This stream aimed at attracting individuals with significant experience as business owner-managers or senior business managers who have a desire to reside in British Columbia. Successful applicants under this stream are required to either launch a new business venture or acquire an existing business, actively engaging in its day-to-day management.
Program Eligibility
Requirement |
|
| Express Entry Profile | – Need not required to be registered under Express Entry Program |
| Job Offer | – Need not require job offer to apply under this stream |
| Level of Education | – Have a minimum level of education equivalent to post-secondary education, or
– If they possess 3 years of an experience as an active business owner-manager with full ownership (100%) in the last 5 years (100% ownership may be shared with their spouse and common-law partner or dependent childerns) |
| Work Experience | – At least 3 years of experience as an active business owner-manager in the last past 10 years having ownership of 10% or more, or
– More than 4 years of experience as a senior manager in the last 10 years, supervising at least 3 full time employees, and their NOC TEER 0 or 1, or – A combination of at least 1 year of experience as an active business owner-manager and at least 2 years of experience as a senior manager. – Have had actively participated in the day-to-day operations of the business. |
| Language Proficiency | – Demonstrate language proficiency of minimum CLB Level 4 in English or French |
| Personal Net Worth | – Have a minimum personal net worth of at least $600,000 CAD (Including personal net worth of spouse, common-law partner and dependent chidren). |
| Investment Requirement | – Make a minimum investment of $200,000 CAD in a new or existing business in anywhere in the province.
– Have ownership of at least one-third (33.33%) of the business. – Partnership with BC PNP co-registrant is allowed. – Partnership with local business/person is allowed. – Co-Registrants may also propose shared ownership of BC business with the primary candidate. – Create minimum 1 full time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. |
| Exploratory Visit | – Need not required but highly recommended |
| Connection to BC | – Need not required specific connection to the province at the time of applying
– Intend to live, work or settle business in the province. |
| Scores Requirements | – Must Score minimum of 115 points out of 200 points to qualify. |
| Business Performance Agreement | – Need to enter into business performance agreement. |
| Business Establishment and Operation | – Establish and operate the proposed business according to the business plan.
– Reside in British Columbia and maintain their principal residence within 100 kilometers of the location of their business. – Spend at least 75% of their time physically present in British Columbia while on a temporary work permit. |
How to Apply:
- Register a profile on the BC PNP’s online portal.
- Profiles are scored and ranked using the BC Entrepreneur Immigration Ranking System, and high-ranking candidates are invited to apply.
- Invited candidates submit a complete application within 120 days.
- Pay registration and application fee, including fee for staff employee if applicable.
- Attend an interview and sign a performance agreement with British Columbia.
- Apply for a two-year work permit from IRCC.
- Minimum amount of time to submit a final report is 18 months after the issuance of work permit.
- If the performance agreement conditions are met, receive a provincial nomination.
- Within six months, submit application for Canadian permanent residence.
BC Entrepreneur Category – Scoring Factors
| Scoring Sections | Points |
| Self-declared | |
| Experience & Ownership | 24 |
| Net Worth | 12 |
| Total Personal Investment | 20 |
| Jobs | 12 |
| Development Regional | 12 |
| Adaptability | 40 |
| Self-declared SUBTOTAL score | 120 |
| Business concept | |
| Commercial Viability | 30 |
| Transferability of Skills | 15 |
| Economic Benefits | 35 |
| Business concept SUBTOTAL score | 80 |
| Maximum Score Available | 200 |
Experience Total Duration
| Experience Total Duration | Points |
| Business owner-manager experience | |
| Less than 12 months | 0 |
| 12 to 24 months | 4 |
| 25 to 36 months | 6 |
| 37 to 48 months | 12 |
| 49 to 60 months | 15 |
| 60 months & more | 20 |
| Senior manager work experience | |
| Less than 24 months | 0 |
| 25 to 48 months | 4 |
| 49 to 60 months | 8 |
| 60 months & more | 12 |
| Maximum Score Available | 20 |
Ownership Amount
| Ownership Amount | Points |
| Business ownership | |
| Less than 36 months (3 years) of 100% business ownership in the past 60 months (5 years) | 0 |
| 100% ownership of a business for at least 3 years of the last 5 years | 4 |
| Maximum Score Available | 4 |
Personal Net Worth
| Personal Net Worth | Points |
| Your total current assets (cash and liquid funds) | |
| Less than $50,000 | 0 |
| $50,000 to $199,999 | 2 |
| $200,000 to $399,999 | 3 |
| $400,000 or more | 4 |
| Your total personal net worth | |
| Less than $600,000 | 0 |
| $600,000 to $799,999 | 5 |
| $800,000 to $1,999,999 | 6 |
| $2,000,000 to $4,999,999 | 7 |
| $5,000,000 or more | 8 |
| Maximum Score Available | 12 |
Personal Investment
| Total Personal Investment | Points |
| Less than $200,000 | 0 |
| $200,000 to $399,999 | 8 |
| $400,000 to $599,999 | 10 |
| $600,000 to $999,999 | 11 |
| $1,000,000 to $1,999,999 | 12 |
| $2,000,000 to $3,999,999 | 14 |
| $4,000,000 to $7,999,999 | 16 |
| $8,000,000 or more | 20 |
| Maximum Score Available | 20 |
Job Creation
| Total Proposed Full Time Jobs | Points |
| Less than 1 job | 0 |
| At least 1 job but less than 2 | 4 |
| At least 2 jobs but less than 3 | 5 |
| At least 3 jobs but less than 4 | 6 |
| At least 4 jobs but less than 5 | 7 |
| At least 5 jobs but less than 6 | 8 |
| At least 6 jobs but less than 7 | 9 |
| At least 7 jobs but less than 10 | 10 |
| At least 10 jobs but less than 20 | 11 |
| At least 29 jobs | 12 |
| Maximum Score Available | 12 |
BC Development Region
| Location Based on B.C. Development Region | Points |
| Mainland/Southwest | 0 |
| Vancouver Island and Coast, Thompson/Okanagan | 6 |
| Cariboo | 10 |
| Northeast, Kootenay, Nechako, North Coast | 12 |
| Maximum Score Available | 12 |
Adaptability Factors
| Adaptability Factor | Points |
| Language proficiency | |
| None or minimal, similar to CLB 3 and below | 0 |
| Basic understanding, similar to CLB 4 | 4 |
| Intermediate and advanced, similar to CLB 5 and above | 6 |
| Education level | |
| Secondary school or less | 0* |
| Associate degree / Diploma / certificate (non-trades) / Diploma / certificate (trades) | 4 |
| Bachelor’s degree / Post-graduate diploma / certificate / | 7 |
| Master’s degree / Doctorate / PhD | 10 |
| Age | |
| Less than 25 | 0 |
| 25 – 34 | 4 |
| 35 – 44 | 8 |
| 45 – 54 | 6 |
| 55 – 64 | 4 |
| 65 or older | 0 |
| Business exploratory visits | |
| No, or visited B.C. more than 3 years ago | 0 |
| Yes, visited B.C. 1 – 3 years ago | 3 |
| Yes, visited B.C. less than 1 year ago, but did not visit the Regional District of the proposed business | 5 |
| Yes, visited the Regional District of the proposed business less than 1 year ago | 8 |
| Canadian work experience, business experience, or studies from within Canada for at least 12 months | |
| No | 0 |
| Yes | 8 |
| Maximum Score Available | 40 |
Business Concept Factors:
| Business Concept Factors: | Points |
| Commercial Viability: | 30 |
| Business model (10 ponits)
o Unsatisfactory/Unclear – 1 o Fair/Good – 5 o Excellent – 10 Market & products/services – (4 Points) o Does not satisfactory address any of the Market/product factors – 1 o Addresses at least one of the Market/Product factors, and is consistent with business model – 4 Eligible personal investment – (4 Points) o Less than $200,000 or less than $50,000 of eligible expansion investments – 0 o $ 200,000 to $399,999 – 1 o $ 400,000 to $599,999 – 2 o $ 600,000 to $799,999 – 3 o $ 800,000 or more – 4 Assessment of proposed personal investment – (6 Points) o Investment proposal does not correspond to the type or scale of the business – 0 o Investment proposal does not correspond to the type and scale of the business – 4 o Investment proposal does not correspond to the type and scale of the business, the market, the proposed products and/or services, the business model, and the industry standard. – 6 Ownership percentage – (4 Points) o 100% ownership – 4 o More than 50% and less than 100% – 3 o 50% ownership or less – 0 Risk factors – (2 Points) o Proposing external financing, or – 0 o Proposing to invest more than 50% of your PNW, or – 0 o You are proposing to partners with a co-registrant – 0 None of the above – 2 |
| Transferability of skills |
| Business owner-manager experience only – (15 Points)
o 12+ months of experience in an unrelated industry – 5 o 12 months or less of direct experience or 12 to 36 months of related experience – 7 o 13 to 24 months of direct experience or 37+ months of related experience – 9 o 13 to 24 months of direct experience and 37+ months of related experience – 10 o 25 to 36 months of direct experience – 11 o 25 to 36 months of direct experience and 37+ months of related experience – 12 o 37 to 60 months of direct experience – 13 o 37 to 60 months of direct experience and 37+ months of related experience – 14 o More than 60 months of direct experience – 15 Senior manager work experience only – (10 Points) o 12+ months of experience in an unrelated industry – 0 o 12 months or less of direct experience or 12 to 36 months of related experience – 2 o 13 to 24 months of direct experience or 37+ months of related experience – 4 o 13 to 24 months of direct experience and 37+ months of related experience – 6 o 37 to 60 months of direct experience – 8 o 37 to 60 months of direct experience and 37+ months of related experience – 9 o More than 60 months of direct experience – 10 |
| Economic Benefits | 35 |
| Key sectors & significant economic benefits – (23 Points)
o Does not identify or substantiate any key sectors or any significant economic benefits – 3 o Substantiates 1 key sector or 1 significant economic benefits -10 o Substantiates 1 key sector and 1 significant economic benefits -16 o Substantiates at least 1 key sector and at least 2 significant economic benefits – 23 Jobs assessment – (6 Points) o The business concept does not support the creation of the at least 1 full time position – 0 o Jobs plan does not correspond to the type and scale of the business – 1 o Jobs plan corresponds to the type and scale of the business – 6 High-skilled jobs (NOC TEER 0 or 1) – (6 Points) o Business concept does not propose or substantiate hiring any high-skilled positions – 0 o Business concept substantiate the creation / maintenance of one high-skilled position – 4 o Business concept substantiate the creation / maintenance of two or more high-skilled positions – 6 |
Recent Draws / Invitations to Apply – BC Entrepreneur Category:
https://www.welcomebc.ca/Immigrate-to-B-C/Invitations-To-Apply
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