NL PNP International Entrepreneur Category

• The candidate must be between 21 and 59 years of age.
• Entrepreneurs will also be awarded points on the International Entrepreneur Category Points Grid for their age, with applicants between 31 and 40 years of age receiving the highest points.

• Prospective applicants must possess a minimum of two years of experience as business owners in the last five years.
• Alternatively, the applicant can qualify if they possess senior management experience. In this case, they must have a minimum of five years of senior management experience in the last ten years.
• Candidates can get additional Entrepreneur Points if their business ownership experience exceeds the minimum amounts stated above.

Prospective candidates must have personal and business assets valued at $600,000 CAD or more. These assets should also be readily transferable to Canada.

• The candidate must invest a minimum of $200,000 CAD in the business in Newfoundland & Labrador.
• They must also have a minimum ownership share of 33.3%. This requirement isn’t necessary if their investment is $1 million CAD or greater.

• Candidates must have completed high school and possess a diploma that is equivalent to a Canadian high school diploma at minimum.
• They will also need to complete an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to demonstrate their education is on par with Canadian standards.
• Prospective entrepreneurs can get additional points on their Entrepreneur Points Grid if they have completed College or University programs.

Applicants must submit a comprehensive business plan along with financial documents that support this plan. These documents must be verified by an official third party before submission.

A business owner counts as someone who has a minimum of 25% ownership in the business and participates in its daily operations.

• The entrepreneur’s business must create one or more full-time positions for Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents living in Newfoundland & Labrador.
• This requirement is necessary only if the entrepreneur is starting a business in the province. Candidates who are purchasing an existing business are exempt from this requirement.

Prospective entrepreneur applicants must make an exploratory visit to Newfoundland & Labrador.

• Prospective entrepreneurs must demonstrate their proficiency in English or French by scoring a minimum of CLB 5 or NCLC 5 on an official language exam.
• Such candidates can score extra points on their Entrepreneur Points Grid if their score is higher than CLB 5 or NCLC 5.

• The candidate must actively manage their business from inside Newfoundland & Labrador.
• The business must meet the legal requirements for the community in which it operates.
• The business must benefit the Newfoundland & Labrador economy.

• The business must have been continuously operated by the same owner in the five years preceding the entrepreneur’s purchase.
• The entrepreneur must conduct a comprehensive exploratory visit to the province and meet with the business’s current owner.
• The business will continue to employ existing staff under similar conditions and terms as before.
• The candidate must demonstrate they have established a fair value for their newly acquired business.

• Businesses can be owned by up to ten partners under a single NL PNP International Entrepreneur Category application.
• These partners can be foreign nationals, Canadian citizens, or Canadian permanent residents.
• Each individual attempting to obtain permanent residency through this method must invest a minimum of $200,000 CAD in the business and possess a minimum ownership share of 33.3% in the company.
• Alternatively, they can invest $1 million CAD or more and bypass the ownership share percentage requirement.

Foreign entrepreneurs can receive additional Entrepreneur Grid points if they have:

• Relatives who reside in Newfoundland & Labrador.
• Prior work experience in Newfoundland & Labrador.