- Entrepreneurship
SDECB : Promotes the BC Provincial Nominee Program Entrepreneur Immigration streams as a pathways for Francophone entrepreneurs.
The SDÉCB participates in the province’s efforts to promote and support regional immigration under the Regional Immigration Collaboration initiative (BC PNP RIC).
This initiative is a collaboration between the Province and regional communities to support their economic development strategies through immigration. It aims to attract, welcome and help foreign entrepreneurs and their families settle and integrate in their new communities.
BC PNP
Entrepreneur Immigration Regional stream
The Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Regional stream is an immigration pathway for experienced entrepreneurs, including Francophone candidates from outside Canada, who wish to create and actively manage a new business outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District of British Columbia.
For more details about the program criteria, please visit the BC PNP website: WelcomeBC – Immigrate to BC
Eligibility criteria
- The start-up business must be consistent with one of the priority business types identified by the community.
- A minimum of $100,000 in business investment;
- Minimum personal net worth of $300,000;
- At least 51% ownership;
- Minimum of 1 new local job for every Canadian citizen.
- Dominant sectors: Retail, technology, real estate, financial services, creative industries (film, video games), tourism.
- Key industries: Information technology, transportation, professional services, film and television, tourism.
- Main sectors: Forestry, tourism, fishing, technology, public sector.
- Main industries: Forestry, fishing, tourism, aquaculture, technology.
- Main sectors: Agriculture, viticulture, tourism, construction, healthcare.
- Key industries: Agriculture, viticulture, tourism, healthcare, construction.
- Main sectors: Mining, forestry, tourism.
- Key industries: Mining, forestry, tourism.
- Dominant sectors: Oil and gas, forestry, agriculture.
- Key industries: Oil, gas, agriculture, forestry.
- Dominant sectors: Mining, fishing, forestry, energy projects (LNG).
- Key industries: Mining, liquefied natural gas (LNG), fishing, forestry.
- Main sectors: Forestry, agriculture, mining.
- Key industries: Forestry, agriculture, mining.
- Dominant sectors: Forestry, mining, energy.
- Key industries: Mining, mining, hydropower.
Disclaimer: Please refer to participating community profiles to know more about business opportunities.
Participating communities play a key role in this initiative. Each has identified the types of businesses that are a priority for their community. They’ll want to know more about your background and your proposed business. If a community feels that your business proposal may fit their priorities, they may invite you to do an exploratory visit to their community in person and meet their contact person.
This visit will enable you to gain first-hand experience of your proposed business location and assess whether the lifestyle is a good fit for your family.
If so, you can ask the community for a recommendation. The decision to grant a recommendation is left to the community’s discretion. A referral allows entrepreneurial candidates to register and apply for the BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Regional stream.
Communities have established their own administrative processes. We ask interested parties to respect and follow each community’s own process.
Complete list of participating communities:
- SDECB's SERVICES
Begin Your Entrepreneurial Journey in British Columbia
The SDÉCB team is here to support you, offer guidance in your decision-making process, and assist you in laying a solid foundation for your future venture.
Already immersed in the business world? We’re also equipped to help you develop new skills and discover optimal solutions to propel you toward your objectives.
Process
Submitting an application
Applying to the Entrepreneur Immigration Regional stream is a multi-step process. We invite you to consult the BC PNP Entrepreneurs and businesses webpage for more information.
In summary:
- Presentation of the business project to the community
- Exploratory visit to the region
- Being recommended by a community and sending the referral form to the province under the Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Stream.
- BC PNP registration - To immigrate to British Columbia, the immigrant entrepreneur must first complete an online registration process and sign a Performance Agreement
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Immigration application -
If you are approved as a nominee candidate for the Regional stream, the next step is to apply for a work permit to the federal government through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The BC PNP will provide you with a work permit support letter to include with your work permit application. During the work permit period, you will need to start your business. The community and SDECB provide welcoming support.
After operating the business for a minimum of 12 months, you can submit a final report to the BC PNP requesting a nomination for permanent residency. If the requirements from the Performance Agreement are met, the BC PNP will issue a Confirmation of Nomination as provincial nominee. This will allow you to submit a permanent resident application to IRCC.
IRCC makes the final decision on whether the applicant becomes a permanent resident once the business has been established.
Entrepreneur Immigration Base Stream
If you are an experienced entrepreneur wishing to start a new business or to take over and expand an existing business anywhere in British Columbia regardless of the NAICS code, please follow this link for the registration and application process to this stream:
WelcomeBC – Immigrate to BC – WelcomeBC
General information by e-mail
Courriel :
En.Imm@gov.bc.ca
Courriel :
mletellier@sdecb.com
Francophone community
Additional information
Entrepreneur Immigration Base Program
If you are an experienced entrepreneur wishing to start a new business or take over and expand an existing business in British Columbia, please follow this link for the registration and application process:
