Alberta Farm Stream

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Farm Stream is designed for experienced farmers who wish to purchase or establish a farming business in Alberta.

Applicants must demonstrate farm management experience, provide a viable business plan and show a minimum net worth and investment capacity of CAD $500,000. The proposed business must involve primary agricultural production and support Alberta’s agricultural and agri-food development goals.

Successful applicants may receive a provincial nomination and can then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence.

Key Requirements:

• Proven farm ownership or management experience
• Minimum net worth of CAD $500,000
• Minimum investment of CAD $500,000
• Detailed farm business plan
• Intention to live in Alberta and actively manage the farm
• Ability to meet AAIP and federal immigration requirements

Start your journey towards owning a farm and building your future in Alberta with professional guidance from Open Path Immigration.

Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Rural Entrepreneur Stream is designed for experienced entrepreneurs who want to start a new business, purchase an existing business or take over a business in a rural Alberta community.

Under this pathway, successful applicants normally receive support to apply for a temporary work permit. They must then move to Alberta, establish and actively operate the approved business according to a Business Performance Agreement before becoming eligible for provincial nomination and permanent residence.

What Is Considered a Rural Alberta Community?

For this program, a rural community must:

• Have a population of fewer than 100,000
• Be located outside the Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Areas
• Participate in the Rural Entrepreneur Stream and provide the applicant with a Community Support Letter

Applicants must complete an exploratory visit, either in person or through an approved video conference arrangement, and discuss their proposed business with the participating community.

Factors That May Improve Your Score

• Establishing the business in a smaller rural community
• Investing more than the minimum amount
• Creating additional employment
• Purchasing an existing eligible business
• Higher language proficiency
• Higher educational qualifications
• Previous work or study experience in Canada or Alberta
• Having qualifying relatives in Alberta
• Being between 21 and 49 years of age
• A spouse with eligible education or language ability

Build Your Business and Future in Rural Alberta

The Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream provides experienced business owners and senior managers with an opportunity to establish themselves in one of Alberta’s growing rural communities.

A suitable business proposal, community support, sufficient investment funds and a clear plan for active business management are essential to a successful application.

Open Path Immigration can guide you through community selection, eligibility assessment, business-plan preparation, Expression of Interest submission and the complete immigration process.

British Columbia Entrepreneur Immigration

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) provides immigration pathways for experienced entrepreneurs and established foreign companies that want to create, purchase or expand a business in British Columbia.

Successful applicants generally receive support to apply for a temporary work permit, establish and actively manage the approved business in B.C., meet the conditions of a Performance Agreement and then apply for provincial nomination and Canadian permanent residence. The BC PNP currently offers the Base Stream, Regional Stream and Strategic Projects Stream.

Entrepreneur Immigration – Base Stream

The Base Stream is suitable for experienced entrepreneurs who want to establish a new business or purchase and grow an existing eligible business in British Columbia.

Entrepreneur Immigration – Regional Stream

The Regional Stream is designed for entrepreneurs who want to establish a new business in a participating community outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District.

The proposed business must support the referring community’s economic development priorities. Applicants must complete an exploratory visit and obtain a referral from the participating community before registering with the BC PNP.

The government’s current website describes eligibility through participating communities outside Metro Vancouver rather than using the older general condition that every community must have fewer than 75,000 residents.

Entrepreneur Immigration – Strategic Projects Stream

The Strategic Projects Stream is intended for well-established foreign corporations that want to establish or expand business operations in British Columbia and relocate essential managerial, professional or technical employees.

A company may propose up to five key staff members who are essential to the B.C. operation and who may later qualify for provincial nomination.

The company must first attend an information meeting with the BC PNP. It may then be invited to register its proposal and subsequently submit a full application.

For the Base and Regional streams, successful applicants normally have up to 20 months after arriving in B.C. to implement the approved business plan and satisfy the Performance Agreement.

Build Your Business and Future in British Columbia

British Columbia’s Entrepreneur Immigration streams provide opportunities for experienced businesspeople and established international companies to invest, create employment and contribute to the province’s economy.

A strong business proposal, lawful source of funds, relevant management experience and a clear plan for actively operating the business are essential to a successful application.

Open Path Immigration can support you with eligibility assessment, stream selection, business-plan coordination, community-referral guidance, registration and the complete immigration process.

Program criteria, participating communities, fees and invitation conditions may change. Applicants should obtain an updated assessment before applying.

Manitoba Business Investor Stream

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program Business Investor Stream is designed for experienced entrepreneurs and farm investors who want to establish, purchase or operate a business in Manitoba.

The stream includes two pathways:

Entrepreneur Pathway

The Entrepreneur Pathway is for qualified business owners and senior managers who intend to start a new business, purchase an existing business or become a partner in an eligible Manitoba business.

Applicants must generally demonstrate:

• At least 3 years of full-time business ownership or senior management experience gained within the previous 5 years
• Minimum language proficiency of CLB 5 in English or French
• At least a Canadian high-school-equivalent qualification
• Minimum personal net worth of CAD $500,000, verified by an approved third-party service provider
• Minimum eligible investment of CAD $250,000 for a business located in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region, or CAD $150,000 for a business located outside that region

An exploratory visit is not always mandatory, but it is strongly recommended because it can help applicants research the local market, business opportunities and operating environment.

Successful applicants normally sign a Business Performance Agreement, obtain support for a temporary work permit and establish the approved business before becoming eligible for provincial nomination and permanent residence.

Farm Investor Pathway

The Farm Investor Pathway is intended for experienced farm owners and operators who want to establish and actively operate a primary-production farm business in rural Manitoba.

Applicants must generally demonstrate:

• At least 3 years of farm ownership and operation experience
• Minimum personal net worth of CAD $500,000
• Minimum eligible farm investment of CAD $300,000
• Completion of a farm-business research visit to Manitoba
• The intention to live on or close to the farm and actively manage its daily operations
• Sufficient adaptability, knowledge and financial capacity to establish the proposed agricultural business

The proposed farm must be an active, economically viable primary-production operation. Passive investments, speculative land purchases and absentee-ownership arrangements are not eligible.

Establish Your Business in Manitoba

The Manitoba Business Investor Stream offers experienced entrepreneurs and farmers an opportunity to build a business while contributing to employment, investment and economic development in the province.

A strong business plan, lawful source of funds, relevant experience and genuine intention to actively manage the operation are essential for a successful application.

Open Path Immigration can assist with pathway selection, eligibility assessment, business-plan coordination, documentation and the complete provincial and federal immigration process.

New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream

The New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream (NB BIS) is intended for experienced business owners and senior managers who want to establish, purchase or actively manage an eligible business in New Brunswick.

Applicants are assessed on factors such as age, language ability, education, business experience, personal net worth, proposed investment and the commercial viability of their business plan.

Eligible Business Investment

Qualifying investment may include reasonable business-related expenses such as:

• Commercial premises
• Equipment, machinery and business tools
• Office furniture and technology
• Initial business inventory
• Certain start-up and operating expenses
• Eligible professional-service costs
• A business vehicle where operationally necessary

Limits may apply to some expenditure categories. Personal purchases, residential property and luxury vehicles are not considered eligible business investments.

Purchasing an Existing Business

Applicants planning to purchase an existing New Brunswick business must generally demonstrate that:

• The business has been operating continuously under the same ownership for at least three years
• The seller is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• The business is not in bankruptcy, receivership or financial distress
• The purchase will be completed at fair market value
• The business has recorded a net profit in at least two of the previous three years
• The applicant will maintain or improve the business and actively manage its operations

Build Your Business in New Brunswick

The New Brunswick Business Immigration Stream offers experienced entrepreneurs an opportunity to establish themselves in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces while contributing investment, employment and economic activity.

A strong business proposal, relevant management experience, lawful source of funds and genuine commitment to actively operating the business are essential.

Open Path Immigration can assist with eligibility assessment, business-plan coordination, documentation, application preparation and the provincial and federal immigration process.

Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream is designed for experienced business owners and senior managers who want to establish or purchase a business and actively manage it while living in Nova Scotia.

Applicants first submit an Expression of Interest and may be invited to apply based on their profile. Successful candidates normally receive support for a temporary work permit, establish and operate the approved business for at least one year, and may then qualify for provincial nomination and Canadian permanent residence.

International Graduate Entrepreneur Criteria

Eligible graduates of recognized Nova Scotia institutions may qualify under the stream’s international graduate criteria.

Applicants must generally:

• Have completed at least two years of full-time, in-person study at a recognized Nova Scotia university or Nova Scotia Community College
• Hold a valid post-graduation work permit
• Have continuously owned and operated a Nova Scotia business for at least one year, with minimum 33.3% ownership
• Demonstrate at least CLB 7 in English or French
• Intend to remain in Nova Scotia and actively manage the business

Open Path Immigration can assist with eligibility assessment, business planning, Expression of Interest preparation and the complete provincial and permanent residence process.

Prince Edward Island Entrepreneur Work Permit Stream

The Prince Edward Island Entrepreneur Work Permit Stream is designed for experienced business owners and managers who want to establish, purchase and actively operate a business in Prince Edward Island.

Successful applicants are generally supported in applying for a temporary work permit. They must then move to PEI, operate the approved business and fulfil the conditions of a signed Performance Agreement before becoming eligible for provincial nomination and Canadian permanent residence.

Applicants are expected to make an eligible investment in a PEI business and participate actively in its day-to-day management.

General Application Process

The process normally includes submitting an Expression of Interest, receiving an invitation to apply, providing a detailed business proposal and supporting documents, attending an interview, signing a Performance Agreement and applying for a temporary work permit.

After arriving in PEI, the applicant must establish or purchase the approved business and meet the agreed business and residency conditions. Once these requirements are satisfied, the applicant may receive a provincial nomination and apply to IRCC for permanent residence.

Open Path Immigration can assist with eligibility assessment, business planning, Expression of Interest preparation and the complete provincial and permanent residence process.