you should contact the community using only the contact details listed in each community’s profile.
Before considering the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot, you should familiarize yourself with the program criteria and check your eligibility. Please refer to the Regional Pilot webpage and the Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot Program Guide for more information, including details on ineligible businesses.
Enrolled communities by Development Regions:
Cariboo
• 100 Mile House
• Mackenzie
• McBride
• Prince George
• Quesnel
• Williams Lake
Kootenay
• Akisqnuk First Nation
• Canal Flats
• Castlegar
• Invermere
• Kimberley
• Midway
• Nelson
• Radium Hot Springs
• Regional District of Central Kootenay (Area J)
• Regional District of East Kootenay (Area F)
• Regional District of East Kootenay (Area G)
• Regional District of Kootenay Boundary – Electoral Area E (West Boundary)
• Rossland
• Shuswap Indian Band
• Trail
Mainland/Southwest
• Gibsons
• Hope
• Sechelt
• Squamish
• Sunshine Coast Regional District – Egmont and Pender Harbour (Area A)
• Sunshine Coast Regional District – Halfmoon Bay (Area B)
• Sunshine Coast Regional District – Roberts Creek (Area D)
• Sunshine Coast Regional District – Elphinstone (Area E)
• Sunshine Coast Regional District – West Howe Sound (Area F)
Nechako
• Burns Lake
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area A (Smithers Rural)
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area B (Burns Lake Rural)
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area C (Fort St. James Rural)
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area D (Fraser Lake Rural)
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area E (Francois/Ootsa Lake Rural)
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area F (Vanderhoof Rural)
• Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area G (Houston Rural)
North Coast
• Terrace
Northeast
• Tumbler Ridge
• Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
Thompson-Okanagan
• Barriere
• Clinton
• Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Sorrento and Electoral Area C
• Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Falkland and Electoral Area D
• Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Malakwa and Electoral Area E
• Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Scotch Creek and Electoral Area F
• Merritt
• Osoyoos
• Peachland
• Penticton
• Salmon Arm
• Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area I – Spences Bridge
• Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area M – Nicola Valley North
• Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area N – Nicola Valley South
• Vernon
Vancouver Island/Coast
• Campbell River
• Comox
• Comox Valley Regional District – Baynes Sound – Denman/Hornby Island (Area A)
• Comox Valley Regional District – Lazo North (Area B)
• Comox Valley Regional District – Puntledge – Black Creek (Area C)
• Courtenay
• Parksville
• Port Alberni
• Powell River
• Sayward
Registration
How long will the process take from registration to nomination?
• After reviewing your registration, we will assign a score within four to six weeks of submission.
• You will remain in the qualified pool for up to six months, or 180 days.
• If you are invited to apply, you must submit an application within four months, or 120 days, of the invitation date.
• We process the majority of complete applications within three to four months of receipt.
• Each business concept is scored on its own merits, taking into consideration information submitted in all sections of the registration.
• Detailed information on how your business concept will be scored is in the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB)
• You are not able to change or edit any information, other than your profile information, once the fee has been paid.
• You may cancel your registration and submit a new registration. However, you must pay a new registration fee.
• There is no overall minimum score. However, there are minimum qualifying scores for each section of the registration.
• You must meet the minimum score in each section to proceed.
• Please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB) for detailed information.
• The qualified pool is continually renewed. As registrants are invited to apply, new registrations are received and previous registrations expire.
• This ensures that the qualified pool maintains a focus on the highest-scoring registrants.
• It starts from the date you are notified by email that your registration is in the pool.
• Yes. You may withdraw your registration by contacting us.
• To submit a new registration you will need to create a new profile (using a different email address) and pay the registration fee again.
• Please contact us if you cannot use the BCPNP Online registration system.
• No. However, as part of your registration, you will receive points based on your age.
• Please read the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB) for more information on scoring.
• Yes. As of January 29, 2020, the minimum language requirement for the EI – Base Category is Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 4.
• We require the mandatory language requirement by nomination.
• Meeting the minimum language requirement is a condition of nomination.
• A review of applicants’ sources of funds helps to protect the program’s integrity and mitigate fraud.
• Please read the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB) for more information.
Does the BC PNP have a list of preferred or eligible businesses?
• No. Please review the Entrepreneur Immigration - Base Category Program Guide (PDF, 1MB) for more information and a list of ineligible businesses.
• No. Your business concept will be assigned points as part of your registration.
Will the BC PNP support me to obtain a temporary resident visa (TRV) to conduct an exploratory visit?
• No. However, we will issue you a support letter for your temporary resident visa application if you are invited to apply and requested to attend an interview.
Can I change my business concept while I am in B.C. on the BC PNP-supported work permit?
• You are expected to thoroughly research your business concept before registering or applying. This means that you are aware of the risks and are familiar with the business environment you will be entering.
• You should be prepared to implement your plans as soon as you arrive in B.C.
• If unforeseen circumstances arise that would prevent you from implementing your plan as intended, please contact us immediately. Any changes or an alternative business plan must be approved by the BC PNP.
Can I register through BC PNP Online if I have already applied under the previous process and am still waiting for a decision?
• The BC PNP only allows you to have one submission with us at a time.
• If you wish to submit an Entrepreneur Immigration registration through BC PNP Online, you must withdraw your existing application prior to registering. You may be eligible for a refund for your fee only if the assessment of your application has not begun.
• If a review of your current application has begun, it will be refused.
• Yes. The new process results in faster decisions for the highest-scoring applicants.
To create a legally valid document, we have adopted all the above details from the BC Government website https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/BC-PNP-Entrepreneur-Immigration