provincial Business Programs

Overview of Provincial Business Programs

Each Canadian province offers its own business immigration programs/streams with specific requirements for each. The main criteria under which provinces select business nominees include personal net worth, relevant business experience, the amount of investment, and the viability of a business idea. Additional criteria, such as education, language ability, and age, also contribute to defining a candidate’s score and their competitiveness with other candidates aiming to do business in the province and immigrate through it.

Prospective business immigrants possessing the necessary skills, education, business work experience, and viable business concepts can be invited to establish and operate a business in the province. If successful, they can obtain permanent resident status and eventually become Canadian citizens.

The nomination of business immigrants for Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) typically occurs in several stages:

• Expressing interest in applying under the provincial business immigration program.
• Acceptance into the program and application for a work permit.
• Establishment and operation of a business.
• Receipt of a provincial nomination for permanent residence.
• Application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Provincial Business Streams: Minimum Net Worth & Investment Requirements

Alberta

• Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
• Farm Stream: Minimum investment of $500,000, minimum net worth of $500,000 (or other source)
• Rural Entrepreneur Stream: Minimum investment of $100,000; minimum net worth of $300,000

British Columbia

• Entrepreneur Immigration: Base Stream: Minimum investment of $200,000; minimum net worth of $600,000.
• Entrepreneur Immigration: Regional Pilot: Minimum investment of $100,000; minimum net worth of $300,000.
• Entrepreneur Immigration: Strategic Projects: Minimum investment of $500,000; for well-established and financially stable foreign corporations.

Manitoba 

• International Student Entrepreneur Pilot‍
• Business Investor Stream - Farm Investor Pathway: Minimum investment of $300,000, minimum net worth of $500,000.
• Business Investor Stream - Entrepreneur Pathway: Minimum investment of $250,000 or $150,000 (outside the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region); minimum net worth of $500,000.

Nova Scotia 

• Entrepreneur Stream: Minimum investment of $150,000 or $100,000 (if a business is outside Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM)); minimum net worth of $600,000 or $400,000 (if a business is outside HRM).
• International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

New Brunswick 

• Business Immigration Stream:  Minimum investment of $150,000; minimum net worth of $500,000.

Newfoundland and Labrador 

• International Entrepreneur:  Minimum investment of $200,000; minimum net worth of $600,000.
• International Graduate Entrepreneur.

Northwest Territories 

• Business Stream: Minimum investment of $200,000 or $100,000 (outside Yellowknife, Northwest Territories); minimum net worth of $500,000 or $250,000 (outside Yellowknife, Northwest Territories).

Prince Edward Island 

• ‍Work Permit Stream: Minimum investment of $150,000;  minimum net worth of $600,000.

Quebec 

• ‍Investor: Minimum investment of $1,200,000; minimum net worth of $2,000,000.‍
• Entrepreneur Program - Stream 1: Innovative business
• Entrepreneur Program - Stream 2: Business startup: Minimum investment of $300,000 or $150,000 (if outside the Montreal Metropolitan Area (MMA)); minimum net worth of $600,000 or $300,000 (if started already).‍
• Entrepreneur Program - Stream 3: Business takeover: Minimum investment of $300,000 or $150,000 (if outside the Montreal Metropolitan Area (MMA)); minimum net worth of $600,000 or $300,000 (if acquired already).‍
• Quebec Self-employed Worker: Minimum investment of $50,000 or $25,000 (outside MMA); minimum net worth of $100,000.

Saskatchewan 

• ‍Entrepreneur Category: Minimum investment of $300,000 or $200,000 (outside Regina and Saskatoon); minimum net worth of $500,000.‍
• International Graduate Entrepreneur Category‍
• Farm Owner and Operator Category: Minimum investment of $150,000; minimum net worth of $500,000.
• Young Farmer Stream (under 40 years old): minimum net worth of $300,000.

Yukon 

• Business Nominee Program: Minimum investment of $300,000; minimum net worth of $500,000.

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