Canada – Provincial Nominee Programs

Besides these, Canada also offers a few Provincial Nominee Programs under business immigration category, which allows the provinces to select, recruit and nominate qualified business people from around the world, who have the intentions and ability to immigrate to a province and establish or purchase a business.

  • Alberta Immigration
    Alberta, a rich province, offers bountiful opportunities for the investors and immigration aspirants. Albertans enjoy a stable economy, no provincial sales tax, a world-class education system and excellent public health care. Clean and green spaces are abundant and there are plenty of sports, art, culture activities and recreation opportunities to enjoy as resident of the province.
  • British Columbia
    Expanding business with the Asia Pacific region Utilizing wood infected by Mountain Pine Beetle Diversifying the economies of communities affected by Mountain Pine Beetle damage
  • Manitoba Immigration
    Manitoba is the easternmost province of the three Prairie Provinces and enjoys a rich population mix, with people from every continent and virtually every country in the world, thereby providing a wide fusion of cultures and heritage
  • New Brunswick Immigration
    New Brunswick, the largest New Brunswick, the largest of Canada’s three Maritime Provinces, is nestled under Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula besides the State of Maine. New Brunswick has signed a Provincial Nominee Agreement with the federal government.
  • Ontario
    Ontario, a vibrant and multicultural province of Canada welcomes highest number of new immigrants to immigrate and settle in Ontario. This province is known as the land of opportunity because of its prosperous, multi-ethnic society constituted by immigrants from across the world.
  • Saskatchewan
    The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is a provincial immigration program made possible through an agreement with the federal government. The Entrepreneur Program is the category of the SINP designed to attract entrepreneurial talent and capital to the province.


Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program
(Self Employment Farmer Stream)

If you are a farm owner/operator with proven management skills and the financial resources to develop a sustainable growth-oriented primary production farming business, then Alberta is the right place to be in? Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) can nominate individual farm owner/operators who want to immigrate, purchase and manage a farming business in Alberta.

AINP works closely with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development to assess the eligibility of applicants in this category.

Eligibility criteria:

You must prove that you have farm management skills shown by:

  • Financial documentation of your existing farm business ‘
  • Documentation of your education, training and work experience
  • Proposed business plan for the farming enterprise you are considering in Alberta
  • Proof that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance your proposed farming business.

You must have sufficient financial resources to develop a sustainable farming operation.

  • You must be able to invest a minimum of CDN $500,000 of equity in a primary production farming business in Alberta.
  • You must provide documents that demonstrate you have a minimum net worth of CDN $500,000 or confirmation that you have access to a similar amount of funds from other sources.
  • The CDN $500,000 is the minimum amount. You may be required to show you have the ability to invest more than the minimum.

You must invest in a primary production farming business in Alberta.

  • You will have to document your investment intentions in your proposed business plan.
  • Applications representing the best opportunity for growth relevant to Alberta’s agri-food targets will be given priority.

 

British Columbia Nominee Program

British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program for Business Immigration offers accelerated immigration for investment-ready and qualified entrepreneurs ready to invest and settle in BC, and become permanent residents of Canada.

The BC PNP nominates for permanent residence potential immigrants who:

  • Have the ability to establish themselves successfully in BC and
  • Develop and actively manage a business that will provide significant economic benefits to the province.

Applicants must meet the program’s nomination criteria but should be aware that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee approval. The BC PNP establishes nomination targets for the program, and gives priority to candidates who demonstrate the greatest potential to create a successful business and contribute economically to the province.

Eligibility Criteria for Regional Business Category
Applicants for nomination in the Regional Business category will be required to:

  • 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 or the Abbotsford metropolitan area.
  • Create at least one new job in the business for a Canadian or permanent resident.
  • Own at least one third (33 1/3%) of the equity of the business.
  • Provide active and on-going participation in the day-to-day management and direction of the business.

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

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.
  • Sign a Performance Agreement with the Province of British Columbia
  • Sign a Deposit Agreement with the Province of British Columbia if they are seeking a Fast Track nomination.



 

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program

Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for Business allows Manitoba to recruit and nominate qualified business people from around the world who have the intent and ability to move to Manitoba and establish, purchase a business or become partners in an existing business.

The Provincial Nominee Program authorities accelerate the immigration process by providing a Nomination Certificate to you, which allows faster processing by the Government of Canada of your immigration application. The Province of Manitoba is committed to help you and your family settles successfully, identify business opportunities and establish your business or farm in the province.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Minimum verifiable personal net worth of CDN$350,000

  • Demonstrated business or farm ownership experience or a minimum of 3 years experience in a senior management role of a successful company

  • The Investment from the Nominee’s personal assets should be with no less than $150,000 in tangible assets in Manitoba, unless the Investment includes a portion of working capital that is in conformity with the industry’s capital investment structure defined by statistics from Industry Canada, and the total investment including working capital is no less than $150,000.

  • If an Investment is into an existing business, the Nominee must control at least 33.33% of the equity, or make a minimum $1 million equity investment in the business. In addition, a redemption option should not be included in terms of investment.

  • A business entity should have ongoing and recurring business activities in Manitoba.

  • The Nominee is required to actively participate in the management of the business on an ongoing basis from within Manitoba.

  • The business must be legal and viable in Manitoba’s economic environment, and the applicant should have necessary resources and skills to operate such a business.

  • The Program requires the Nominee to conduct value-added business activities in Manitoba. Purely speculative activities do not quality under the Program.

Other Requirements:

  • You must conduct an Exploratory Visit to Manitoba to be able to provide documented assessment of farm business opportunities in Manitoba and general knowledge of the province. Make an Eligible Business Investment in Manitoba

  • Reside in Manitoba along with their dependent family members

  • Able to demonstrate that the combination of farm income and off-farm supplementary income will provide a family after tax income, in excess of $35,000 per annum.

 

New Brunswick Provincial Nomination Program

New Brunswick Provincial Nomination Program for businesspersons has laid their own selection criteria that determine if the businessman can meet the requirements as a Business Applicant.


Successful applicants must:

  • Meet eligibility criteria of the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program.

  • Complete an exploratory visit, including an interview in New Brunswick.

  • Have a business plan or proposal approved by an official from the Government of New Brunswick.

  • Obtain a minimum score of 50 points in the selection factors.

  • Make a CDN$75,000.00 conditionally refundable deposit.

Other Requirements:

Apart from an approved business plan, you must also:

  • Intend to play an active role in the management of their planned business;

  • Show evidence of at least five years of business ownership or management experience in the industry of their planned business;

  • Speak enough English or French for an interview or take steps to learn English or French before they are nominated;

  • Score a minimum of 50 points on a self-assessment test;

  • Demonstrate that they have enough funds for their planned business venture and to support their family for two years; and

  • Sign an agreement to settle permanently in New Brunswick

Advantages New Brunswick PNP

  • Invest in a joint venture in an established business

  • Business start-up uncertainty taken out

  • Start earning on landing

  • Option of continuing in the joint venture firm as a partner available

  • Faster immigration

  • No IELTS required

Ontario Provincial Nominee Program

Opportunities Ontario allows Ontario to select economic immigrants whose skills match those needed by businesses in the province. The investment component of the program helps companies making an investment in Ontario to recruit or relocate key employees to ensure the long-term success of the investment.

To qualify, investments must be of significant importance to Ontario and must create jobs for Ontarians. New investments and expansions to current operations are eligible. Investments need to meet the following eligibility guidelines:

  • The investment must receive an official endorsement from another Ontario ministry at the Deputy Minister level for the investment and the number of key positions requested.

  • The amount of the investment is at least $3,000,000.

  • The investment must create at least five net permanent full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Ontario.

  • The investment has to also comply with Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). This federal law excludes individuals from provincial nomination who:

  • Are nominated because of capital provision, or

  • Engage in an “immigration-linked investment scheme”.

To comply with these exclusions, individual investors seeking nomination need to meet added eligibility requirements (please see section called Eligibility Criteria for Individual Investors)



Investment Nominee Position Guidelines

Investment Nominee Positions being considered for approval by Opportunities Ontario must:

  • Be necessary for the long-term success of the investment.

  • Be in a skilled occupation (NOC 0, A, or B).

  • Be permanent, full-time positions.

  • Meet prevailing wage levels. Information about wages for a variety of professions can be found on the Service Canada Labor Market Information website.

  • Not affect the settlement of any labor dispute or affect the employment of a person involved in such a dispute, or adversely affect employment or training opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Ontario.

 

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program

Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Entrepreneur Program offers you and your family the opportunity to establish, acquire or partner in a business in Saskatchewan and be actively involved in its management.


Eligibility Criteria

Following are the criteria in the SINP Entrepreneur Category that you must meet to be approved for nomination:

  • A minimum net worth of $300,000 Canadian Dollars (CAD) that can be verified.

  • Accumulation of net worth through legal means, which can be verified.

  • Minimum three years entrepreneurial or relevant business management experience.

  • Intent to reside and actively invest in Saskatchewan, which is evaluated using the Intent Grading Grid.

  • Have a minimum active investment of $150,000 CAD in the Province of Saskatchewan. If you own less than 1/3 of the business, then your total investment must be worth at least $1 million CAD.

  • Be involved in the day-to-day management of your business.

  • Make a $75,000 good faith deposit. When you apply to the SINP you must deposit $2,500. Once you are nominated for Permanent Residence you will have to deposit an additional $72,500. If you meet certain conditions, you may apply for your good faith deposit to be returned.

An interview is not obligatory for the SINP Entrepreneur Category, but we may request an interview if we need to further review your criteria. Once the SINP has nominated you, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is responsible for assessing your eligibility for Permanent Residence, including an assessment of health, criminality and security.