There are 8 Canadian provincial nominee programs available to entrepreneurs, the self-employed, and businesspersons who are not yet Canadian citizens. These programs are designed to help promote and develop Canada’s economy by creating new opportunities in local markets.
British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program
The BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) Base Category stream is for experienced entrepreneurs who are ready to establish a new business or take over and grow an existing B.C. business. When you are approved under the BC Provincial Nominee Program, you can, along with your dependent family, apply to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to become permanent residents of Canada in the Provincial Nominee class.
Your business plan must demonstrate that your proposed business is consistent with your registration business concept and that there is potential for commercial viability under your ownership, including a market entry strategy to show how your proposed business will be successful.
If you plan to purchase an existing business, you must also demonstrate how your business will grow and expand under your management, (meaning it is in operation and not in receivership at the time of purchase), and that the business will generate a profit and can sustain an expanded workforce.
The BC PNP Entrepreneur Base Category Business Plan should include:
- Executive Summary
- Goals and Company Description
- Owners Profile
- Company Management (including biographies)
- Technology Description & Potential Benefits
- Intellectual Property Protection Plan
- Research & Development Plan
- Commercialization Plan
- Production or Service Delivery Plan
- Marketing Plan
- Human Resource Plan (if applicable, if you need to hire people)
- Financial Plan (includes cash flow projections, profits & loss statement, payback period calculation)
Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
Run by the government of Alberta and Canada, the AINP is an economic immigration program that nominates people for permanent residency in Alberta. As a nominee, you must have the skills to fill job shortages or be planning to buy or start a business in Alberta. You must also be able to provide for your family. If you are nominated through the program, you may apply for permanent residence status together with your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children.
Applicants can be nominated through two streams, one for foreign workers who are living and working in Alberta or plan to live and work here, and one for entrepreneurs who plan to live in Alberta and buy or start a business in the province.
Your Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) business plan must be evaluated by an AINP approved designated agency/qualified service provided. Applicants should refer to the AINP Business Plan website for stream specific requirements for the Business Plan Evaluation Report. In addition, your business plan must be consistent with your Expression of Interest submission and address the following topics:
- Business overview
- Company and ownership structure
- Management structure
- Operations
- Staffing
- Investment
- Market analysis and risk management
- Governing laws, regulations and licensing
Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)
The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) allows candidates to be nominated to the federal government for permanent residence under three main categories: International Skilled Worker, Saskatchewan Experience, and Business Immigration. Each category is divided into several subcategories for different types of immigration candidates. To be eligible, a business must create economic benefits for Saskatchewan or be an existing business or a new business meeting the province’s economic needs. The company should also be a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, meet the legal requirements for the community they operate in, be a for-profit entity, and be a “permanent establishment” as defined under subsection 400 (2) of the Canadian Income Tax Regulations, 1985.
Your SINP Business Establishment Plan should include:
- Your plan to establish a business that aligns with the points assigned in the Entrepreneur Category Points Grid, (for investment amount and sector);
- Your ownership of at least one third (33.3%) of the equity of a business in Saskatchewan unless your total investment is $1 million CAD or higher;
- Your commitment to providing active and ongoing participation in the day to day management and direction of the business; and
- If you are establishing a new business in Regina or Saskatoon, your business plan must include creating two employment opportunities for Canadians or permanent residents in Saskatchewan (non-relative workers).
The BEP must also include all of the following information, regardless of whether you are purchasing an existing business or plan to establish a new business:
- Business Idea
- Economic Benefit
- Investment
- Business Relationships
- Human Capital
- Appendices:
- Exploratory Visit Report
- Arrival Report Form
- Documents to be submitted with Nomination Report
- Business Establishment Progress Report
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Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP)
The MPNP Business Investor Stream (BIS) enables the province of Manitoba to recruit and nominate qualified business investors and entrepreneurs from around the world who have the desire and ability to start or purchase businesses in Manitoba that will create jobs for the province and contribute to the economy. There are two pathways available: 1) The Entrepreneur Pathway (for applicants seeking to open a business in Manitoba), and 2) the Farm Investor Pathway (for those intending to establish and operate a farm operation in rural Manitoba).
The Entrepreneur Pathway requires an MPNP business plan including:
- Executive Summary
- Business Profile
- Market Profile
- General Resource Requirements
- Human Resource Requirements
- Financial Resource Requirements
- Critical Risk Factors
- Implementation Timeline
- Appendixes (if needed):
- Appendix A: Breakdown of initial business investment (Applicable to all)
- Appendix B: Break Even analysis (Applicable to all)
- Appendix C: Financial forecasts for first three years of operations, with Notes of
- assumptions (Applicable to all)
- Appendix D: Financial statements of an existing business ( Acquisition of an existing business) and/or Supporting documents for a franchise business
The Business Plan for the Farm Investor Pathway should include:
- Farm Operation Business Structure
- Personal Details: Education, Farming Experience and Adaptability, Language Skills
- Critical Factors: Government Regulations, Insurance Requirements
- Market Analysis
- Resource Requirements
- Human Resource Requirements
- Financial Feasibility and Farm Projections
Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP)
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) welcomes nominations for permanent residency from foreign workers, international students, and others with the right skills, experience, and education. Nominees can qualify under three categories: employee job offer category (workers who already have a permanent job offer from an employer in Ontario), human capital category (workers who have valuable work experience, education, language skills, and a profile in Canada’s Express Entry system, or for graduate students), and business category (for entrepreneurs looking to start a new business or buy an existing one in Ontario).
An OINP Business Plan should include:
- Business Overview
- Corporate and Ownership
- Management
- Operations
- Staffing
- Market Analysis
- Risk Analysis and Risk Management
- Governing Laws and Regulations
- Investment Analysis
- Pro-forma Income Statements for Three Years
- Pro-forma Balance Sheets
- Financial Assumptions
- Operational Cost Analysis
- Break-Even Analysis
- Return on Investment
Note: Your business plan should agree very closely with the Business Concept plan submitted with your Expression of Interest application.
New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP)
Administered by the Department of Post Secondary Education, Training, and Labour (PETL), the New Brunswick PNP allows the government of New Brunswick to nominate individuals with the most significant ability to become economically established in the province. This stream is not intended for family reunification, protected persons, or humanitarian and compassionate reasons. Instead, it is an economic immigration program for experienced entrepreneurs ready to establish, operate, and actively manage a business while living and settling in New Brunswick permanently.
A NBPNP Business Plan should include:
- Executive Summary
- Goals and Company Description
- Owners Profile
- Company Management (including biographies)
- Technology Description & Potential Benefits
- Intellectual Property Protection Plan
- Research & Development Plan
- Commercialization Plan
- Production or Service Delivery Plan
- Marketing Plan
- Human Resource Plan (if applicable)
- Financial Plan (includes cash flow projections, profits & loss statement, payback period calculation)
Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
The Entrepreneur Stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) is a temporary to permanent residency invite-only program for experienced business owners or senior business managers who wish to start or buy a business in Nova Scotia. Approved applicants must operate a business in the province on a Work Permit (WP) for at least one continuous year before being nominated for permanent resident status in Canada.
The NSNP Business Establishment Plan should include:
- Business Idea
- Sales and Marketing Plan
- Exploratory Visit (if business succession)
- Critical Factors
- Risk Factors
- Investment/Financial
- Business Relationships
- Human Capital
- Business Establishment Change Plan Requests
Your NSNP Business Plan must also include a detailed Action Plan including the planned actions of the business over the next two to three years, including but not limited to, financial measures required to start or buy a business, anticipated start date of the business, when staff will be hired, the timing of planned export activities.
Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP)
A partnership between the Province of PEI, represented by Immigration Services and the Government of Canada; the PEI PNP is responsible for most international newcomer entries in the province. The program nominates individuals it deems likely to make a positive contribution to the PEI. Applicants are assessed on criteria set out by Immigration Services of the Labour Impact and Business Impact categories. Applicants can select from two categories, each with individual streams: Business Impact Category (100% Ownership Stream, Partial Ownership Stream, Work Permit Stream), and Labour Impact.
The business plan for the PEI PNP Business Impact Category should include:
- Company overview
- Products/services offered, Industry analysis & competitive landscape
- Marketing plan
- Operational plan
- Management team & staffing
- Historical financial statements
- Projected financial statements prepared by a qualified accountant (CA, CGA, CMA)
- Description of applicant’s role in the business
For more information on Canadian provincial nominee program business plans, or for assistance in preparing your immigration business plan, please click here or call 1(888) 880-1898.
Bsbcon has significant experience in writing successful business plans for immigration to Canada. By using language that reflects the legalities of immigration, you receive a business plan that uncomplicates the immigration process.