Province of Manitoba is a prairie province located at the heart of Canada. With a special agreement with the Immigration, Refugees & Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Manitoba is able to nominate the skilled and capable immigrants for permanent residence status, with the help of an immigration pathway that is known as Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP).

MPNP allows the province to meet the demands of the local labor market by selecting the qualified immigrants that are having the perfect credentials and are having the best-suited work experience for the labor market of the Manitoba province. To be able to nominate the immigrants with different skill sets, MPNP has the following streams:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba
Skilled Workers Overseas
International Education Stream
Business Investor Stream
What is Manitoba Business Investor Stream?
Manitoba’s Business Investor Stream (BIS) is to attract business owners and entrepreneurs with experience to start their own business in Manitoba. Via this stream, the province of Manitoba is able to nominate qualified and experienced business owners and entrepreneurs who are having the intent to start or purchase businesses in Manitoba.

Business Investor Stream (BIS) has the following immigration pathways:

Entrepreneur Pathway
Farm Investor Pathway
What are the eligibility criteria for the Manitoba BIS Entrepreneur Pathway?
Entrepreneur Pathway formerly known as the Manitoba Business Stream allows the immigrants who want to run their own business in Manitoba an immigration pathway.

To apply for under Entrepreneur pathway, immigrants first have to meet the following eligibility criteria:

Business Experience

Minimum of three years of experience in the past five years either as an active business owner or working in a senior management role of a successful business
Business owner gave higher points in comparison to senior managers
The business owner must have at least 33.3% ownership to qualify for point
Language Proficiency

Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB)/ NCLC level 5
Educational Qualification

Minimum Canadian High school certificate equivalent
Age

There is no minimum or maximum age requirement but points for age are only awarded to the applicant within the age group 25 to 49 years of age
Business Investment

Minimum Investment is $250,000 for business situated in the Manitoba Capital Region (MCR)
Minimum Investment is $150,000 if a business is situated outside of the Manitoba Capital Region (MCR)
The investment must be made in an eligible business that is defined by the MPNP
The proposed business must create or maintain at least one job for Canadian Citizen or Permanent Residence in the province (excluding owners of the business and/or their close relatives)
Business Research Visit

Business Plan is an integral part of the application and is a mandatory requirement
A business research visit allows the applicant to conduct extensive research for their business investment or proposal. The visit must be conducted no more than one year prior to the submission of the applicant’s EOI
Adaptability

Points are awarded to the application for the following cases:

Spouse has CLB/NCLC level 5 or higher
Spouse has CLB/NCLC level 5 or higher in the second official language
Spouse or common-law partner have a close relative residing in the province for a minimum duration of one year
Applicant’s child is enrolled in an accredited Manitoba educational institution and is pursuing academic, professional or vocational training on a full-time basis for a minimum six months
Applicant or applicant’s accompanying spouse or common-law partner have completed a program of full-time study or at least one year at a post-secondary institution in the province
OR




Applicant or applicant’s accompanying spouse or common-law partner have completed a minimum of six months of continuous full-time employment in Manitoba

Net Worth

The minimum net worth of $500,000 CAD which is verified by a third-party supplier approved by the MPNP
Business Performance Agreement

After the application is approved, a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) is signed prior to MPNP issuing a letter of support for applying for a work permit
What are the steps to apply for Manitoba BIS Entrepreneur Pathway?

Following are the steps to apply under the Manitoba Business Immigration stream:

Step 1: The very first step would be to do a self-assessment to determine whether the applicant is able to meet the minimum criteria for the Entrepreneur pathway. Applicants have to fill the Self-Assessment form and once it is completed, applicants will be awarded points score out of 150 points based on some factors. How these points are awarded will be discussed later.

Step 2: Entrepreneur applicants are encouraged to visit Manitoba and attend business seminars that are held by the Business Consulting Unit (BCU) of the Immigration and Economic Opportunities Division. Applicants are required to fill business concept form before receiving an ITA to apply for Entrepreneur Pathway. This business concept required the applicant to describe:

Business Opportunity identified in Manitoba
Research that assisted the applicants to choose the business as a viable opportunity
How the applicant’s background, training, and experience will help in developing the business opportunity
Intended investment and applicant’s financial position
How the product/services will be marketed and identify a business’s competitive advantage over other competitors
Critical resource requirements, for example like geographical location, specialized equipment, etc.
Implementation timelines considering the possibilities for early of relayed business establishment
Critical risk factors while explaining risk management strategies to overcome critical risks
Further research needed to finalize the business plan
How the business will contribute to Manitoba’s economic growth


Step 3: After completing the market research, Entrepreneur applicants are required to submit the following forms to MPNP

Business Compact form
Self-Assessment form
Code of Conduct for Immigration Representatives
Step 4: Once the applicants are able to meet the minimum criteria and their Business Concept is approved, Manitoba’s Provincial office will send a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) to the applicant. After getting the LAA, the applicant has 120 days to submit a complete application package to MPNP, which includes a non-refundable application processing fee of CAD $2,500.

Step 5: After all this application assessment is done. Application assessment can include an invitation for an in-person interview. The applicant is required to sign a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) which acts as a contractual agreement between the applicant and MPNP. After signing the BPA, MPNP issues a Letter of Support (LOS). LOS needs to be included in the application for a temporary work permit that is submitted to the IRCC.

Step 6: With the help of the temporary work permit, an applicant can run their business in the province. They are required to provide with regular updates on the business’s performance. The applicant can schedule appointments with BCU for assistance, feedback and guidance regarding establishing the business successfully.

Step 7: Once the applicant is able to fulfill the terms and conditions of the BPA, they will obtain a provincial nomination certificate from the provincial government. With the help of this nomination, the applicant can apply for Canada PR visa to the IRCC.