Provincial Nominee Program

Provincial Entrepreneur Immigration

Interested in moving to Canada to establish or purchase a business? Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) entrepreneur pathways offer eligible business owners and senior managers an opportunity to establish, purchase and actively manage a business while working toward Canadian permanent residence.

Selected applicants may receive provincial or territorial support to apply for a work permit. After operating the approved business and meeting the program’s requirements, they may qualify for nomination and apply for permanent residence. Requirements and selection procedures vary by province or territory.

01 What Is Provincial Entrepreneur Immigration?

Provincial entrepreneur immigration offers eligible business owners and senior managers a pathway to establish or purchase and actively manage a business in a participating province or territory while working toward permanent residence.

Each province or territory sets its own requirements and selects business proposals that support its economic priorities.

Selected applicants may receive a work permit support letter. They can then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for an employer-specific work permit under the International Mobility Program.

C60 is the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption code used for qualifying provincial or territorial business candidates. Their proposed work needs to create or maintain significant economic, social or cultural benefits for Canadians or permanent residents.

If approved, the work permit allows entrepreneurs to operate the business under the conditions stated on their permit and work toward meeting the province or territory’s business requirements.

After fulfilling these requirements, entrepreneurs may qualify for nomination. Nomination is an important step toward permanent residence. Once nominated, they can submit a separate permanent residence application to IRCC, which makes the final decision.

02 Who Can Apply?

You may be eligible if you:

have qualifying business ownership or senior management experience;
meet the applicable language, net worth and investment requirements;
intend to establish, purchase or operate an eligible business;
have the experience and financial ability to carry out the proposed business plan;
intend to live in the supporting province or territory and actively manage the business; and
meet the general requirements for a Canadian work permit.

Requirements and application processes vary by province or territory. They may include education, language ability, business experience, a minimum net worth, an eligible investment, business ownership, job creation and residence requirements.

An exploratory visit, interview, independent net-worth review or business-plan assessment may also be required.

03 How Do Provincial and Territorial Entrepreneur Programs Differ?

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories. Participating provinces and territories set their own entrepreneur program requirements based on local economic needs.

The main differences include:

Business experience: The type and length of business ownership or senior management experience required.
Financial requirements: The personal net worth and eligible business investment needed.
Business and location: The types of businesses accepted and where they can operate.
Business commitments: The ownership, active management, job creation and residence requirements.
Application process: Whether an exploratory visit, community referral, interview or independent net worth review is required.

04 How the Process Works

The process generally involves the following stages:

Explore Your Options and Develop Your Business Proposal

Begin by reviewing the provincial or territorial entrepreneur streams that may fit your experience, financial circumstances and business goals.

You will also need to develop a proposal to establish a new business or purchase an eligible existing business. Market research, financial projections, an investment plan and a hiring plan may form part of your proposal.

Some provinces or territories may require or encourage an exploratory visit. This can help you understand the local market, examine business opportunities and determine whether the location is suitable for you and your business.

Submit an Expression of Interest

Once you have developed your business proposal, you may submit an expression of interest to the province or territory.

Your profile explains how your qualifications and proposed business align with the province or territory’s selection criteria. It may receive a score and be placed in a pool of candidates. Competitive candidates may be invited to submit a complete business application.

Submit Your Business Application

If invited, you will submit a complete application with supporting documents.

Depending on the applicable requirements, these may include:

identity and civil status documents;
evidence of your education, language ability and business experience;
net-worth, source-of-funds and investment documents;
an independent financial or net-worth review, if required; and
a detailed business plan covering ownership, operations, financial projections and job creation.

An interview or independent assessment of the business plan may also be required.

Sign a Performance Agreement

If your business application is approved, you may be asked to sign a performance agreement with the province or territory.

After the agreement is signed, the province or territory may issue a work permit support letter.

Apply for the C60 Work Permit

After receiving the support letter and completing the applicable Employer Portal and employer-compliance requirements, you can apply to IRCC for an employer-specific, LMIA-exempt C60 work permit.

IRCC reviews the work permit application and, if approved, issues the authorization needed to work in the approved business.

Establish and Operate the Business

After arriving in Canada, you must establish or purchase the approved business and actively manage its operations.

During the business-performance period, you will work toward completing the commitments in your performance agreement. You may also be required to provide progress reports showing the development and operation of the business.

Request Nomination

After completing the required business commitments, you may submit a request for nomination to the province or territory.

Depending on the applicable requirements, you may need to provide:

a final report on the business;
evidence of ongoing business operations;
financial statements or an independent financial review;
proof of the required investment;
payroll and employment records;
proof of active business management and residence; and
evidence that the performance agreement has been completed.

The province or territory reviews the business results and, if satisfied, issues a nomination certificate.

Apply for Permanent Residence

After receiving the nomination, you can submit a permanent residence application to IRCC before the expiry date shown on the nomination certificate.

IRCC reviews the permanent residence application. If approved, permanent residence may be granted to the entrepreneur and eligible accompanying family members.

05 Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to own a business already to apply for PNP entrepreneur immigration?+

Not necessarily. Many streams accept applicants with qualifying senior management experience, even if they have never owned a business. Your experience needs to meet the stream’s requirements and show that you can manage the proposed business.

How much do I need to invest to qualify for PNP entrepreneur immigration?+

There is no single investment amount for all streams. The requirement may depend on the province or territory and the business location. Personal net worth is assessed separately. You should also allow for operating costs and living expenses, beyond the required business investment.

Can I apply from outside Canada?+

In many cases, yes. Provincial and territorial entrepreneur streams are generally designed to attract experienced business owners and senior managers from outside Canada. The available application options and requirements depend on the applicable stream.

After receiving approval to proceed, signing the performance agreement and obtaining a work permit support letter, you may apply for a C60 work permit to establish and run your business.

Can I establish a new business or purchase an existing one?+

Depending on the applicable requirements, you may be able to establish a new business or purchase an eligible existing business. The business proposal must be accepted by the supporting province or territory.

Can I hire someone else to run my business under a PNP entrepreneur program?+

You can hire managers and employees, but you generally need to remain actively involved in daily management. Investing money while leaving all responsibility to someone else usually does not meet entrepreneur program requirements. Your role needs to match your approved business plan and agreement.

Do I need to live in the province or territory supporting my entrepreneur application?+

Yes, you need a genuine intention to settle there. During the business stage, you also need to meet the stream’s residence and active management requirements. These may specify how much time you spend in the province or territory and where you live in relation to the business.

Can my family accompany me under PNP entrepreneur immigration?+

Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children may accompany you if they meet the applicable entry and temporary residence requirements. Your spouse or common-law partner may qualify for an open work permit. Depending on their age and study plans, your dependent children may apply for a study permit or come as visitors.

How can provincial entrepreneur immigration lead to permanent residence?+

After operating the business and completing the performance agreement, you may request nomination from the province or territory. Once nominated, you can submit a separate permanent residence application to IRCC.

Talk to a Licensed Expert

Exploring a provincial entrepreneur pathway?

Get Personilized Guidance to compare provincial and territorial options, assess your experience and finances, develop your business proposal and understand the path from a work permit to nomination.

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01 What the Entrepreneur Stream Is

The Ontario Entrepreneur Program — formally the OINP Entrepreneur Stream — is an economic immigration pathway run by the Province of Ontario. It is designed for people who will actively own and operate a business in Ontario, either by starting something new or by purchasing and running an existing Ontario business.

It is a provincial nomination program tied to the federal permanent residence process. Ontario does not grant permanent residence itself; instead, an approved entrepreneur who fulfils their commitments can be nominated by Ontario, and that nomination supports an application for permanent residence decided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

A provincial nomination is not, by itself, permanent residence. It strengthens a federal PR application, but IRCC makes the final decision and carries out admissibility, security, and medical checks.

02 Current Status & the 2026 OINP Redesign

This is the most important thing to know before you plan around the Entrepreneur Stream today.

As of June 2026: Effective May 30, 2026, amendments to Ontario Regulation 421/17 under the Ontario Immigration Act came into force and revoked the Entrepreneur Stream (along with all of Ontario's other nominee streams) in its previous form. This was announced in an OINP program update and is described by Ontario as the start of a redesign of the program. The stream is not currently open to new applicants, and Ontario has not yet published the eligibility rules, investment or net-worth figures, job-creation targets, or a launch date for the redesigned Entrepreneur stream. Confirm the live status on the official OINP page before acting.

Ontario has indicated a redesigned entrepreneur pathway is planned, with the province describing two profiles it intends to serve: founders establishing a new business in Ontario, and applicants buying and operating an existing Ontario business (a business-succession route). The detailed criteria are still to come.

Ontario has stated that applications received under the existing framework before the change are assessed under the rules that were in place at the time of application. If you already have a file in progress, your situation may differ — have it reviewed individually.

The sections below explain how the Entrepreneur Stream has worked and the structure Ontario uses, so you understand the pathway and can move quickly once details for the redesigned stream are published.

03 Who the Stream Is For

The Entrepreneur Stream is aimed at hands-on business owners and senior managers who intend to live in Ontario and run their business day to day. In general, it suits someone who:

has genuine business ownership or senior management experience
has the personal capital to invest in and grow an Ontario business
plans to establish a new business or buy and operate an existing one in Ontario
will be actively involved in managing the business, not a passive investor
intends to create jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents
wants the business to be a bridge to permanent residence through a provincial nomination

Specific eligibility factors — such as required experience, equity ownership, and business type — are defined by the OINP and are expected to be set again for the redesigned stream. Treat the points above as the general profile, not a checklist of current rules.

04 Key Requirements & Where Your Business Sits

The Entrepreneur Stream has historically been built around a few core requirements. Crucially, several of these vary by where the business is located in Ontario — generally with higher thresholds inside the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and lower thresholds outside the GTA (and for certain sectors such as information and communications technology).

Personal Net Worth

You must show a minimum personal net worth. The required amount has been tiered by business location — higher inside the GTA, lower outside it.

Personal Investment

A minimum personal investment into the Ontario business is required, again set higher for GTA businesses than for those located elsewhere.

Job Creation

You must create a minimum number of full-time jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, confirmed against your commitments.

Business Experience

Relevant business ownership or senior management experience is required, with an active management role in the Ontario business.

As of June 2026, no current dollar figures are confirmed. The net-worth, investment, and job thresholds for the redesigned Entrepreneur stream have not been published, and figures from the previous (now-revoked) stream should not be relied on. The GTA includes the City of Toronto and the regions of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. Always confirm the exact current thresholds and the GTA / non-GTA split on the official OINP page before committing any funds.

05 Expression of Interest & Selection

The Entrepreneur Stream has used a competitive, points-based Expression of Interest (EOI) system. The typical flow has been:

Register an Expression of Interest

You create an online profile and register an EOI describing your business concept and your personal profile. An EOI is not an application, and there has been no fee simply to register one.

Receive a Self-Declared Score

The EOI is scored against a points grid based on factors such as your experience, investment, jobs, and where in Ontario the business will be located.

Selection & Invitation to Apply

Ontario periodically selects candidates from the pool. Higher-ranked EOIs may receive an Invitation to Apply; being in the pool does not guarantee an invitation.

Submit a Full Application & Business Plan

If invited, you submit a detailed application with supporting documents, including a business plan, within the deadline set in the invitation.

Interview

Shortlisted applicants attend an interview with the OINP, where your plan and ability to deliver it are assessed.

What you declare in your EOI and application becomes the basis of your binding commitments later. The exact scoring, selection thresholds, and process steps will be re-set for the redesigned stream — confirm them on the official OINP page when published.

06 The Two-Step Model

A defining feature of the Entrepreneur Stream is that it is a two-step process: you generally build the business first, and the nomination comes afterward, once you have met the commitments in a performance agreement.

Step 1 — Performance Agreement & Temporary Work

If your application is approved, you sign a performance agreement setting out your investment, job-creation, and business commitments and timelines. This supports a temporary work permit so you can come to Ontario and establish or take over and operate the business.

Step 2 — Nomination Toward PR

After you operate the business and meet the terms of your performance agreement, Ontario can issue a provincial nomination. You then apply to IRCC for permanent residence, which makes the final decision.

Because the nomination depends on actually delivering your commitments, the OINP has cautioned applicants against investing before the performance agreement is signed. The specific timelines and milestones are set in each individual agreement and are expected to be reset for the redesigned stream.

07 Frequently Asked Questions

Is the OINP Entrepreneur Stream open right now?+

As of June 2026, the Entrepreneur Stream is not open to new applicants. Effective May 30, 2026, Ontario revoked its existing nominee streams — including the Entrepreneur Stream — as part of a redesign of the program, and has not yet published criteria or a launch date for the redesigned entrepreneur pathway. Confirm the current status on the official OINP page before planning.

How much money do I need to invest?+

The stream uses minimum net-worth and minimum personal investment thresholds that have varied by where the business is located in Ontario (higher inside the Greater Toronto Area, lower outside it and for some sectors). However, no current figures are confirmed for the redesigned stream as of June 2026, and earlier figures should not be relied on. Confirm the exact current amounts on the official OINP page before committing funds.

Does it cost more to start a business in Toronto than elsewhere in Ontario?+

Historically, yes — the requirements have generally been higher for businesses inside the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Durham, Halton, Peel, and York) than for those outside the GTA, and certain sectors such as ICT have had different treatment. The province uses this structure to encourage investment across Ontario. The specific split for the redesigned stream has not yet been published.

Does the nomination give me permanent residence directly?+

No. A provincial nomination from Ontario supports your application, but permanent residence is granted by IRCC, which makes the final decision and carries out admissibility, security, and medical checks. The Entrepreneur Stream is a two-step process: you establish and operate the business first, then receive a nomination toward PR after meeting your performance agreement.

Can I buy an existing Ontario business instead of starting a new one?+

The Entrepreneur Stream has supported both establishing a new business and purchasing and operating an existing one, and Ontario's described redesign continues to reference both a new-business route and a business-succession route. Conditions apply to how a purchased business must be operated and grown, so confirm the current rules before proceeding.

Should I invest before I'm approved?+

The OINP has advised against making investments before your performance agreement is signed, because doing so is at your own risk. A licensed immigration consultant can help you sequence the steps so your investment lines up with the program's requirements rather than getting ahead of them.