PNP – British Columbia

The Strategic Occupations component of the Provincial Nominee Program helps BC employers recruit or retain qualified foreign workers to help meet current and future labour needs. Nominee applicants under the Strategic Occupations component must either have a job offer of indeterminate length from a BC employer or have completed a masters or doctorate degree at a BC post-secondary institution in either the natural, applied or health sciences.

The Five sub categories under Strategic Occupation are:

1. Skilled Workers:- Managers, professionals, technologists and technicians, skilled trades
2. International Graduates:- Recent graduates of recognized Canadian post-secondary institutions
3. International Post-Graduates Pilot Project:- Recent BC masters and doctorate graduates in natural, applied and health sciences
4. Designated Health Professionals:- Registered nurses, midwives, registered psychiatric nurses, and physicians
5. Entry Level and Semi-Skilled:- Select occupations in tourism/hospitality, food processing, and long-haul trucking.

Basic Requirements for all the categories:

• The nominee applicant intends to settle in BC
• The nominee applicant has the ability to become economically established in BC
• If the nominee applicant is currently in Canada, they must maintain legal immigration status throughout the process and must not be subject to a removal order.
• The nominee applicant does not have an active refugee claim
• If the nominee applicant is currently outside Canada, they must not be prohibited from entering Canada and must have legal status in the country in which they are currently residing

The Business Immigration category offers accelerated immigration to individuals prepared to invest in a British Columbia business and settle in the province. The Business Immigrants component of BC’s PNP considers applications from experienced business entrepreneurs who plan to invest in and actively manage an eligible business in BC.

The three sub categories of Business Immigrants are:

• Business skills
• Regional business
• Strategic projects

Basic Requirements for all the categories:

1. 1. The primary purpose of the business is to earn profits from active income from the supply of products/services
   2. The business’ sustained commercial viability must be probable
   3. The business must provide economic benefit to BC by contributing to one of the following:
      • Increasing the exports of goods/services
      • Increasing value-added manufacturing, processing, or primary resource activity
      • Increasing BC tourism
      • Increasing research and development and technology commercialization
      • Creating innovative approaches to traditional businesses
      • Servicing an underserved regional market
      • Transferring skills, technology, and know-how to BC
      • Succession plan buy-outs where eligible businesses are purchased from retiring owners

Basic Requirements under Business Skills are:

1. 1. 1. Make a personal investment of at least $400,000 CAD to establish or to purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC
      2. Create at least three new jobs in the business for Canadians or permanent residents, except when the applicant is applying as a regional Succession
      3. Plan Buy-out which reduces this requirement by one job for each existing job to be maintained
      4. Own at least one third (33 1/3%) of the equity of the business
      5. Provide active and on-going participation in the day to day management and direction of the business
      6. Demonstrate that they have:
         • the skills and experience necessary to establish and operate a commercially viable business in BC
         • a personal net worth of at least $800,000 CAD obtained from legal sources
         • sufficient unencumbered personal funds to make the required investment and
         • a viable business proposal
      7. Sign a performance agreement with the Province of British Columbia.
      8. Satisfy the conditions of the Performance Agreement in order to be nominated for permanent residence

Basic Requirements under Regional Business are:

1. 1. 1. Make a personal investment of at least $200,000 CAD to establish or to purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC outside of the Vancouver metropolitan area and the Abbotsford metropolitan area
      2. Create at least one new job in the business for a Canadian or permanent resident, except when the applicant is applying as a regional Succession Plan Buy-out
      3. Own at least one third (33 1/3%) of the equity of the business
      4. Provide active and on-going participation in the day-to-day management and direction of the business
      5. Demonstrate that they have:
         • the skills and experience necessary to establish and operate a commercially viable business in BC
         • a personal net worth of at least $400,000 CAD obtained from legal sources
         • sufficient unencumbered personal funds to make the required investment
         • a viable business proposal
      6. Sign a Performance Agreement with the Province of British Columbia
      7. Sign a Deposit Agreement with the Province of British Columbia if they are seeking a Fast Track nomination

The Strategic Projects category assists foreign-controlled companies establishing aneligible business in BC, strategic to their core business activities, with the timely entry of foreign key managerial, professional or technical staff, up to a maximum of 5 per company, who intend to become permanent residents of Canada and settle in BC. If the owners of the companies wish to immigrate they should submit an application under the Business Skills or Regional Business categories.

Basic Requirements under Strategic Projects are:

1. Make a minimum equity investment of $500,000
2. Create at least three jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents in BC for each Key Staff proposed by the Sponsor Company. However, if the
3. Sponsor Company is applying as a Business Succession Plan Buy-out, then they have the option to create three positions for Canadians or permanent residents, or maintain the employment of three Canadians or permanent residents in BC for each proposed Key Staff
4. Demonstrate a record of good business practices and successful business operations outside of Canada that are relevant to the proposed business.
5. Establish or purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC
6. Incorporate a Canadian subsidiary or register an extra-provincial company in BC to operate the proposed business
7. Demonstrate that the Key Staff are qualified senior personnel who are essential to establishing or expanding and operating the proposed business in BC
8. Sign a Performance Agreement with the Province of British Columbia