Provincial Entrepreneur Programs

Overview

If you are an entrepreneur and you wish to come to Canada, you can apply for permanent residence status through the different provincial entrepreneur programs that are available.

Most provinces run their own entrepreneur immigration programs that require eligible candidates to manage a business, create jobs depending on the type of the enterprise. Some of these provincial programs require a significant investment amount which is refundable after the business has been established.

The programs vary in the requirements to qualify but generally refer to a minimum mid-range net worth with relevant management experience. Provinces individually monitor their respective programs and they follow a two-step process to permanent residence.

In order to apply candidates first must be nominated by a province. After candidates obtain nomination, and following Federal health and criminality checks, the candidates become eligible to apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for permanent residence.

If you are an entrepreneur and you are interested in business immigration options in one of the provinces, review the list of individual provincial programs to learn which is best suited to your circumstances.

British Columbia

British Columbia has three Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) business pathways:

Entrepreneur Immigration
Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot
Entrepreneur Immigration – Strategic Projects

The BC PNP offers pathways for those who are wishing to gain permanent resident status and live in British Columbia.

Entrepreneur Immigration

The Entrepreneur Immigration stream is for high net worth business people ($600,000) who can invest ($200,000) in and actively manage a valid business in British Columbia (B.C). It is a points-based system. Applicants must also have the required business experience background and personal and investment funds.

The Entrepreneur Immigration pathway to permanent resident status is highly restrictive and limited. The Entrepreneur Pathway accepts only a small number of new Entrepreneur applications each month, after requiring applicants to submit Pre-Applications providing detailed Business Plans and outlines of applicant’s personal qualifications.

The Business Plans for businesses to be established in the larger cities in BC require a minimum investment of $1 Million and creation of ten (10) jobs to have any chance of being accepted for processing under this program.

The Entrepreneur program is also highly conditional. We have outlined some of these conditions:

applicants if approved receive a two (2) year Work Permit to establish their proposed business, according to their Business Plan;
applicants and their families must live no more than 100 Km from the location of their BC business;
applicants only receive their BC PNP nomination to receive their Canadian permanent resident status after their business has been established according to their Business Plan. If the applicant fails to achieve their Business Plan, for any reason, the BC PNP may refuse to issue the Canadian permanent resident Nomination;
processing to the first stage approval of Work Permits can require 18 to 24 months;
once an applicant does receive a BC PNP Nomination for Canadian permanent resident status, they must then submit their applications to the Canadian Federal Government for actual processing and issuance of their Canadian permanent resident visas. This Federal process may take an additional 18 to 24 months.

Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Pilot

The Regional Pilot is a relatively 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 kilometers from a larger city. Selected communities can designate individuals to apply through the program by providing them with a community support letter.

Compared to the Entrepreneur program the Regional Pilot program requests lower amounts of investment and net worth from the applicant. Also, the path to obtaining permanent residency in this program is shorter than the Entrepreneur program.

There are certain steps applicants will be required to undertake for the Regional Pilot Program: –

determine eligibility for the Program;
conduct and exploratory visit to the community and meet with the relevant authorities;
obtain community support letter;
submit application for the BC PNP Regional Pilot Program;
once ITA received, submit complete application;
sign performance agreement and obtain Work Permit; and
establish business and send final report; and
receive BC Nomination.

Applicants, before obtaining a community support letterand filing their application, must meet a number of requirements. The main minimum requirements for the program are as follows:

have a minimum personal net worth of $300,000;
have active business ownership and senior management experience within the last 5 years that includes:
3 or more years of experience as an active business owner-manager; or
4 or more years of experience as a senior manager; or
a combination of 1 or more years of experience as an active business owner/manager and 2 or more years of experience as a senior manager.
demonstrate a minimum language proficiency equivalent to a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4;
provide a business plan to establish a new eligible business in an enrolled B.C. community;
have either a post-secondary credential OR experience as a business owner/manager with 100% ownership of the business for at least 3 out of 5 years;
demonstrate that he or she will hold at least 51 percent ownership of the proposed business; and
be able to make a minimum of $100,000 in eligible business investments in the proposed business (only if invited to apply); and
any investment made prior to the date of invitation will not be accepted.

British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration – Strategic Projects

The Strategic Projects category of the BC Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) Entrepreneur Immigration stream is for foreign-controlled companies who are wanting to establish operations in B.C., that are integral to the growth and expansion of their core business.

This stream makes it possible for the foreign-controlled companies to permanently transfer their key managerial, professional or technical staff to B.C. to actively manage the B.C. operations.

Eligibility Requirements for Companies:

be well-established and in good financial standing;
demonstrate investment readiness and capacity for international expansion into B.C.; and
provide significant economic benefit to the province by making a high value investment in B.C..

Requirements for Companies:

make a minimum equity investment of $500,000;
create at least three (3) new jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents for each foreign key staff member proposed (to a maximum of five (5) key staff); and
establish or purchase and expand a company in BC.

Eligibility Requirements forkey staff members:

be current senior employees of the foreign-controlled company with qualifications and experience essential to establish and operate the business in B.C.;
is being appointed to an:

- executive or senior managerial position, or
- has specialized knowledge essential to the proposed B.C. operation;
will be employed in a permanent full-time capacity at the B.C. operation;
is offered a wage commensurate with his/her expertise and consistent with industry and corporate compensation structures

The Application Process entails:

exploratory visit to BC
discuss proposal with BC PNP officials and register the company’s interest to apply;
apply;
if approved, the company signs a Performance Agreement with BC. A work permit support letter is issued to each key staff member so they can apply for a two-year work permit from IRCC;
after the work permit is complete, if the company has met the terms and conditions of the Performance Agreement, the key staff members will be nominated for permanent residency.

Alberta

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) manages the Alberta Self-Employed Farmer Stream in close collaboration with the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. The Self-Employed Farmer Streamtargets applicants with farm management skills and sufficient financial resources to invest in a farming business in Alberta.

Applicants under this stream must:

be able to invest a minimum of CDN $500,000 of equity in a primary production farming business in Alberta;
provide documents that demonstrate a minimum net worth of CDN $500,000 or confirmation that they have access to a similar amount of funds from other sources (CDN $500,000 is the minimum amount. Applicants may be required to show you have the ability to invest more than the minimum); and
invest in a primary production farming business in Alberta. (Applicants will have to document their investment intentions in their proposed business plan. Applications representing the best opportunity for growth relevant to Alberta’s agri-food targets will be given priority.)
managerial experience with an existing farm enterprise;
have education, training and work experience necessary to develop a sustainable farming business in Alberta;
show that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance the proposed farming enterprise.

Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) has four (4) main business categories:

the International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream;
the Entrepreneur stream;
the farm Owner and Operator application;and
the FarmOwner and Operator – Young Farmer Stream

International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

The applicant must be an international student graduating from a Saskatchewan institution who wants to become an entrepreneur.

The Application process:

There are four steps to the application and nomination process:

Step 1 – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the SINP

Step 2 – Invitation to Apply

It is a point-based system. Upon submission of EOI, top scores will be invited to apply.

Step 3 – Business Establishment Plan (BEP)

Once application is approved, the applicants must operate their proposed business while on a valid post-graduate work permit (PGWP).

Step 4 – Nomination

Once an applicant fulfills the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement (BPA), they can apply to be nominated by the SINP for permanent residency.

If Applicants,after earning a SNIP Nomination, close or sell their business prior to obtaining permanent residence,they will have their nomination revoked.

Requirements for an EOI

This is not an application, it is an expression of the applicants’interest in the SINP. An EOI does not guarantee selection for processing, asthe SINP selects EOIs based upon the EOI Points Assessment ranking.

To submit an EOI to the SINP, you must:

be at least 21 years of age;
complete a full-time Saskatchewan post-secondary degree or diploma, at least two years in length, from a recognized and eligible Saskatchewan institution;
have a valid Post-Graduate Work Permit with no less than 24 months of eligibility remaining;
lived in Saskatchewan during their academic program;
havea minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7.

After the Invitation to Apply has been issued, the SINP does not accept changes to submitted EOI information.

Requirements for BEP

After receiving an invitation to apply, Applicants submit a Business Establishment Plan (BEP) that matches the information in your EOI.

Upon approval you are required to:

residein Saskatchewan.
own and operate an eligible business in Saskatchewan for at least one year prior to applying for nomination;
own at least one-third of the equity of the business;
demonstrate that the business is generating the minimum required revenue amount after one year of operation, dependent on the number of employees;
sign a BPA with the Government of Saskatchewan, and upon approval of your application by the SINP the BPA will be provided to you.

Permanent residence

To obtain Permanent Residence status, the applicant must apply to IRCC with the SINP nomination. During this time period the applicant is required to:

maintain legal status in Canada;
have a valid TWP when at the time of submitting the permanent residence application and while waiting to hear back from IRCC.

Entrepreneur Stream

Through the Entrepreneur Program, the applicant and his family can start, obtain or partner in a business in Saskatchewan while residing in Saskatchewan.

There are 4 steps to a nomination process:

Expression of interest (EOI)submission;
EOI selection and invitation to submit an application;
Business establishment; and
Nomination

The EOI must meet the following minimum entry requirements:

Minimum net worth of $500,000 legally acquired.
Minimum of three years of entrepreneurial or relevant management experience.
Investment of at least $300,000 in Regina or Saskatoon, or $200,000 is any other Saskatchewan area.

After submitting an EOI applicants enter a pool and where they receive a score. The top-scoring candidates are invited to submit an application.Applications must include:

BEP confirming numbers mentioned in the EOI, and including at least one-third ownership of a company in Saskatchewan, unless investment is $1 million or higher;
be actively involved in the management of the business;
creation of two or more jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents if the business is located in Regina or Saskatoon.

Farm Owner and Operator

This category is for those applicants who:

would like to move to Saskatchewan;
plan to buy and run a farm in Saskatchewan;and
have proven experience in farming;

Requirements for approval of nomination are:

Available Equity: The applicant will have to provide financial documents that show a net worth of $500,000 (CAD).
Refundable Cash Deposit: needs to keep a good faith deposit of $75,000 which will be returned when the applicant has met the terms of Performance Agreement within 2 years of landing in Saskatchewan Agreement. If you don’t meet the terms within two years of landing in Saskatchewan, the deposit will be forfeited to the Province.
Mandatory visit to Saskatchewan: The applicant needs to make a comprehensive exploratory visit to Saskatchewan for atleast 10 days.
Farm operation knowledge and experience:The applicant needs to clear an interview with the authorities in Saskatchewan.
A practical, well-thought-out proposal for a commercial Saskatchewan farming opportunity.

Farm Owner and Operator -Young Farmer Stream

The Young Farmer Stream was developed for young farm families to establish their lives in Saskatchewan.

To be approved for nomination in this stream the applicant must:

be below the age of 40;
have atleast 3 years of farm experience;
have a net worth of $300,000 accumulated legally;
provide a proposal based on research, consultations or formal coursework relevant to Saskatchewan agricultural conditions and the proposal should be a commercial project with a reasonable expectation of profit. It must have a minimum of $10,000 annual revenue; and
the applicants spouse must have the skills to supplement the applicants farming income.

Manitoba

The Manitoba Business Investor Stream (BIS) targets qualified international business investors and entrepreneurs who intend to either start or have the ability to purchase businesses in Manitoba.

There are two pathways:

The Entrepreneur Pathway; and
The Farm Investor Pathway.

Applicants will initially be issued a temporary work permit and within two years of arrival, the applicants must demonstrate the ability to start or purchase a business. Applicants will no longer be required to submit a deposit of $100,000 to the Manitoba government.

Entrepreneur Pathway

The Entrepreneur Pathway is for applicants seeking to open a business in Manitoba. It is a point based system.

The applicants must fulfil the following minimum requirements:

Minimum net worth of $500,000;
Investment of $250,000 for businesses situated in the Manitoba Capital Region.
investment of $150,000 if a business is situated outside of the Manitoba Capital Region;
preferably between 25 to 49 years of age;
minimum CLB/NCLC 5
the proposed business must create or maintain at least one job for a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident in Manitoba (excluding owners of the business and/or their close relatives);

Farm Investor Pathway

The Farm Investor pathway is for those applicants who are intending to establish and operate a farm operation in rural Manitoba. The current farm operation must be comparable to current Manitoba farming operations.

The applicants must fulfil the following minimum requirements:

Minimum of three years farm ownership and operation experience;
Minimum net worth of $500,000;
Conduct a Farm business research visit to Manitoba;
Investment of $300,000 for farming businesses situated in the rural Manitoba Region.

The applicant is required to submit a research project report to the Manitoba government and if the applicant meets the eligibility criteria he/she needs to submit the interest guidelines and farm business concept forms. After getting the response from the government the applicant can submit the application for processing.

Ontario

The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Entrepreneur Stream is aimed at individuals from outside Canada who are interested in starting a new business or buy an existing business in Ontario. It gives an entrepreneur (and up to one foreign national business partner) the opportunity to be nominated for permanent residence once their business has been established in Ontario.

The Entrepreneur Stream application is a two-stage process. The applicant must prepare an Expression of Interest (EOI) and if invited, the applicant and the business partner (if applicable) attend a mandatory in-person interview at the OINP office in Toronto. If successful at this stage, in the next stage ONIP will issue a valid temporary work permit support letter so that the applicant can apply to IRCC for a temporary work permit.

The Applicant will then have 20 months to establish the business and submit a final report. If the business meets all requirements, OINP will ask for documentation to see if the applicant is eligible for nomination for permanent residence.

Applicants under the OINP Entrepreneur Stream must:

Have at least 24 months of full-time business experience (as an owner or senior manager) in the past 60 months;
Have a minimum net worth of:
- $800,000 if the proposed business will be in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA),
- $400,000 if outside of the GTA;
- $400,000 if the proposed business will be involved in Information Communications Technology or Digital Communications anywhere in the province;
invest at least
- $600,000 in an Ontario businessand possess at least 33% equity ownership if the business is in the GTA;
- invest at least $200,000 and have at least 33% equity ownership,if the business is outside the GTA
- invest at least $200,000 and have at least 33% equity ownershipif the business will be involved in Information Communications Technology or Digital Communications anywhere in the province;
commit to creating at least:
- two full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the proposed company if the business is located inside the GTA;
- one job for Canadian citizens or permanent residents if the business is outside the GTA;
- create at least one job for Canadian citizens or permanent residents., if the business will be involved in Information Communications Technology or Digital Communications anywhere in the province.

Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream is for applicants with business ownership or senior management experience. They must live in Nova Scotia, either start a new business or buy an existing business, and actively participate in the day-to-day management of that business.

Under the Entrepreneur stream, applicants are first issued a temporary work permit and after operating the business for a year, the applicant may be nominated for permanent residence. Application under this stream is by invitation only and the stream uses an Expression of Interest format. This is a point based system.

To be eligible to apply the applicant must:

be 21 years or older;
want to live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively managing a Nova Scotia business.
have a net worth of at least $600,000;
invest at least $150,000 to establish or purchase a business in Nova Scotia;
have at least 3 years of experience actively managing and owning a business (33 percent ownership minimum) or more than 5 years of experience in a senior business management role.
score minimum of 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or French.

New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) operates 2 main business streams:

Entrepreneurial Stream; and
Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream

The Entrepreneurial Stream

The Entrepreneurial Stream is for applicants with requisite business ownership or senior management experience, and who wish to become permanent residents by owning a business in New Brunswick (NB) and managing it, while residing in the Province.

To be eligible to apply the applicant must:

have an eligible connection to New Brunswick;
between 22 and 55 years old;
at least 2 years post-secondary education degree or diploma;
score at least level 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark exam for speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or French;
completed at least two years of full-time post-secondary education;
net worth of at least $600,000, of which $300,000 must be available in unencumbered liquidity;
invest at least $250,000 in a New Brunswick business, taking ownership of at least 33 percent;
sign a Business Performance Agreement with the New Brunswick provincial government and pay a deposit of $100,000.
business must create significant economic benefits to New Brunswick.
show business experience – either three years of ownership or five years of senior management experience in the last five years.
submit a business concept of 1,000 to 1,500 words.
conduct an exploratory visit to New Brunswick, or participate in an information session offered by the New Brunswick provincial government.
live permanently in New Brunswick.

Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream

The Post-Graduate Entrepreneurial Stream is for recent foreign graduates from a NB institution, who have studied for at least two years full-time. The applicant graduate must have subsequently started or acquired a business in NB and operated it for at least one year, while on a valid Post-Graduate Work Permit. They must also settle in the province permanently.

To be eligible to apply the applicant must:

be between 22 and 40years old;
score at least level 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark for speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or French;
completed at least two years of full-time post-secondary education at a recognized New Brunswick university or community college;
lived in New Brunswick for the duration of the course (distance-learning courses do not qualify);
100 % owned and operated a business for one full year;
a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit; and
Intend to live permanently in New Brunswick.

Prince Edward Island

The Prince Edward Island Impact Category is for applicants interested in pursuing a viable business opportunity in PEI. The Business Impact Category supports applicants who are interested in owning and operating abusiness in PEI and who would like to apply for a nomination for permanent residency through the PEIPNP. This stream operates through an Expression of Interest (EOI) system which is pointsbased. Applicants come to Canada on a temporary work permit and establish their business after which applicants are nominated for permanent residence, once their business is established and the terms of an agreement fulfilled.Only businesses that sell goods and services to the general public are eligible for the program.

Spouse, children who are younger than 19 years of age and do not have a spouse, can be included in all P.E.I. business immigration applications.

Applicants must have a business plan which includes:

A company overview
A description of products and services offered
A description of the industry in which the business will operate
A description of the competitive landscape in which the business will operate
A marketing plan
An operational plan
A description of the company’s management team and staffing
A description of applicant’s role in the business
Historical financial statements
If requested, projected financial statements prepared by a qualified accountant

To be eligible to apply the applicant must:

invest at least $150,000 in a P.E.I. company;
control at least 1/3 of the company’s equity OR make an equity investment in the company of at least $1,000,000;
actively and consistently manage the business from within P.E.I.;
not include a redemption option in the terms of their investment;
Businesses must meet the following criteria:
- Is a for-profit corporation earning profits from active income through providing goods and/or services;
- Headquartered in Prince Edward Island and pay income tax on taxable income earned as a result of being a “permanent establishment” in Prince Edward Island;
- have assets with a value of at least $150,000 which only will be used for the expansion of the business.
- create significant economic benefits for Prince Edward Island by contributing to one or more of the following industries.
  - Value-added manufacturing, processing or primary resource activities.
  - Exports of goods or services.
  - Destination tourism.
  - Tourism attractions.
  - Fixed roof accommodations.
  - Research and development.
  - Technology commercialization.
  - Any industry in an underserved local or regional market.
  - Retail and restaurant investment.
- Employ at least 3 arms-length staff members full time for at least 6 months of the year;
- Possess sufficient education or at least 5 years of experience in the proposed business;
- show in his or her business plan that all relevant licenses and credentials have been obtained;
- report to the P.E.I. government in order to ensure that the business is following all relevant rules and regulations, which is only mandatory over the first five years of the business’ operation.
- Invalid Businesses are:
  - Bed and breakfasts
  - Hobby farms
  - Home-based businesses
  - Pay day loan businesses
  - Cheque cashing businesses
  - Money changing businesses
  - Cash machine businesses
  - Pawnbrokers
  - Businesses involving the sale of used goods except for the following businesses which are still eligible for business immigration.
  - Companies involved in the sale of collectibles
  - Repair companies
  - Refurbishing companies
  - Recycling companies
  - Any other businesses that provides added value for used goods
  - Most real estate development businesses. A real estate business will still be eligible for the program, however, if it provides significant economic benefit to the P.E.I. economy.
  - Real estate, insurance or business brokerage
  - Businesses with the sole purpose of gaining access to immigrant investment
  - Professional practices
  - Financial services
  - Consulting services
  - An entity that cannot issue shares
  - Any other type of business that could bring the the Government of Prince Edward Island into disrepute.
  - Any business that has received any immigration related investments over the past 48 months.
  - Any business that is already in contact with an immigrant investor.
  - Any company that is associated with another company that is currently involved in a P.E.I. business immigration program.

Thus, the following kinds of businesses are NOT eligible for P.E.I. business immigration:

Investment companies
Real estate rental companies
Loan companies
Non-active investment companies
Start-ups and Newly-Incorporated Companies

Companies that are created from the assets of an existing P.E.I. business are eligible as long as:

A P.E.I. business provides $150,000 in assets to the new company.
The new company is a stand-alone business that does not rely on the original business.
The P.E.I. business owner has sufficient expertise in the new company’s area of operation.

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