BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration: build a business, earn BC PR
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration is for founders investing in and actively running a BC business. You earn permanent residence by establishing a genuine British Columbia venture, through the Base stream or the Regional stream for smaller communities, not a job offer. This RCIC-reviewed guide covers the requirements, all three routes and the registration-to-PR process.
Key takeaways
BC Entrepreneur Immigration is the business side of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program. You earn permanent residence by investing in and actively managing a genuine British Columbia business, not through a job offer. It runs in three routes: the Base stream, which requires a personal net worth of at least $600,000, an investment of at least $200,000 and ownership of at least one third of the business; the Regional stream, at $300,000 net worth and $100,000 investment but 51 per cent ownership and a participating community; and Strategic Projects, for foreign corporations. The path runs from registration and invitation to a work permit, running the business, provincial nomination and finally a PR application to IRCC.
- Entrepreneur Immigration is the business side of the BC PNP, you earn PR by investing in and actively managing a British Columbia business, not through a job offer.
- Three routes: the Base stream (anywhere in B.C.), the Regional stream (a participating community outside Metro Vancouver, with a mandatory exploratory visit) and Strategic Projects, for foreign corporations opening a B.C. operation.
- Base stream thresholds: a personal net worth of at least $600,000, an eligible personal investment of at least $200,000, ownership of at least one third of the business, and at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
- Regional stream thresholds: a personal net worth of at least $300,000 and an investment of at least $100,000, but ownership of at least 51 per cent, a new business only, and a referral from the host community.
- Language: both streams require Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French, far below what Express Entry expects but a real threshold with a test expiry date.
- The path runs registration → invitation → work permit → run the business → nomination → PR; nomination is a provincial endorsement, not PR.
- It is a base nomination, so it does not carry the 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points that an enhanced Express Entry nomination gives.
- British Columbia is concentrating its reduced 2026 allocation on priority outcomes, so meeting the thresholds does not guarantee an invitation.
What is BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration?
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration is the business stream of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program, for people who will invest in and actively manage a business in British Columbia. It sits alongside the province's Skills Immigration streams, but works very differently: rather than scoring you on a job offer, it asks you to register a credible business concept, establish the business yourself, and earn a nomination by delivering on what you promised.
According to welcomebc.ca, the BC PNP is divided into Skills Immigration and Entrepreneur Immigration, and British Columbia's overall 2026 nomination allocation is about 5,254, sharply reduced from prior years (source: welcomebc.ca / IRCC, May 2026). As the main route for business immigration in BC, it places founders on a staged pathway. With space tight, the province directs selection to its highest-priority outcomes, so qualifying is not the same as being invited.
This is a business route, not a skilled-worker route
Who is BC Entrepreneur Immigration for?
This route fits people who want to build and run a business in British Columbia and have the capital, experience and appetite to do it hands-on. You should have genuine business ownership or senior-management experience, personal net worth you can document and verify, and a concrete idea for a venture that creates real economic benefit, typically including new jobs for Canadians or permanent residents.
It is not for passive investors looking to park money, and certain business types are excluded. People often search for a “BC entrepreneur visa”, but the route is technically a work permit followed by a provincial nomination, not a single visa. If you are drawn to a smaller or regional BC community, the Regional stream exists precisely to channel that investment, often at lower thresholds, while the Base stream suits larger ventures anywhere in the province.
In practice we see three groups do well here: owner-operators selling a business at home and rebuilding a similar one in British Columbia; senior managers with deep sector experience backing themselves for the first time; and families already in Canada on a work or study permit who want an ownership route rather than a job-offer route. If you are still deciding on the province itself, our guide on how to move to British Columbia covers cost of living, health care and where people actually settle.
Why the entrepreneur streams are split
BC Entrepreneur Immigration requirements for 2026
The Base stream requires a personal net worth of at least $600,000, a personal investment of at least $200,000, ownership of at least one third of the business, and one new full-time job. The Regional stream lowers that to $300,000 net worth and $100,000 investment, but raises the ownership requirement to 51 per cent, restricts you to a new business in a participating community, and makes an exploratory visit mandatory. Both streams also require Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French and business experience within a set look-back period. British Columbia revises these thresholds, and the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide on welcomebc.ca is the controlling source.
| Requirement | Base stream | Regional stream |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum personal net worth | $600,000 | $300,000 |
| Minimum personal investment | $200,000 | $100,000 |
| Minimum ownership share | One third (33.33%) | 51% |
| Jobs to create | At least 1 new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident | At least 1 new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident |
| Business experience | 3 years as a business owner-manager within the last 10 years, or 4 years as a senior manager, or 1 year as an owner-manager plus 2 years as a senior manager | The same patterns, but within the last 5 years |
| Language | Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French | Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French |
| New or existing business | A new business, or the purchase and growth of an existing one | A new business only, aligned with the referring community's economic priorities |
| Community referral | Not required | Required, from the participating host community |
| Exploratory visit | Recommended but not required | Mandatory, before you register |
| Where the business sits | Anywhere in British Columbia | A participating community outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District |
If you will own less than one third of the business, the Base stream expects a substantially larger stake instead: the program guide sets an equity investment of at least $1 million in that case. Applicants who cannot meet the business-experience requirement may instead submit an eligible post-secondary credential for consideration.
Thresholds move, and meeting them is not the same as being invited
Base stream vs Regional stream, how do they compare?
The clearest way to choose your route is to set the Base stream against the Regional stream (formerly the Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot) side by side. The Base stream carries higher thresholds and can locate anywhere in British Columbia; the Regional stream lowers the financial bar for entrepreneurs willing to build in a smaller, participating community and adds a mandatory exploratory visit. Every figure below is taken from the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide and the WelcomeBC entrepreneur pages.
| Factor | Base stream | Regional stream |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum personal net worth | $600,000 | $300,000 |
| Minimum personal investment | $200,000 | $100,000 |
| Minimum ownership share | One third (33.33%) | 51% |
| Registration score to qualify | 115 out of 200, including at least 40 of the 80 business-concept points | 105 out of 200, with no minimum business-concept score |
| How long registrations are scored in | Six weeks | Four weeks |
| Earliest you can file the final report | 18 months after your work permit is issued | 12 months after your work permit is issued |
| Where you settle | Anywhere in British Columbia | A participating community outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District |
| Exploratory visit | Recommended but not required | Mandatory, before you register |
| Best suited to | Larger ventures and higher-capital founders | Lower-capital founders open to a regional community |
Either way, your investment must be genuine, at-risk equity in an operating British Columbia business, not a loan, deposit or passive stake, and you must show a clear, legitimate source-of-funds trail for both your net worth and your investment capital. Weak or unexplained financials are a common reason business files stall.
The Regional stream adds one step the Base stream does not: a participating community has to refer you before you can register. That means engaging with an economic development officer, visiting in person, and shaping a concept that answers a gap the community can point to. Founders often find that easier, not harder, than competing on a higher-capital Base stream concept in Vancouver, because a smaller centre in the Kootenays, on Vancouver Island or in the north can tell you exactly what it is missing.
Strategic Projects, the third route
Strategic Projects is the route for a foreign corporation establishing a new British Columbia operation rather than for an individual founder, and it requires an equity investment of at least $500,000 directed at the corporation's B.C. operations. The company must create at least three new full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents for each key staff member it proposes to move, up to a maximum of five key staff, and it must show that it is well established, in good financial standing and ready to expand.
Because the applicant is the business rather than the person, Strategic Projects sits outside the registration and invitation process the other two streams use, and companies contact the BC PNP directly. British Columbia charges $1,000 for the review of each additional key staff member proposed on top of the standard application fee.
What does BC Entrepreneur Immigration cost in provincial fees?
British Columbia charges $300 to register, $3,500 to submit an Entrepreneur Immigration application and $500 to request a review of a decision. These are provincial fees only. IRCC charges separately for the work permit and again for the permanent residence application that follows a nomination.
| BC PNP process | Fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Registration | $300 |
| Application | $3,500 |
| Each additional key staff member reviewed (Strategic Projects only) | $1,000 |
| Request for review | $500 |
What counts as an eligible business in British Columbia?
An eligible business under BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration has to be a real, active, for-profit operation in British Columbia that you own and run. The province looks for commercial premises where the sector expects them, a genuine customer base, employees on payroll, and books that show trading rather than holding. Buying property to rent out, lending money at interest or parking capital in a holding company will not carry an application, however large the sum.
British Columbia also publishes a list of ineligible business types, which has historically included real-estate speculation and development held purely for investment, payday lending and cheque cashing, pawnbroking, and businesses whose main activity is passive investment. That list is reviewed, so check the current version on welcomebc.ca before you buy, lease or register anything. Franchises and succession purchases are allowed in principle, but each is assessed on its own terms and a franchise agreement should be read against the program rules before you sign it.
| Test the province applies | What a strong file shows |
|---|---|
| Active, not passive | You are on the ground running the business, holding at least the ownership share your stream requires: one third on the Base stream, 51 per cent on the Regional stream |
| Economic benefit to BC | Jobs for Canadians or permanent residents, local supply chain, a service the community lacks, export or tourism revenue |
| Genuine and viable | Costed financial projections, market research, quotes, a lease or purchase agreement, realistic staffing |
| Located where you said | Premises and operations in the BC community named in your registration, not a mailbox address |
| Eligible sector | A business type not on the province's ineligible list; check the current list on welcomebc.ca |
How your net worth and source of funds are verified
Personal net worth is not self-declared. British Columbia expects your assets and liabilities to be verified by an approved third-party professional, and the file has to trace where the money came from: employment income, business profits, dividends, the sale of a property or a company, an inheritance, a documented gift. Every step needs a paper trail that a stranger can follow, which usually means several years of bank statements, tax returns, audited or reviewed accounts, share registers, sale agreements and valuations.
The parts of a net-worth file that most often cause problems are cash held outside the banking system, funds that appear suddenly without an explained origin, assets held in a relative's name, and money that has moved through a country with exchange controls. None of these are automatically fatal, but each needs an explanation supported by documents rather than a statement of good intent. Our bank statement for Canada immigration guide sets out how officers read financial evidence, and the same standard applies here at a much larger scale.
Start the source-of-funds trail early
Language, business experience and how registrations are scored
Both entrepreneur streams require official-language ability of at least Canadian Language Benchmark level 4 in English or French, proved with an approved test. That is far below what Express Entry expects, but it is a real threshold with a real expiry date, so book the test in good time. Approved tests are IELTS General Training, CELPIP-General and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French, reported against the Canadian Language Benchmarks. On the Regional stream you submit the result when you register; on the Base stream you can submit it by the final report stage if you have not already. If you are unsure how a raw test score converts, our CLB calculator does the conversion for you.
Business experience is assessed on substance rather than job title: British Columbia accepts three years as an active business owner-manager, four years as a senior manager, or one year as an owner-manager combined with two years as a senior manager. The Base stream counts that experience within the last ten years and the Regional stream within the last five. Ownership experience is weighted more heavily, and experience in the same sector as your proposed venture reads far better than experience in an unrelated one. Applicants who cannot meet the experience requirement may instead submit an eligible post-secondary credential for consideration.
A registration is scored out of 200 points, and a Base stream registration needs at least 115 points in total plus at least 40 of the 80 available business-concept points to enter the qualified pool, while a Regional stream registration needs 105 points in total and has no minimum business-concept score. The points cover experience, personal net worth, the size and type of investment, job creation, the quality of the business concept, the community, and adaptability factors such as language and previous time in Canada. British Columbia scores the business-concept section separately, within six weeks on the Base stream and four weeks on the Regional stream, and a registration that qualifies stays in the pool for 180 days before it expires.
Clearing the minimum is not the same as being invited. British Columbia invites from the top of the pool, so a file that only just reaches 115 or 105 points can sit unselected until it expires. The current scoring grid is published in the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide on welcomebc.ca.
How does the BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration process work, step by step?
The process follows a staged sequence: you register a business concept, are invited to apply, come to British Columbia on a work permit to establish and run the business, and are only nominated once you have actually built it and met your performance commitments. The steps below show the path from first registration to a federal permanent-residence decision.
- 01
Register your business concept
Confirm you meet the net-worth, investment, experience and language minimums for the Base stream or Regional stream, then submit a registration setting out your business concept and intended BC location.
- 02
Receive an invitation to apply
Higher-scoring concepts are invited to apply, and a qualifying registration sits in the pool for 180 days before it expires. Meeting the thresholds places you in contention; with British Columbia's reduced allocation it does not guarantee an invitation.
- 03
Submit your application & business plan
You have four months from the invitation to file, with a detailed business plan, a net-worth verification report from a BC PNP-authorised accounting firm and source-of-funds evidence. The Regional stream also requires a completed exploratory visit and a community referral. You may be interviewed about your experience and your plan.
- 04
Sign a performance agreement & get a work permit
On approval you sign a performance agreement setting your investment and job-creation commitments and receive a Letter of Support. You then have 90 days to apply to IRCC for the work permit, and 12 months from the permit being issued to arrive in British Columbia.
- 05
Establish & actively run the business
Move to British Columbia, make the required investment, create the agreed jobs and actively manage the business for the committed period.
- 06
Nomination & IRCC permanent residence
You submit a final report, at the earliest 18 months after the work permit was issued on the Base stream or 12 months on the Regional stream. If British Columbia is satisfied you met your performance agreement, it nominates you. You then file a separate IRCC application, and IRCC makes the final PR decision.
Nomination comes after you build the business
Each stage has its own clock, and most of them are deadlines you have to meet rather than waits you have to sit through. The table below sets the province's published processing times against the deadlines that fall on you.
| Stage | How long |
|---|---|
| Registration scored (Base stream) | Six weeks |
| Registration scored (Regional stream) | Four weeks |
| How long a qualifying registration stays in the pool | 180 days, then it expires |
| Deadline to submit your application after an invitation | Four months |
| Application decision, work permit stage | Four months |
| Deadline to apply to IRCC after your Letter of Support | 90 days |
| Deadline to arrive in B.C. after your work permit is issued | 12 months |
| Earliest you can submit the final report | 18 months after the work permit is issued (Base), 12 months (Regional) |
| Application decision, final report stage | Four months |
| Request for review | Six months |
The work permit stage: building the business in British Columbia
Once you sign the performance agreement, the province supports an employer-specific work permit that does not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment, so there is no ESDC recruitment exercise and no LMIA fee to budget for. That support letter is tied to your business and your commitments, which is why the permit is not interchangeable with an ordinary job-offer permit. If you want the wider picture of how Canadian permits work, see our guides to the LMIA exempt work permit categories and the International Mobility Program.
From landing onward the clock is running on the agreement you signed. You are expected to live in British Columbia within reach of the business, invest the agreed capital, hire the agreed staff and run the operation yourself. Keep the evidence as you go rather than reconstructing it later: lease and purchase agreements, invoices, business bank statements, payroll records and T4 slips, the NOC code and duties for each position you create, GST and WorkSafeBC registrations, and photographs of the premises trading. Your final report to the province stands or falls on that file.
Changing the plan mid-stream needs approval
From provincial nomination to permanent residence with IRCC
When you have met your commitments and passed the final review, British Columbia issues a nomination. That is a provincial endorsement, and it is where the province's role ends. You then file a permanent-residence application to IRCC under the Provincial Nominee Class, with your nomination certificate, medical examinations, police certificates from every country where you have lived, biometrics and full family details. IRCC alone decides admissibility and issues confirmation of permanent residence.
Because this is a base nomination rather than an enhanced one, it does not attach the 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points that come with an enhanced Express Entry nomination, and it is not processed inside the Express Entry profile system. Plan for a separate, paper-based application with its own processing time, and keep your work permit valid while it is in progress. Once you land, the residency obligation and permanent resident card rules apply to you like any other new permanent resident.
How does it differ from the BC PNP skilled-worker streams?
The simplest way to understand Entrepreneur Immigration is to contrast it with the BC PNP Skilled Worker route. The skilled-worker streams need an eligible BC job offer and rank you on the Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) score. The entrepreneur route needs no job offer: you are assessed on capital, experience and a business concept, and PR follows only after you build the business yourself. The skilled-worker route can run through Express Entry BC, which adds the +600 Comprehensive Ranking System points to an Express Entry profile; the entrepreneur route does not. If you want to see how the job-offer side would score, our BC PNP calculator 2026 estimates a SIRS score in a couple of minutes. For a full picture of every BC route, see the British Columbia (BC PNP) overview, or compare provinces on our Provincial Nominee Program hub.
| Feature | Entrepreneur Immigration | Skilled Worker streams |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of selection | Net worth, investment, experience, business concept | Eligible BC job offer + SIRS score |
| Job offer | Not required, you create the business and jobs | Required (indeterminate full-time BC offer) |
| When you're nominated | After establishing the business on a work permit | After a SIRS-based invitation and application |
| +600 CRS (enhanced) | No, base nomination → separate IRCC application | Yes via Express Entry BC, if you qualify |
| Typical timeline | Multi-stage, multi-year (build then nominate) | Registration → invitation → application → nomination |
How the BC entrepreneur route compares with other business immigration options
British Columbia is not the only province that will trade permanent residence for a business, and it is not always the best fit for the capital you have. If your net worth sits below the BC thresholds, or your sector suits a smaller market, other provinces run comparable programs with their own numbers and their own community requirements. It is worth pricing your concept against two or three before you commit.
| Route | How it differs from the BC entrepreneur route |
|---|---|
| Start-up Visa Canada | Federal, not provincial. Needs support from a designated incubator, angel group or venture fund, and leads straight to PR with no build-first work-permit stage. |
| Saskatchewan Entrepreneur stream | Lower net-worth and investment expectations than the BC Base stream, with an Expression of Interest pool and its own business establishment plan. |
| Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream | Requires a community endorsement and a rural Alberta location, with thresholds closer to the BC Regional stream than the Base stream. |
| Manitoba Business Investor Stream | Business investor pathway with a Manitoba business plan, a deposit-free structure and different capital and residency expectations. |
| Intra-company transfer to Canada | Not a PR route in itself. Moves an existing owner or executive into a Canadian branch on a work permit, which can later feed a PR application. |
The most common BC entrepreneur immigration pitfalls
Business files fail on avoidable issues far more often than on the business idea itself. The biggest traps are an unverifiable or thinly documented source of funds; a business concept that does not match real BC market needs; choosing the wrong route for your capital; mistaking a passive investment for the required active, at-risk equity; under-delivering on job-creation commitments; and relying on outdated thresholds. Because the figures and the status of the Base stream and Regional stream change, a plan built on last year's numbers can quietly fall short.
Two further mistakes are worth naming. The first is treating the exploratory visit as a formality: a Regional stream concept written without meeting suppliers, landlords and the economic development officer reads exactly like what it is. The second is signing a lease, a franchise agreement or a share purchase before the province has seen the structure, which can leave you committed to a business that does not qualify.
No guarantees, and no government affiliation
How Wild Mountain Immigration helps with BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration
As a CICC-regulated practice led by a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497), our team assesses whether the BC entrepreneur route genuinely fits your capital, experience and goals, helps you choose between the Base stream and the Regional stream, and prepares an application, net-worth worksheet, source-of-funds trail and business plan that stand up to provincial scrutiny. Not sure where you stand? Start with our free Canada PR eligibility check, or compare the skilled-worker score with our free CRS calculator. If a different route, such as the BC PNP Skilled Worker stream or another province's program, fits better, we will tell you honestly. Our immigration consultant fees are published up front, so you know the cost before you start.
Prefer to do some of the legwork yourself? Our lower-cost File Review gives your own business immigration materials an expert check before you submit. Thresholds and the status of the Base stream and Regional stream here are current to 2026 and change over time, so we always confirm the live welcomebc.ca program guide before advising. Whether you choose the Base stream or the Regional stream, BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration rewards a well-documented, genuinely operated British Columbia business, and a licensed RCIC can help you build that case from the first registration to your IRCC permanent-residence application.
Frequently asked questions
What is BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration?
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration is the business side of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program, for people who will invest in and actively manage a business in British Columbia. It runs in three routes: the Base stream, anywhere in the province; the Regional stream, in a participating community outside Metro Vancouver; and Strategic Projects, for foreign corporations opening a B.C. operation. Unlike the skilled-worker streams it needs no job offer. You register a business concept, are invited to apply, come to B.C. on a work permit to run the business, and are nominated only after you have established it and met your agreed commitments. Thresholds change, so check the Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide on welcomebc.ca before you commit funds.
How much net worth and investment do I need for the Base stream?
The Base stream requires a personal net worth of at least $600,000 and an eligible personal investment of at least $200,000, with ownership of at least one third of the business and at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. The Regional stream requires a personal net worth of at least $300,000 and an investment of at least $100,000, but raises the ownership requirement to 51 per cent and restricts you to a new business in a participating community. If your ownership share would be below one third, the Base stream instead expects an equity investment of at least $1 million. British Columbia revises these thresholds, so check the current Entrepreneur Immigration Program Guide on welcomebc.ca before you move money (verified September 2026).
What is the difference between the Base stream and the Regional stream?
The Base stream requires $600,000 net worth, $200,000 investment and one-third ownership, can sit anywhere in British Columbia, and needs 115 registration points out of 200 including at least 40 business-concept points. The Regional stream requires $300,000 net worth, $100,000 investment and 51 per cent ownership, must be a new business in a participating community outside Metro Vancouver with a referral from that community and a mandatory exploratory visit, and needs 105 registration points with no minimum business-concept score. The Base stream also looks back ten years for your business experience where the Regional stream looks back five, and you can file your final report 18 months after your work permit is issued on Base against 12 months on Regional.
Does a BC entrepreneur nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. A BC PNP nomination is a provincial endorsement, not permanent residence. After you establish the business and the province nominates you, you submit a separate application to IRCC under the Provincial Nominee Class, and IRCC makes the final decision on medical, security and admissibility grounds. Neither British Columbia nor IRCC commits in advance, so we build the strongest possible business case and flag risks before they become refusals. Entrepreneur Immigration is a standard RCIC matter and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any government.
Do I have to run the business myself?
Yes. BC Entrepreneur Immigration is built around active, day-to-day ownership and management, it is not a passive or investor-only route. You first come to British Columbia on a work permit to establish and operate the business, and the province only nominates you after you have actually set it up, made the required investment, created the agreed jobs and met the other terms of your performance agreement. Passive investments and certain business types are excluded, so confirm the eligible and ineligible categories on welcomebc.ca.
How long does BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration take?
Plan on two to three years from registration to a nomination. British Columbia publishes stage times for about 80 per cent of cases: six weeks to score a Base stream registration, four months for the application decision at the work permit stage and four months again at the final report stage. Around those sit fixed deadlines: a qualifying registration stays in the pool for 180 days, you have four months from an invitation to submit your application, 90 days from your Letter of Support to apply to IRCC for the work permit, and 12 months from receiving that permit to arrive in B.C. You then run the business and submit a final report, at the earliest 18 months after the work permit was issued on the Base stream or 12 months on the Regional stream. The IRCC permanent residence application that follows a nomination is separate again, with its own processing time (welcomebc.ca, September 2026).
Is there a BC entrepreneur visa?
Not as a single document. People often search for a BC entrepreneur visa, but the route is technically a work permit followed by a provincial nomination, not a one-step visa. You first come to British Columbia on a work permit to establish and run the business, then the province nominates you, and only after a separate IRCC application do you receive permanent residence. Confirm the current process on welcomebc.ca.
How many jobs do I need to create for BC Entrepreneur Immigration?
Both entrepreneur streams require you to create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Under the Base stream, creating more than one job scores more business-concept points; the Regional stream also requires at least one. Strategic Projects works differently: a foreign corporation must create at least three new full-time jobs for each key staff member it proposes, up to a maximum of five key staff. Job creation is part of the performance agreement you sign, and the province nominates you only after you have actually delivered the agreed jobs. Keep payroll records, T4 slips and the NOC code for each role from the first day you hire. Confirm the current criteria on welcomebc.ca.
Can I qualify for BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration without a job offer?
Yes. This route needs no job offer, which is the key difference from the BC PNP skilled-worker streams. Instead of being scored on an eligible BC job offer and a SIRS score, you are assessed on your personal net worth, eligible business investment, business experience and a viable British Columbia business concept. You create the business and the jobs yourself, then earn a nomination after establishing the venture. Confirm current rules on welcomebc.ca.
Can I buy an existing business instead of starting a new one?
Buying an established British Columbia business can be acceptable, but succession purchases carry extra conditions. British Columbia generally expects you to have visited and assessed the business, to keep the existing jobs going, to make the required new investment on top of the purchase price and to add value rather than simply take over. A share purchase, an asset purchase and a franchise are each treated differently, so get the structure reviewed before you sign anything and confirm the current succession rules on welcomebc.ca.
Do I have to live in British Columbia while I run the business?
Yes. The work permit stage exists so that you actually move to British Columbia, live within commuting distance of the business and manage it day to day. Under the Regional stream you are expected to settle in the participating community you were referred by, not simply register a company there. Time spent outside the province during the performance-agreement period can put your nomination at risk, so plan travel around the commitments you sign.
Can my spouse and children come with me to British Columbia?
Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children can normally be included in the process and may apply for their own work or study permits alongside your entrepreneur work permit, depending on the permit category and their own eligibility. They are also included in the eventual permanent-residence application to IRCC. Because family permit eligibility turns on the details of your own permit, confirm what your family can apply for before you file rather than after you arrive.
Does a BC entrepreneur nomination give me 600 CRS points?
No. Entrepreneur Immigration is a base nomination, so it does not add the 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points that an enhanced Express Entry nomination gives. Those 600 points come from the enhanced skilled-worker route through Express Entry BC. A base nomination instead leads to a separate paper-based permanent-residence application to IRCC under the Provincial Nominee Class, with its own processing time.
Thinking of starting a business in British Columbia?
Get started with a licensed RCIC for an honest read on whether BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration, Base stream or Regional stream, fits your capital, experience and plans.