British Columbia (BC) has made the Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Program a permanent part of its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). The program is now called the Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional Stream.
Eligible newcomers looking to start businesses within the province and settle permanently in B.C. will now have an additional path to choose from when applying for immigration.
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What are entrepreneurial immigration programs in British Columbia and how do they work?
The Entrepreneur Immigration Program under the British Columbia PNP (BCPNP) is a pathway for international entrepreneurs to start a business and settle in British Columbia. The BCPNP seeks businesses that support innovation and economic growth within the province.
Entrepreneur class immigration (which includes the EI regional stream) is a path from temporary to permanent residence (PR). This means that applicants accepted under the program are first granted temporary status to live and work in Canada, followed by PR status once they have successfully started their business.
What is EI Regional Stream and who is eligible to apply?
The EI Regional Stream is for international entrepreneurs who want to start a business in a small community to support the growth of B.C.’s regional areas.
As a key part of the program, communities will participate in business outreach, with each community having already identified the types of businesses they are prioritizing. Potential candidates should also visit the community they plan to work with and be assigned a community liaison to facilitate the early stages of the process.
The entrepreneurs will then have to (if they wish to settle in the community and start a business) obtain a referral from the community, allowing them to register and apply under the EI regional stream.
In addition to the above, entrepreneurs must also fulfil the following eligibility criteria to apply under the program:
- Establishing a qualified new business consistent with the priorities of the reference community;
- Demonstrated business and/or management experience;
- Your personal net worth exceeds $300,000 CAD;
- Make an eligible personal investment of at least $100,000 CAD in the business;
- creating at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or PR;
- Demonstrate a minimum language proficiency of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4;
- have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada; and
- They have been lawfully granted entry into the country they are currently residing in.
If candidates meet the above criteria, and have the required professional experience the community is looking for, they are free to contact them using the information from the community’s profile page. To see a full list of participating community profile pages, click here.
Know if you are eligible for Canadian immigration
