vik_c - 10:57 pm on Aug 5, 2010 (gmt 0)

Its really hard to get in if you do not have any assets unless your skill is in high demand.

If I'm self employed and can bring $100,000 to $200,000, shouldn't it be ok? Why should I be expected to create jobs?

false! who told you that, once you get approved to enter the country you can live anywhere you like

See 'British Columbia PNP Business Immigration Stream' I quote and summarise:

Make a personal investment of at least $200,000 CAD to establish or to purchase and expand an eligible business anywhere in BC outside of the Vancouver metropolitan area or the Abbotsford metropolitan area.
Create at least one new job in the business for a Canadian or permanent resident.
Demonstrate that they have a personal net worth of at least $400,000 CAD obtained from legal sources

That $200,000 has to be invested in business. You can only invest a small part in property. It's as good as spent if you can't recover it. Hiring one person for a year is like another $50,000. Now add personal resettlement costs to that!

See [welcomebc.ca ]

You can't settle anywhere you like, at least for some time, there are similar restrictions with regional immigration of Nova Scotia, Quebec etc. Parts of Canada (the easiest ones to get permission for) make North Pole look like Florida when it comes to weather :)

If immigrating to BC, Canada were easy, there would be so many self employed IT professionals from other countries who would get in. They wouldn't affect the local job market and would contribute to the economy.