British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream

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British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream

The British Columbia Entrepreneur Stream is designed for experienced entrepreneurs who aspire to establish and operate a business in the province. The stream requires a referral from one of the participating communities in BC. Prospective candidates must first register their profile with the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). The BC PNP will assign a score to the registered profile using the British Columbia Regional Entrepreneur Pilot Ranking System. Only the most competitive applicants will be invited to submit a formal application to the program. Foreign entrepreneurs who do not meet the referral criteria may consider the base category of the BC Entrepreneur PNP as an alternative option.

British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Eligibility Requirements
British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Application Process
British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Ranking System
British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Participating Communities

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British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Eligibility Requirements

The British Columbia Entrepreneur Program operates through an Expression of Interest (EOI) system and requires candidates to meet certain minimum requirements. The following are the key eligibility criteria for the program:

Connection to Province: Applicants must be referred by one of the program’s participating communities and participate in an exploratory visit to meet with a program representative.

Business Proposal: Candidates must submit a business proposal to establish a new business in a participating community and own at least 51% of the business, creating at least one full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Language Proficiency: Candidates must demonstrate English or French-language proficiency equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 and provide valid language test scores within the two years prior to application.

Education: Candidates must hold a post-secondary educational credential or have experience as a business owner-manager for at least 3 of the last 5 years with 100% ownership in the business.

Work Experience: Candidates must have at least 3 years of experience as a business owner-manager, 4 years as a senior manager, or a combination of 1 year as a business owner-manager and 2 years as a senior manager within the 5 years prior to application.

Investment Requirement: Candidates must have a personal net worth of CAD $300,000 and invest a minimum of CAD $100,000 in the creation of their business, as verified by a new worth verification report.

Performance Agreement: All applicants must sign a Performance Agreement with the BC PNP, and only after fulfilling its conditions will a candidate receive a nomination for Canadian permanent residency.

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

British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Application Process

The BC Entrepreneur Regional Pilot program is open to foreign entrepreneurs interested in investing in and managing a business in British Columbia. To be considered for the program, applicants must be referred by a participating community and participate in an exploratory visit with a program representative in the desired community. The program operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system, where referred candidates can register a profile on the BC online immigration portal, submit their EOI, and pay a fee of CAD $300.

Based on their profile, candidates will be ranked and scored using the BC Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Ranking System, with the highest ranking candidates invited to submit an official application, including a business concept, verification of personal net worth, and supporting documents. Upon approval, the candidate will sign a performance agreement with British Columbia, receive a letter of confirmation, and apply for a two-year temporary work permit.

After launching their business in BC, the candidate will be required to submit a final report after 12 to 20 months, demonstrating compliance with the terms of their performance agreement. Upon acceptance of the final report, the applicant will receive provincial nomination and can apply for permanent resident status through IRCC.

British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot Stream Ranking System

The British Columbia Entrepreneur Regional Pilot utilizes a ranking system based on a points-grid to evaluate registered candidate profiles. Only those individuals with the highest scores will receive an invitation to submit an application for the program.

Scoring Sections

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:	60 maximum
*MAXIMUM SCORE available*	200 points

Experience and Business Ownership

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 59 months	19
60 months or more	22
*Senior manager work experience*
Less than 24 months	0
25 to 48 months	4
49 to 59 months	8
60 months or more	12
Business ownership
Less than three years of 100% business ownership in past 5 years	0
100% ownership of a business for at least 3 of the last 5 years	2
Maximum Score Available	24 points
Minimum Required Score	8 points

Net Worth

Personal Net Worth	Points
*Your 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
*Your 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 Required Score	2 points for personal net worth

Total Personal Investment

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 FTE Jobs Created	Points
Less than 1	0
1 job	10
2 to 4 jobs	11
5 to 7 jobs	13
8 jobs or more	15
Maximum Points Available	15 points
*Minimum Required Score*	*10 points*

Community Population

Community Population	Points
40,000 – 75,000	1
20,000 – 39,999	2
15,000 – 19,999	3
10,000 – 14,999	4
5,000 – 9,999	5
Less than 5,000	6
Maximum Score Available	6

BC’s Regions

BC’s Regions	Points
Cariboo	10
Kootenay	10
Lower Mainland / Southwest	1
Nechako	12
North Coast	12
Northeast	12
Thompson-Okanagan	6
Vancouver Island and Coast	2
Maximum Score Available	12 points

Adaptability Factor

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
$100,000 to $299,999	1
$300,000 to $499,999	2
$500,000 to $799,999	3
$800,000 or more	4
100% ownership	2
Addresses at least on Market/Product factor	4
*Assessment of proposed personal investment*
Between 51% and 99.99%	1
*Business Model*
Corresponds to type and scale of business	5

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/substantiate significant economic benefit	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