British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot PNP

Key features of the Regional Pilot Program: 

• Active participation of the local community

The participating communities have a key role in this pilot program. They get actively involved in welcoming foreign immigrant entrepreneurs to work with the local community partners and networks. The communities provide support for the immigrants to settle after their arrival.

• BC PNP referral by the community

The participating local communities can refer immigrant entrepreneurs to the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) if their business proposal ideas align with the community’s economic and labor needs. To get a referral the applicant entrepreneur is first invited to have an exploratory visit and explain their business concept to the designated members of the community. Upon mutual interest, the community may further refer the applicant for the BC PNP.

• Community Concierge

The participating communities are supported by BC PNP concierge services to assist them with immigration program information.

• Prioritization in getting invited 
  

Since the communities can refer foreign entrepreneurs to the BC PNP, the applicants who get referrals are placed in a separate pool of registration that is dedicated to the pilot. The best-scoring candidates in this separate pool receive priority in processing.

What are the eligibility requirements for BC regional pilot program?

• The applicant must have a net worth of a minimum of $300,000.

• The minimum investment should be no less than $100,000.  

• The candidate should take a minimum of 51% ownership in the new business.

• The applicant should take a language proficiency test and have a score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 or above in either English or French. The proficiency score comprises four competencies: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. 

• The proposed business should at least provide one full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. 

• The applicant should also conduct an exploratory visit to the local community.

The Eligibility Requirements for Communities

• The community should have a population of fewer than 75,000 people.

• It should be located beyond 30 km of a municipality of more than 75,000 people.

• The community must also demonstrate the capacity to support the entrepreneur through a network of settlement and business support agencies.

What is the process to apply for the BC PNP Entrepreneur Regional Pilot?

The candidate should demonstrate his/her eligibility according to the above-mentioned points of the criteria.

Step 2. Conduct an exploratory visit to the community

The candidate then has to conduct an exploratory visit to the community in which he/she wants to establish the business and present a business proposal to a designated community representative.

Step 3. Obtain a Community Referral

If the community finds the candidate’s business plan in accordance with the community’s economic demands and demonstrates long-term financial success, the candidate receives a community referral. This helps the candidate to be placed in a separate pool of registration that gets priority in the British Council Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP).

Step 4. Submit the Registration Score

Once the candidate has received a referral by the community, h/she should submit the issuance of referral to the BC PNP providing other required information such as work/business experience, education, language proficiency, net worth, and amount of investment, and details about the proposed business plan. 

Step 5. Submit a full application to BC PNP 

The BC PNP authorities then invite the highest-ranking candidates to submit a full application to the program. The selected candidate may also be required to attend an interview in Vancouver to discuss the information provided in the application. Time taken for the application to be assessed is approximately 4 months. 

Step 6. Establish the nomination 

The approved applicant then signs a Performance Agreement and receives a letter of confirmation through which he/she will be allowed to apply for a 2 years work permit to IRCC. 

Step 7. Apply for a Canadian PR

Once the candidate has established and run the business successfully for at least 12 months, the applicant may submit a final report to the BC PNP. The BC PNP will then assess the report according to the Performance Agreement. Final reports are assessed within 4 months.
After the approval of the final report, the entrepreneur will be issued a provincial nomination certificate and may then apply to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence.

Both the programs British Columbia Investor Visa under BC PNP Base Category and Regional pilot programs are popular programs for Indians due to comfortable climate conditions. For high investment businessmen who wish to live in populated areas, the British Columbia Base category program is often advised.