British Columbia Communities Say YES To Program For Immigrant Entrepreneurs

British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration: 50 Communities Line Up To Take Part

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.

Base Category: 
The Entrepreneur Immigration - Base category remains temporarily paused and we are not accepting new registrations at this time. We will post an update in early 2022 to let people know when new registrations will be accepted.

Regional Piolet:
British Columbia welcomes entrepreneurs from around the world to discover the many business opportunities across all regions of the province. Entrepreneurs can open a business in one of B.C.’s smaller communities and experience first-hand why many choose to live outside of a large urban center for their families.

Through the Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Pilot, the Province offers an immigration pathway for enterprising individuals who are looking to start a new business in a small community and make B.C. their new home.

The EI Regional Pilot was introduced in March 2019 and has been extended to March 31, 2024.

Key Features:
B.C. communities are active participants
Prospective candidates must visit the community
A community referral is required

Requirements:
The EI - Regional Pilot is designed for foreign entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a new business in a smaller community. If you want to settle in one that is not participating in the EI Regional Pilot, or purchase an existing business, you are not eligible for this category.

Before considering the EI Regional Pilot, become familiar with the program criteria and check your eligibility. To qualify, you must:

• establish an eligible new business aligned with the priorities of the referring community
• show business and/or management experience
• have a personal net worth of at least CAD$300,000
• make an eligible personal investment of at least CAD$100,000 in the business
• create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• demonstrate a minimum language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4
• have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• have been lawfully admitted in the country where you currently live

If you meet the criteria and have the experience that the community is seeking, you can connect directly with the designated community contact identified in the community’s profile page to learn more.