Business Investor Stream

There are two pathways:

The Entrepreneur Pathway for applicants seeking to open a business in Manitoba; and
The Farm Investor Pathway for those intending to establish and operate a farm operation in rural Manitoba.

The renewed BIS will ensure that all business nominees invest in businesses that create jobs for Manitoba and contribute to the Manitoba economy.

Note: All dollar values are in Canadian Dollars (CAD).

Entrepreneur Pathway

The renewed Entrepreneur Pathway replaces the previous MPNP-B stream. It allows Manitoba to recruit and nominate qualified business people from around the world who have the intent and ability to move to Manitoba and establish, purchase a business or become partners in an existing business within the first 24 months of arrival in Canada on a temporary work permit. Applicants are no longer required to submit a deposit of $100,000 to the Manitoba Government.

Business Experience

Minimum of three years of full time work experience in the past five years either as an active business owner or working in a senior management role of a successful business.
Business owners are given higher points in comparison to senior managers.
Business owners must have at least 33 1/3% ownership to qualify for points.

Official Languages Proficiency

Minimum CLB/NCLC 5

Education

Minimum Canadian high school certificate equivalent

Age

No minimum or maximum age; however, ranking points are allocated to candidates 25 to 49 years of age.

Business Investment

Minimum investment is $250,000 for businesses situated in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region.

Minimum investment is $150,000 if a business is situated outside of the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region.

Business Investment must be made in an eligible business as defined by the MPNP.

The proposed business must create or maintain at least one job for a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident in Manitoba (excluding owners of the business and/or their close relatives).

Business Research Visit

A Business Plan is required and is an integral part of the application.

A business research visit allows the applicant to conduct extensive research of their future business investment or proposal. The Business Research Visit must be conducted no more than one year prior to the submission of your EOI.

Adaptability

Points will be allocated to you if:

Your spouse has CLB/NCLC 5 or higher;

You or your spouse have CLB/NCLC 5 or higher in the Second Official Language;

You or your spouse or common-law partner have a close relative currently residing in Manitoba for more than one year;

Your child is enrolled in an accredited Manitoba educational institution and is actively pursuing academic, professional or vocational training on a full-time basis for at least six months prior to the date of submission of EOI; and/or

You or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner have completed a program of full-time study for at least one year at a post-secondary institution in Manitoba. You or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner must have done this after you turned 17 years old and with a valid study permit;

You or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner have completed at least six months of continuous full time employment in Manitoba. A letter of reference from the employer and a copy of the work permit must be provided.

Net Worth

Minimum of $500,000

Your personal net worth will be verified by a third-party supplier approved by the MPNP. A verification report, along with the application, must be submitted to the MPNP within 120 days of receiving your LAA.

Business Performance Agreement

After an application is approved, a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) must be signed prior to the MPNP issuing you a letter of support for applying for a work permit.

Farm Investor Pathway Soft Launch

The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) has launched an interim process for applying to the Business Investor Stream Farm Investor Pathway (FIP). This process will be in place until technical changes to the MPNP Online system are complete (projected completion: late 2018).

The MPNP Business Investor Stream requires updates to the MPNP Online application system. While the system is enhanced, a limited number of Farm Investor Pathway candidates will be processed. The interim process uses the forms below. Once the system enhancements are complete, this interim procedure will end and all future candidates will use the online application system. The interim process is based in the renewed FIP eligibility requirements.

Farm Business Experience

Minimum of three years farm ownership and operation experience supported by verifiable documents.

Official Languages Proficiency

The Farm Investor Pathway (FIP) recognizes language capabilities in either of Canada’s two official languages are an important adaptability skill that will accelerate your ability to become economically established in rural Manitoba.

If you are invited to attend a FIP interview, you will be required to conduct the interview in either French or English.

Farm Business Investment

At least $300,000. You are expected to establish a farming business in rural Manitoba.

Farm business investments must be in eligible tangible assets as defined by the MPNP.

A farm business plan is required and is an integral part of the application.

Investments into a farm business operated primarily for the purposes of deriving passive investment income or speculative purposes are not eligible.

Farm Business Research Visit

You must conduct a Farm Business Research Visit to Manitoba.

Farm Business Activities

A farm business entity should have ongoing and recurring business activities in rural Manitoba.

You are required to live on the farm and actively participate in the management of the farm business on an ongoing basis from within Manitoba.

The farm business must be in active primary agriculture production and economically viable.

The MPNP requires you to conduct value-added farm business activities in Manitoba. Purely speculative activities or the use of third-party farm managers are not eligible under the MPNP.

Economic Establishment Adaptability

You must demonstrate adaptability, specifically relating to practical farming skills, technical knowledge and experience in technological based farming practices that will transfer directly to Manitoba’s current primary farm production industry.

Net Worth

At least $500,000

The MPNP may request for verification of your net worth and financial information by a designated third-party service provider.

If requested, the verification report, along with your application, must be submitted to the MPNP within 120 days of receiving your Invitation to Apply.

Interim Process Overview

These steps briefly show the process for applying to the MPNP Farm Investor Pathway. Steps 1-3 relate to expressing your interest in applying, and steps 4-7 relate to submitting an application and meeting the terms required for nomination. For full details, download the Farm Investor Pathway Guidelines Kit.

Step 1: Explore and research Farm Business in Manitoba

Determine that you meet the minimum criteria of the Farm Investor Pathway.
Complete a Farm Investor Pathway Interest Guidelines Form.
You must meet the minimum eligibility requirements to continue to the next step.
- Please pay close attention to adaptability, specifically relating to your practical farming skills, technical knowledge and experience in technological based farming practices that will transfer directly to Manitoba’s current primary farm production industry. Your existing farm operation must be comparable to current Manitoba farming operations in terms of technology utilization, technological practices employed, scale, equipment utilized, production output, etc.

Step 2: Complete the Interest Guidelines and Farm Business Concept forms

Research your proposed farm business in Manitoba and explore the province.
Based on your research findings and your self-assessment of the FIP eligibility criteria, you may consider completing a Farm Business Concept Form.

Step 3: Submit your Interest Guidelines and Farm Business Concept forms to the MPNP

Once you have completed your farm business research and determined that you are eligible for the FIP, you can submit your forms by email to the MPNP. The following forms are required:
- Your Interest Guidelines Form;
- Your Farm Business Concept Form; and
- Code of Conduct for Immigration Representatives, if applicable.
A response will be emailed to you. If you do not meet the minimum stream criteria requirements, your business concept will not be reviewed. Please note that the business concept is not an application to the MPNP.

Step 4: Submit your full application to the MPNP

If you have been sent a Letter of Advice to Apply (LAA) to the MPNP, you will receive an email with detailed instructions.
- Your LAA may include a request for verification of your net worth and financial information by a designated third-party service provider.
Read and follow the Instructions and Document Checklist.
Electronic submission (email) of all provincial and federal forms is required. Physical copies of these forms will not be accepted.
Physical copies (hard copies) of supporting documents can be submitted by mail or in person.
All documents listed in the Instructions and Document Checklist and your net worth verification report must be submitted, and your application fee must be paid within 120 days of receiving your LAA for your application to be considered complete.

Step 5: Application assessment

Your complete application will be assessed by the MPNP. This may include an interview.
If your application meets all of the requirements of the MPNP, the MPNP will issue you a certificate of nomination.
If you are approved for nomination, you will be instructed to sign a Deposit Agreement and send a deposit of CAD$75,000.

Step 6: Apply for Permanent Residence

Once nominated, you can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.
If your application is favourably assessed by IRCC, you will receive a permanent resident visa.

Step 7: Establish your farm business in Manitoba

Provide your new contact information to the MPNP within 30 days of your landing as a Permanent Resident.
MPNP Business Immigration Officers of the Immigration Programs Branch can assist you with information, feedback, and guidance.

For more details on the process and all of the steps, download the FIP Guidelines Kit.

Interim Process Forms and Documents

Ensure that you have downloaded the most recent version of each form.

Important: These forms are intended to be completed on a desktop or laptop computer. They may not display or function properly on a mobile device (phone or tablet).

Some forms require a digital signature (digital ID). For more information on signing a PDF form with a digital ID, The Business Investor Stream interim process forms and documents may be signed with a self-signed digital ID or a digital ID from a certificate authority.