Entrepreneur Regional Pilot

This BC PNP stream is targeted towards experienced entrepreneurs who wish to invest in and manage a business in British Columbia. For this program, the applicants must be referred by one of the program’s participating communities in British Columbia.

To apply through this stream, the interested candidates need to register themselves first, which means they must create a profile with the British Columbia PNP. Once registered, the candidate is assigned a score according to the BC Regional Entrepreneur Pilot Ranking System. The applicants with higher scores are invited to submit an official application to the program. They may even want to consider the base category of the BC Entrepreneur PNP.

Eligibility Requirements

Express Entry Profile

No

Connection to Province

Exploratory Visit & Community Referral

Job Offer

Establish a business with at least 51% ownership

Language Proficiency

CLB 4

Level of Education

Post-Secondary; or 3 years’ experience as 100% business owner-manager

Work Experience

Within last 5 years:

3+ years as business owner-manager; or

4+ years as a senior manager; or

1+ year as business owner manager and 2+ years as senior manager

Investment Requirement

Personal Net Worth: CAD $300,000

Investment: CAD $100,000


Connection to Province

The interested candidates must make an exploratory visit to one of the program’s participating communities and also meet the program representative. All the applicants to the program must be referred to the PNP by a participating community.

Job Offer

To be eligible for this stream, a proposal must be submitted by the entrepreneurs in order to establish a new business in a participating community. It is important for the applicant to own at least 51% of the business and the business must create at least one full-time equivalent job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Language Proficiency

The language proficiency for all the candidates should be at least CLB 4 for English or French. The applicants must produce valid language test scores issued within the last two years.

Level of Education

Candidates must have successfully completed a post-secondary degree or should have experience as an active business owner-manager for at least 3 years out of the last 5 years with 100% ownership.

Work Experience

Within the 5 years prior to applying for this stream, the candidates must meet at least one of the below mentioned scenarios:
•    3+ years of experience as a business owner-manager; or
•    4+ years of experience as a senior manager; or
•    1+ years of experience as a business owner-manager and 2+ years of experience as a senior manager.

Investment Requirement

The candidates must be able to invest at least CAD $100,000 in creating their business and must have a personal net worth of at least CAD $300,000. The invited candidates will need to obtain a new worth verification report.

Performance Agreement

All the applicants need to sign the Performance Agreement with British Columbia. It is only after completing the conditions mentioned in the performance agreement that they will receive their nomination to apply for Canadian PR.

Application Process

To apply for this program, the candidate must be referred by one of the province’s participating communities. And, in order to be referred, the candidates need to make an exploratory visit to British Columbia and meet the program representative of that community. This stream operates on the system of Expression of Interest (EOI). Once the candidate receives referral from the participating community, they may register themselves and submit their EOI using British Columbia’s online immigration portal by paying $300 CAD fee.

Upon submission of the profile, the candidates are assigned a score and ranked using the Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Ranking System. The candidates ranking higher are invited to submit an official application, which should include a business concept, verification of personal net worth along with supporting documents. If approved, the candidates are invited to sign a performance agreement with British Columbia. Once signed, the candidates are issued a letter of confirmation, which is also known as a work permit support letter. This letter allows the candidate to apply for a 2-year temporary work permit.

Once the work permit is received, the candidate must travel to British Columbia in order to start their new business. Anytime between 12 to 20 months after arriving in British Columbia, the candidates need to submit their final report showing that they met the terms of the performance agreement. If the final report gets accepted, the applicant receives provincial nomination officially and can thereafter apply to IRCC for PR.

BC Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Ranking System

This stream uses the below-mentioned points grid to rank candidates with registered profiles. Only the candidates with the most competitive scores get an invitation to apply to the program.

Scoring Sections

Points

Self-Declared

 

Experience and Ownership

24

Net Worth

6

Total Personal Investment

10

Jobs

15

Community Population

6

BC’s Regions

12

Adaptability

67

Self-Declared Subtotal

140 Maximum

Business Concept

 

Commercial Viability

30

Transferability of Skills

15

Economic Benefits

15

Business Concept SUBTOTAL Score

60 Maximum

Maximum Score Available

200 Points

 

 

Experience and Business Ownership

Total Duration

Points

Business Owner-Manager Experience

 

Less than 12 months

0

12 to 24 months

7

25 to 36 months

12

37 to 48 months

16

49 to 60 months

19

More than 60 months

22

Senior Manager Work Experience

 

Less than 24 months

0

24 to 48 months

4

49 to 60 months

8

More than 60 months

12

Business Ownership

 

Less than three years of 100% business ownership in the past five years

0

100% ownership of a business for at least three of the last five years

2

Maximum Score Available

24 Points

Maximum Score Required

8 Points

 

 

 

Net Worth

Personal Net Worth

Points

Total Current Assets (Cash and Liquid)

 

Less than $10,000

0

$10,000 to $49,999

1

$50,000 to $199,999

2

$200,000 or More

3

Total Personal Net Worth

 

Less than $300,000

0

$300,000 to $999,999

2

$1,000,000 or more

3

Maximum Score Available

6 Points

Minimum Score Required

2 Points for Personal Net Worth

 

 

Total Personal Investment

Amount

Points

Less than $100,000

0

$100,000 to $349,999

6

$350,000 to $599,999

8

$600,000 or More

10

Maximum Score Available

10 Points

Minimum Required Score

6 Points

Job Creation

Number of Proposed Full-Time Jobs Created

Points

Less than 1

0

1 job

10

2 to 4 jobs

11

5 to 7 jobs

13

8 or More

15

Maximum Points Available

15 Points

Minimum Required Score

10 Points

 

 

Community Population

Community Population

Points

40,000 to 75,000

1

20,000 to 39,999

2

15,000 to 19,999

3

10,000 to 14,999

4

5,000 to 9,999

5

Fewer than 5,000 people

6

Maximum Score Available

6

 

 

British Columbia’s Regions

BC’s Regions

Points

Lower Mainland / Southwest

1

Vancouver Island and Coast

2

Thompson-Okanagan

6

Cariboo

10

Kootenay

10

Nechako

12

North Coast

12

Northeast

12

Maximum Score Available

12 Points

 

 

Adaptability

Adaptability Factor

Points

Language Proficiency

 

CLB 3 or below

0

CLB 4

5

CLB 5

10

CLB 6

15

CLB 7 or Higher

23

Education Level

 

Secondary school or less

0

Associate Degree, Diploma, Certificate

6

Bachelor’s Degree, Post-Graduate Diploma

14

Master’s Degree, Doctorate

16

Age

 

Less than 25

2

25 – 29

8

30 – 44

16

45 – 54

10

55 – 64

4

65 or older

0

Canadian Experience

 

Less than 12 months

0

12 to 24 months of work or studies in Canada

4

More than 24 months of work or studies in Canada

8

Family Member Living in the Community for At Least 12 Months

 

No

0

Yes

4

Maximum Score Available

67 Points

Commercial Viability

Commercial Viability

Points

Business Model

 

Unsatisfactory / Unclear

1

Fair / Good

8

Excellent

12

Market & Product

 

Does not address Market/Product factors

1

Addresses at least one Market/Product factor

4

Eligible Personal Investment

 

Less than $100,000

Not Eligible

$100,000 to $299,999

1

$300,000 to $499,999

2

$500,000 to $799,999

3

$800,000 or more

4

Assessment of Proposed Personal Investment

 

Does not correspond to the type or scale of business

0

Corresponds to type and scale of the business

5

Corresponds to the type and scale of the business, the market, the proposed products, the business model, and the industry standard

8

Ownership Percentage

 

100% ownership

2

Between 51% and 99.99%

1

Less than 51%

Not Eligible

Maximum Score Available

30 Points

 

 

Transferability of Skills

Transferability of Skills

Points

Business Owner-Manager Experience Only

 

Less than 12 months

0

12 to 35 months (related experience)

2

12 to 35 months (direct experience)

5

36 to 59 months (related experience)

6

36 to 59 months (direct experience)

10

60 months (related experience)

12

60 months (direct experience)

15

Senior Manager Work Experience Only

 

Less than 12 months

0

12 to 35 months (related experience)

1

12 to 35 months (direct experience)

4

36 to 59 months (related experience)

5

36 to 59 months (direct experience)

6

60 months (related experience)

8

60 months (direct experience)

10

Maximum Points Available

15 Points

 

 

Economic Benefit

Economic Benefit

Points

Significant Economic Benefits

 

Does not identify or substantiate significant economic benefits

0

Substantiates at least one significant economic benefit

5

Jobs Assessment

 

Business concept supports creation of 0 FTE positions

Not Eligible

Jobs plan does not correspond to the type and scale of the business

1

Jobs plan corresponds to the type and scale of the business

10

Maximum Score Available

15 Points

Participating Communities

Organized by Development Regions.

 

  • Cariboo
    • 100 Mile House
    • Mackenzie
    • McBride
    • Prince George
    • Quesnel
    • Williams Lake
  • Kootenay
    • Akisqnuk First Nation
    • Canal Flats
    • Castlegar
    • Invermere
    • Kimberley
    • Midway
    • Nelson
    • Radium Hot Springs
    • Regional District of Central Kootenay (Area J)
    • Regional District of East Kootenay (Area F)
    • Regional District of East Kootenay (Area G)
    • Regional District of Kootenay Boundary – Electoral Area E (West Boundary)
    • Rossland
    • Shuswap Indian Band
    • Trail
  • Mainland/Southwest
    • Gibsons
    • Hope
    • Sechelt
    • Squamish
    • Sunshine Coast Regional District – Egmont and Pender Harbour (Area A)
    • Sunshine Coast Regional District – Halfmoon Bay (Area B)
    • Sunshine Coast Regional District – Roberts Creek (Area D)
    • Sunshine Coast Regional District – Elphinstone (Area E)
    • Sunshine Coast Regional District – West Howe Sound (Area F)
  • Nechako
    • Burns Lake
    • Regional District of Bukley-Nechako – Electoral Area A (Smithers Rural)
    • Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area B (Burns Lake Rural)
    • Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area C (Fort St. James Rural)
    • Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area D (Fraser Lake Rural)
    • Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area E (Francois/Ootsa Lake Rural)
    • Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area F (Vanderhoof Rural)
    • Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako – Electoral Area G (Houston Rural)
  • North Coast
    • Terrace
  • Northeast
    • Tumbler Ridge
    • Northern Rockies Regional Municipality
  • Thompson-Okanagan
    • Barriere
    • Clinton
    • Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Sorrento and Electoral Area C
    • Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Falkland and Electoral Area D
    • Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Malakwa and Electoral Area E
    • Columbia-Shuswap Regional District – Scotch Creek and Electoral Area F
    • Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area I – Spences Bridge
    • Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area M – Nicola Valley North
    • Thompson-Nicola Regional District Area N – Nicola Valley South
    • Merritt
    • Osoyoos
    • Peachland
    • Penticton
    • Salmon Arm
    • Vernon
  • Vancouver Island/Coast
    • Campbell River
    • Comox
    • Comox Valley Regional District – Baynes Sound – Denman/Hornby Island (Area A)
    • Comox Valley Regional District – Lazo North (Area B)
    • Comox Valley Regional District – Puntledge – Black Creek (Area C)
    • Courtenay
    • Parksville
    • Port Alberni
    • Powell River
    • Sayward

 

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