Immigration to British Columbia for entrepreneurs
The Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category stream allows the province to invite candidates who will run businesses and create jobs.
Acceptance of applications for the program is temporarily paused.
Candidates who intend to settle in British Columbia and actively manage a business can immigrate through the BC Entrepreneur Immigration — Base Category stream.
Eligibility
To apply for this stream, you must meet the following requirements:
- have a minimum of $600,000 CAD net worth and be ready to invest $200,000 CAD or more in the business;
- intend to establish or buy a business in British Columbia, with at least 33.33% of the company belonging to you;
- have experience of owning or managing a business within the past 10 years:
- 3 years of experience as an owner-manager;
- or 4 years of experience as a senior management;
- or 1 year as an owner-manager and 2 years as a senior management;
- demonstrate English or French ability at the CLB 4 level;
- create at least one job within the business;
- have a post-secondary credential (not required if you have 3 years of experience as an owner-manager within the past 5 years, with 100% of the business belonging to you).
Business requirements
Some businesses do not qualify for the Entrepreneur Immigration — Base Category stream:
- certain types of passive business as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations;
- bed and breakfasts, hobby farms, home-based businesses;
- payday loan, cheque cashing, money changing and cash machine businesses;
- pawnbrokers;
- tanning salons;
- DVD rental stores;
- coin-operated laundries;
- automated car wash operations;
- scrap metal recycling;
- businesses selling used goods (excluding businesses that provide value-added services such as repairs, refurbishing or recycling);
- real estate brokerage, insurance brokerage or business brokerage;
- real estate development activities;
- businesses involved in producing, distributing or selling pornography or sexually explicit products or services, or providing sexually oriented services;
- goods trading businesses (e.g. import/export), unless value add is demonstrated;
- any business that by association would tend to bring the BC PNP or the Government of British Columbia into disrepute.
Candidate evaluation and submitting an application
To apply for the entrepreneurial immigration stream, you must create an account on BC's official website and submit an application.
Entrepreneurs are evaluated on a provincial system, where you can score up to 200 points for various factors, such as experience of managing and owning a business, net worth and investment, location of an open business in British Columbia, economic benefits of the business, and so on.
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