BC Canada

British Columbia (BC)

• Province in Canada on the West Coast of North America
• Capital City is Victoria on Vancouver Island
• Currency is Canadian Dollars (CAD)
• Total population is over 4.5 million
• Total area of 944,735 km²

Business Migration – Benefits

• Canada is a leader in economic growth among G7 countries
• Low taxes for businesses
• Highly skilled, Well educated workforce
• Incredible landscape and opportunities for outdoor recreation, unspoiled lakes and rivers, beautiful trees and mountains.
• Best public healthcare system in the world
• The world’s most accepted passport

Entrepreneurial Program

Entrepreneur Category

• Business experience as a senior manager or business owner
• A viable business proposal to benefit the province
• The financial ability to invest in a business
• You and, if applicable, your spouse must have a personal or combined net worth of at least $800,000 obtained from legal sources. You must provide documentation to support the net worth reported in your application.
• Make a minimum investment of $400,000 to establish or purchase and expand an eligible business.
• Create a minimum of three jobs for Canadians or permanent residents.

Regional Entrepreneur Category

• Business experience as a senior manager or business owner
• A viable business proposal to benefit the province
• The financial ability to invest in a business
• You and, if applicable, your spouse must have a personal or combined net worth of at least $400,000 obtained from legal sources. You must provide supporting documentation to support the net worth reported in your application.
• Make a minimum investment of $200,000 to establish or purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC outside the Vancouver or Abbotsford metropolitan areas
• Hold at least one-third ownership in the proposed business in BC
• Create at least one new job for Canadians or permanent residents

Investment Program

Strategic Projects Category

• Business experience as a senior manager or business
• A viable business proposal to benefit the province
• The financial ability to invest in a business
• You and, if applicable, your spouse must have a personal or combined net worth of at least $400,000 obtained from legal sources. You must provide supporting documentation to support the net worth reported in your application.
• Make a minimum investment of $200,000 to establish or purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC outside the Vancouver or Abbotsford metropolitan areas
• Hold at least one-third ownership in the proposed business in BC
• Create at least one new job for Canadians or permanent residents

Regional Business Succession Option (Optional Sub-Program)
This option applies to all business immigration categories where the business is located outside of the Vancouver and Abbotsford metropolitan areas. This category offers priority processing and includes reduced job creation requirements.

Applicant Criteria

• You must meet the criteria for any one of the Business Immigration categories including the investment requirements.
• There must be a complete change in ownership of the business that you are taking over
• Make an exploratory visit to see the business location, meet with the retiring owners and, where feasible, the local economic development representative.
• Establish a fair market value for the target business
• Operate the business for a minimum of one full year before BC PNP will consider nominating you for permanent residence.
• Demonstrate that you have long-term intentions of continuing to operate the business.
• The business you are purchasing must meet the specific eligibility criteria described below
• Be located outside of the Vancouver or Abbotsford metropolitan areas
• Have been operated by the current owner for at least five years
• Have at least one full-time employee other than the owner’s family members
• Be actively in operation and not in receivership
• Be an eligible business

Job Creation Requirements

• If you are applying through the Regional Entrepreneur category, there are no additional job creation requirements if you commit to maintain the existing positions for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
• If you are applying through the Entrepreneur category, the minimum number of full-time equivalent jobs a business must provide is three, and can be reduced for each job maintained. For example, if one existing full-time job is maintained, two new full-time jobs must be created. If three or more full-time jobs are maintained, no new jobs need to be created. Only jobs provided to employees who are either Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible for consideration.
• If you are applying through the Strategic Projects category, the job creation requirements remain the same. You must create at least three new jobs for Canadians or permanent residents for each key staff member proposed.