Business SKILLS

Requirements

BC Provincial Nominee Program - Business Immigration - Business Skills Category

Applicants for nomination in the Business Skills category will be required to:

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 Plan Buy-out which reduces this requirement by one job for each existing job to be maintained.
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 $800,000 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.

Fast Track Option

The fast track option offers immediate nomination for permanent residence. In return, you will be required to make a conditionally refundable $125,000 CAD deposit with the Province of British Columbia. The deposit will be refunded (without interest) when you have met the terms of conditions of your performance agreement and deposit agreement.

Principal Applicants and Key Staff

Principal applicants in Business Skills category may include one foreign, key staff essential to the proposed business as a co-applicant for nomination, but must still create three jobs for Canadians or permanent residents.

Business Succession Plan Buy-out

Business Skills applicants who commit to purchase an existing business will have their stipulated job creation requirements reduced by one job for each existing job that is to be maintained for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. These applications will receive priority processing.

In addition to meeting the requirements for the business skills category, the following additional requirements must be met.

The target business must:

• be located outside of the Vancouver metropolitan area (PDF - 2.34MB) and the Abbotsford metropolitan area (PDF - 775KB).
• be operated by the same owner for a minimum of 5 years
• have employees, other than family members
• be actively in operation.

The applicant must:

• complete an exploratory visit to meet the retiring owners and, where feasible, the local Economic Development Office
• operate the business for a minimum of one full year prior to being considered for nomination (or deposit refund, in the case of Fast Track nominees), with long term intentions of continuing to operate the business
• the succession plan buy-out transaction is to result in a complete change of ownership whereby the purchaser(s) take full control of the business.