BC Provincial Nominee Program - Business Immigration
British Columbia is one of the most desired destinations in Canada. Vancouver has consistently been rated as one of the best cities in the world to live in.
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program is an accelerated immigration route for qualified entrepreneurs ready to invest and settle in British Columbia. The objectives of the BC PNP Business Immigration is to encourage economic development, promote job creation and maintain existing jobs in BC through investors that have the ability to establish themselves successfully in BC and be able to actively manage a business. This program will allow the applicant to work and live in BC while their application for permanent residence is being processed.
To expedite the immigration process while the applicant is setting up the business, Business Skills and Regional Business applicants can seek fast-track nomination by posting a $125,000 performance deposit and signing a Deposit Agreement with the Province of British Columbia. They will receive this deposit as soon as they have met their requirements of establishing the business.
Applicants must meet the program’s nomination criteria that are as follows:
- Have sufficient net worth and experience
- Establish or purchase a business with the purpose of earning a profit
- Actively manage the business
- The business must be commercially viable
- The business must provide economic benefit to BC by contributing to one of the following:
increasing the exports of goods/services;
increasing value-added manufacturing;
increasing BC tourism;
increasing research and development and technology commercialization;
creating innovative approaches to traditional businesses;
servicing an underserved regional market;
transferring skills, technology, and know-how to BC;
succession plan buy-outs where eligible businesses are purchased from retiring owners.
The BC PNP Programs
There are three categories under which you can apply for the BC PNP program.
Business to be established outside of Greater Vancouver ( Regional):
You must have a net worth of at least CAD 400,000. You need to invest a minimum of CAD 200,000 in an eligible business outside of the Greater Vancouver. You need to employ at least one full-time Canadian staff. You also must have a minimum ownership of 1/3 of the equity of the business.
Business to be established within Greater Vancouver :
You must have a net worth of at least CAD 800,000.You need to invest a minimum of CAD 400,000 in an eligible business within the Greater Vancouver area. You need to employ at least 3 full-time Canadian staff. You also must have a minimum ownership of 1/3 of the equity of the business.
The Strategic Project Category:
This is to assist foreign-controlled companies to establish businesses in BC which could allow the entry of foreign key managerial, professional and technical staff, up to a maximum of 5 per company, who intend to become permanent residents of Canada and settle in BC.
Companies applying in this category are required to:
- Make a minimum equity investment of $ CAD 500,000
- Create at least three jobs for Canadians or permanent residents in BC for each nominee applicant
- Demonstrate a record of successful business operations outside of Canada that is relevant to the proposed business
- Establish or purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC
- Incorporate a Canadian subsidiary or register an extra-provincial company in BC to operate the proposed business
- Demonstrate that the nominee applicants are qualified senior personnel who are essential to establishing or expanding and operating the proposed business in BC
- Sign a Performance Agreement with the Province of British Columbia.