Owner Operator Program - British Columbia

The Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category is designed for experienced entrepreneurs who want to establish new businesses or buy existing British Columbia businesses.

The British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category allows an entrepreneur to be nominated for permanent residence once their business has been established in British Columbia.

In 2020, a total of 100 invitations were issued to entrepreneurs.

Data Source: BC-PNP-Entrepreneur-Immigration-Program-Guide.

BC-PNP-Entrepreneur-Immigration-Base Category Draw for 2020

Data Source: BC PNP Invitations to Apply

• The applicant must have a personal net worth of at least CAD$600,000.

• The applicant must demonstrate business and/or management experience.
• Applicants must establish an eligible new business or purchase and improve an existing business.
• Applicants must make an eligible personal investment of at least CAD$200,000 in the business.
• The applicant must create at least one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in the business.
• Applicants must have, or be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada.
• Applicants must have basic English or French language proficiency equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 4 or higher.

The applicant must meet the admissibility requirements.

Foreign entrepreneurs looking to start a new business or buy an existing business in British Columbia.

Foreign entrepreneurs with a business idea and who meet all the eligibility criteria can create a profile and register online for the British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category.

Foreign entrepreneurs found eligible will receive an invitation to apply online to the BC PNP under the Entrepreneur Immigration stream. If you are invited to apply, you will have to submit a complete application through BC PNP Online within 4 months. The applicant may be required to attend an in-person interview.

Applicants whose applications are successful will be required to sign a Performance Agreement with British Columbia.

The foreign entrepreneur will have up to 20 months to implement the business proposal in British Columbia after the Performance Agreement is signed.

BC PNP will issue a letter of support, enabling you to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a two-year work permit. After the work permit is granted, the foreign entrepreneur must arrive in B.C. within 12 months of the confirmation letter’s date to establish the business.

Once the foreign entrepreneurs arrive in British Columbia, they will have 20 months from the date of arrival to build your business and meet all commitments under your performance agreement. Finally, they will be required to provide a final report to BC PNP between 18 and 20 months after you arrive in British Columbia.

If your application for  British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Category nomination is successful, you will receive a confirmation of nomination as a provincial nominee.

With the confirmation of nomination as a provincial nominee, you can apply for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada under the Provincial Nominee Class.  Please refer to the Entrepreneur Immigration Post-Arrival Guide to learn more about the program.

• The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) reached its 2020 nomination allocation. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program issued a total of 8,050 nominations to successful applicants across all streams in 2020, including 400 additional nominations received through an in-year reallocation and 50 additional NOC skill level C nominations.
• New applications, and applications already submitted to the OINP, will continue to be accepted and considered under the program’s 2021 nomination allocation. Learn more about OINP updates.