BC PNP - (Business) Entrepreneur Immigration - Regional Stream

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) is the province's economic immigration tool designed to attract new residents to British Columbia. The program allows the province to select a limited number of potential immigrants and nominate them for permanent residency. Individuals nominated by the BC PNP are eligible to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residency for themselves and their dependents.

The Entrepreneur Immigration stream is for experienced entrepreneurs who intend to invest in and directly manage a valid business in the province.

Entrepreneurs who meet the eligibility criteria based on factors such as personal net worth, business experience, and economic impact may choose to apply through one of the following lines:

The base stream is an immigration pathway for individuals who want to start a new business or acquire and grow an existing one.

The Regional Stream is an immigration pathway for individuals who want to start a new business outside the Metropolitan Vancouver Regional District and wish to choose a participating BC community as their place of residence.

Businesses (foreign corporations) wishing to establish operations in the province can apply through the Strategic Projects stream of the program. The Strategic Projects stream provides a pathway to permanent residency for current employees of foreign corporations wishing to operate in British Columbia.

The Entrepreneur Immigration - Strategic Projects Stream targets successful, established international corporations with substantial revenue and strong financial standing. To be considered under this stream, companies are expected to have identified strategic investment opportunities in BC that are crucial for growth and expansion of their core operations, have completed market research and commercial viability assessments, and have developed a detailed implementation plan. If invited to apply and subsequently approved, key personnel—experienced senior managers—may move to the BC subsidiary/branch with work permits supported by the BC PNP and receive nomination once the investment is completed and jobs are created.

Companies interested in the Strategic Projects stream are expected to have at least 150 employees and a minimum annual revenue of CAD 20 million. Applications in the Strategic Projects stream typically create jobs in high-paying professions.

BC will issue invitations to apply to foreign-owned companies that meet the criteria and can most clearly demonstrate that their investment will deliver significant economic benefits to the province. To date, BC has approved companies operating in advanced manufacturing, technology, new media, specialized engineering, forestry product processing, and scientific research and development. The Entrepreneur Immigration stream accounts for a maximum of 5% of the province's total annual nomination quota.

Conditions, requirements, and procedures (Regional Stream)

1) Eligibility

• Personal net worth: Must have a minimum personal net worth of $300,000 CAD.

2) Requirements

• Business experience: Must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a business owner/manager within the last 5 years.
• Investment value: A minimum of $100,000 CAD must be made by a qualified individual into the business.
• Business type: A new business must be established that meets the economic development priorities of the host community providing the service.
• Job creation: At least one new full-time job must be created for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Language proficiency: Must meet at least CLB 4.
• Community referral: A completed referral form from the host community is required.
• Exploratory visit: A survey visit must be conducted to the community where the business will be established.

Applicants who do not meet the BC PNP business experience requirement may substitute it with proof of qualifying educational qualifications (e.g., post-secondary degree) for consideration.

Note: There are exceptions to the table above. For complete information, please see the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide.

3) Process for entrepreneurs: Regional stream

There are four main components in the Regional stream process: preparation, registration, submission, and decision. Each step has its own requirements. Please review the information on this website and in the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide before you begin. When ready, follow these steps:

Find the right community

• The first step is to research the communities in BC participating in the Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Stream to choose the one that best suits your business. To learn about communities by development region and their respective economic priorities, see the participating communities list.
• Request a community referral.
• A community referral is required to apply for the Regional stream. To obtain a referral, you must contact your chosen community to express interest and conduct an exploratory visit. After completing the visit, you can request a referral from the supporting community; this is a form detailing your business proposal, including information about the visit.
• Note: Community referrals are only valid for 90 days from the date of issue.

Develop a business proposal

• After securing referrals, the next step is to develop a comprehensive business proposal that showcases your unique knowledge and experience as an entrepreneur. Research the type of business and demonstrate how your proposed enterprise can contribute to the economic development priorities of your chosen community.
• There are many resources available to help with preparation, such as the Starting a Small Business Guide. The Trade and Invest British Columbia website also has a wealth of information on key industries and sectors in different regions of BC.

Register online

• Registration is required to demonstrate interest in the program. You must register through the BC PNP Online User Portal. After preparing your business proposal, create an online profile and complete all sections of the registration form.
• After you register, you will receive a score based on the information you provide. Scores are awarded based on human resources factors (work experience, education, language) and economic factors (commercial viability of the proposal and economic benefits to the province). The business concept is assessed separately by BC PNP staff over a period of 6 weeks. For more information, see the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide.
• If the application meets the criteria, it will be added to the qualified pool and remain valid for a maximum of 6 months or until the Invitation to Apply (ITA) is received.
• Note: Registration does not guarantee an invitation to apply.

Wait for an invitation to apply.

• To apply for the Regional stream, an invitation letter is required. If invited, a BC PNP-authorized accounting firm will review your personal net worth and verify your financial resources before you submit your application. A list of accounting firms and instructions will be included with the ITA.
• Submit your BC PNP application
• After receiving your ITA, you have up to four months to submit a complete application through the User Portal. Before submitting, you must pay the fee and submit all required documents.
• You may be invited for an interview regarding your experience and business plan. Applications are assessed according to the Provincial Immigration Programs Act, Provincial Immigration Programs Regulation, information in the application and interview, and the criteria of the stream.

Apply for a work permit

• If your application is approved, you will sign a Performance Agreement with the province. You will also receive a Letter of Support to apply for a work permit with IRCC, which will help you and your dependents move to BC.
• Note: After receiving the Letter of Support, you have a maximum of 90 days to submit your work permit to IRCC and must arrive in BC within 12 months of receiving the work permit.
• Upon arrival in BC, you have up to 20 months to implement your plan, manage your business, and meet the Performance Agreement requirements.

Complete your Performance Agreement (Fulfill your Performance Agreement)

• To be nominated, you must demonstrate that you meet the terms of the Performance Agreement by submitting a final report to the BC PNP within 18–20 months of arriving in BC. If the BC PNP is satisfied, you will sign the Conditions of Nomination Declaration.

Submit your IRCC application

• After signing the Declaration, you receive Confirmation of Nomination and can then apply for permanent residency with IRCC under the Provincial Nominee Class.
• If IRCC approves your application, you will become a permanent resident of Canada.

Processing times

Typically, about 80% of applications are processed according to the following timeline:

• Registration deadline: 6 weeks
• Notification of decision (work permit period): 4 months
• Notification of decision (final report stage): 4 months
• Request for review: 6 months

The timeframe depends on when complete applications are received; the complexity and number of applications; the program's capacity; and the number of nominations.

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