British Columbia PNP pilot program to get more community participation

It’s been more than just business as expected in British Columbia when a pilot immigration program attracted impressive numbers of foreign entrepreneurs to British Columbia. The British Columbia PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot that was introduced in 2019 has contributed well to the migration of foreign entrepreneurs that happened in the years after the pilot program’s launch.

The great news that has come up lately is that over 50 communities are expressing their willingness to take part in phase 2 of the pilot program.

Migration of businesspeople during the COVID-19 pandemic time

In general, Canada immigration did face the challenge of reduced flow of immigrants to Canada and more so into provinces like British Columbia. But remarkably, the province has been able to bring in 300 new immigrants under the business class of the province’s economic immigration programs during this tough period.

In fact, immigration to British Columbia has picked up considerably in 2021. From January 2021 till the end of August 2021 BC has welcomed 37,675 new Canada PR visa holders ready to live and work in the province.

Under the British Columbia PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Pilot, the following criteria have to be met by foreign entrepreneurs willing to start a new business in a smaller community in BC to be eligible to immigrate:

• They must establish a new business deemed eligible and aligns with the referring community’s priorities
• They must make a personal investment of at least $100,000 in the business deemed eligible
• They must possess, or have to be eligible for, legal immigration status in Canada
• They must show experience in business and/or management
• They must create a minimum of one new full-time job for a Canadian citizen/permanent resident
• They must have been lawfully allowed to live in the country where they live at present
• They must have a minimum personal net worth of $300,000
• They must demonstrate a language proficiency level of at least CLB 4

The original pilot program has been extended till March 31, 2024. This was done to help BC’s communities to take in more business immigrants to their regions. These newcomers will support the province in its efforts to recover economically after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Communities that want to qualify for this pilot program must meet the following criteria:

• They must have a population of fewer than 75,000 people
• They must be located beyond 30 km of a municipality that has over 75,000 people
• They must have a demonstrated capacity to support the entrepreneur via a network of established agencies dedicated to settlement and business support

British Columbia is a Canadian province that has immense potential for entrepreneurs to grow their business in a variety of areas including healthcare and IT. The communities in the province need skilled foreign individuals to enter and set up an environment for mutual development.

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Note:

PR – Permanent Residence/Permanent Resident

PNP – Provincial Nominee Program

BC – British Columbia