International Graduate Entrepreneur Category

The International Graduate Entrepreneur Category targets international graduates who have attended Memorial University and College of the North Atlantic and who wish to create, co-own or manage a business in the province.

The NLPNP International Graduate Entrepreneur Category is one of several immigration streams of the Newfoundland And Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Newfoundland And Labrador. The International Graduate Entrepreneur category is intended for graduates of Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic who has already started or bought a local business and maintained day-to-day operations for at least one continuous year. The candidate must demonstrate they intend to live permanently in Newfoundland and Labrador while owning and actively managing a local business that has the potential to create significant economic benefit to Newfoundland and Labrador. Also, the candidate must have a valid post-graduate work permit.

If the applicant is intending to support regional economic development or focus on high-demand industries or sectors (e.g. Agriculture, Aquaculture, Technology, Natural Resources) will receive priority consideration.

Eligibility Requirements of Applicant

In order to be eligible for NLPNP International Graduate Entrepreneur Category, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

Age: The candidate must be at least 21 years old to be eligible for International Graduate Entrepreneur Category.
Language Proficiency: The applicant must have a score of at least 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or French.
Level of Education: The applicant must have completed a degree or diploma after at least two academic years of full-time, in-person study at Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic with the degree or diploma having been completed within two years of submission of the Expression of Interest.
Work Experience: The candidate must have at least one year’s continuous experience actively managing and owning the current business (33.3 percent minimum ownership).
Business Requirements: The candidate must provide a business plan with supporting financial documentation verified by a recognized by third-party professionals. The applicants are solely responsible for the payment of associated fees related to obtaining these documents. Also, the applicant needs to demonstrate that the business is a for-profit entity with the primary purpose of earning profits through the sale of goods and/or services.
Employment: The applicant needs to demonstrate the ability to create at least one full-time equivalent job for permanent residents or Canadian Citizens.

Eligibility Requirements of Business – Additional Criteria

There are two streams within the International Entrepreneur category – Starting a New Business and Purchasing an Existing Business. Each stream has unique eligibility in addition to the eligibility noted above.

Starting a New Business Stream:

If starting a business, the applicant must create a minimum of one full-time equivalent employment opportunity for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Newfoundland and Labrador. This position must:

Be over and above any position filled by the approved applicant. For clarity, jobs created for or filled by dependents or relatives of the applicant are not eligible.
Be relevant and directly related to the applicant’s business.
Meet the prevailing provincial wage levels.

Purchasing an Existing Business:

If the applicant is purchasing an existing Newfoundland and Labrador business, all of the following apply:

The business must have been in continuous operation by the same owner for the previous five (5) years;
Applicants must provide evidence that reasonable efforts were taken to establish a fair market value for the business;
The business must be actively in operation and not in receivership;
Applicants must offer employment on similar terms and conditions to existing staff, including maintaining existing wages and employment terms

Ineligibility

Ineligible Applicants for International Entrepreneur Category:

An individual living illegally in one’s country of residence;
A person who has had a removal order issued against them by IRCC or Canada Border Services Agency;
A person who is prohibited from entering Canada;
A passive investor (individuals who intend to invest in a Newfoundland and Labrador business with very limited or no involvement in the day-to-day management of the business); and
An individual who does not have status (ineligible to apply until their status is restored).

Ineligible Businesses for International Entrepreneur Category:

Businesses that are conducted remotely (from another Canadian jurisdiction or from another country);
Property rental, investment, and leasing activities;
Real estate construction/development/brokerage, insurance brokerage or business brokerage; unless the applicant can prove their business in one of these areas is of compelling benefit to the province;
Professional services or self-employed business operators requiring licensing or accreditation;
A payday loan, cheque cashing, money changing and cash machines;
Pawnbrokers;
Taxi companies;
Home-based businesses; unless the applicant can prove their business will have a compelling benefit to the province;
Businesses involved in the production, distribution or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products or services;
Not-for-profit businesses;
Investments into a business operated primarily for the purposes of deriving passive investment income;
Businesses operating primarily for the purpose of deriving investment income such as interest, dividends or capital gains;
Businesses that will compensate employees solely on the basis of commission; and
Any other type of business that by association could tend to bring OIM, NLPNP, or the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador into disrepute.

Application Procedure

This program uses an International Graduate Entrepreneur Category EOI Points Grid (mentioned below) system to select applicants In order to be considered for the program, first a candidate must submit an EOI using the PNP’s online service. The most competitive, qualified candidates will be invited to apply to the program.

After receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) candidates must submit an official application for nomination to the province. This application includes documentation supporting the information included in the original EOI. As well, all applicants must pay an application fee of CAD $250 and must provide an Audit Report and a Business Continuity Plan, outlining their entrepreneurial intentions. If an application is deemed to be complete, the applicant will have to participate in an in-person interview.

If an application is approved, the applicant will receive an official provincial nomination from Newfoundland and Labrador. Once an applicant has received an official nomination, they can apply to IRCC for Canadian permanent resident status.