British Columbia PNP Invites Entrepreneurs Draw

September 24, 2026
CIC News Update
British Columbia, PNP, Trending
0

Entrepreneurs looking to establish a business in British Columbia received a new opportunity through the province’s latest Entrepreneur Immigration selection. The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held its latest draw on September 22, 2026, inviting candidates from both of its entrepreneur pathways.

The selection resulted in 10 invitations under the Entrepreneur Immigration Base Stream and fewer than five invitations through the Regional Stream. Candidates in both categories needed a minimum registration score of 119.

Also Read Latest British Columbia PNP Entrepreneur Draw Issues New Invitations

Free Eligibility Assessment

Key Details From the September 22 Selection

The latest draw focused specifically on entrepreneurs who intend to operate businesses in British Columbia. The two streams have different business-location and investment requirements, which means applicants need to choose the pathway that matches their proposed business plans.

Entrepreneur Stream	Minimum Score	Invitations
Base Stream	119	10
Regional Stream	119	<5

The 119-point threshold represents a relatively high selection level for the two streams during the 2026 program year. For the Base Stream, it was the highest minimum score recorded since the February 10 selection. For the Regional Stream, the same threshold had not been reached since March 10.

Entrepreneur Immigration Selections Continue Throughout 2026

British Columbia has continued conducting entrepreneur selections alongside its other provincial immigration draws this year.

By September 22, the province had issued at least 114 invitations through Entrepreneur Immigration selections in 2026. These selections have been distributed between the Base and Regional pathways.

The program’s entrepreneur selections during the year have varied in both invitation numbers and registration scores.

Draw Date	Category	Score	Invitations
Sept. 22	Base	119	10
Sept. 22	Regional	119	<5
Aug. 25	Base	116	11
Aug. 25	Regional	116	5
July 28	Base	117	10
June 30	Base	118	14
June 30	Regional	113	<5
June 2	Base	117	15
June 2	Regional	117	<5
May 5	Base	115	8
May 5	Regional	115	<5
April 14	Base	115	14
March 10	Base	117	7
March 10	Regional	129	<5
Feb. 10	Base	121	13
Feb. 10	Regional	105	<5
Jan. 14	Base	115	7

Across the wider BCPNP program, more than 5,400 invitations had been issued in 2026 when Skills Immigration invitations are included.

Which British Columbia Entrepreneur Stream Fits the Business Plan?

The two entrepreneur options are designed for different types of applicants.

The Base Stream is intended for entrepreneurs who want to establish a new business anywhere in British Columbia or acquire an existing business and expand it. It requires a higher personal net worth and investment than the Regional option.

The Regional Stream, meanwhile, focuses on new businesses established outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District. Applicants must work with a participating community and complete additional steps before they can proceed with their application.

Requirement	Base Stream	Regional Stream
Proposed business	New business or purchase and expansion of an existing business	New business outside Metro Vancouver
Business experience	3 years in the last 10 years	3 years in the last 5 years
Minimum net worth	$600,000	$300,000
Minimum investment	$200,000	$100,000
Minimum ownership	33.33%	51%
Language requirement	CLB 4	CLB 4
Education	Post-secondary credential	Post-secondary credential
Community referral	Not required	Required
Exploratory visit	Not required	Required
Registration score	115/200	105/200

There is an alternative education provision for certain applicants. A person who does not have a post-secondary credential may qualify through the applicable business ownership and management experience route, provided they have owned the business completely and actively managed it for at least three years during the previous five years.

New Work Permit Measure for Provincial Nominees

A federal temporary measure introduced on June 9, 2026, has also changed the timing of Bridging Open Work Permit access for eligible nominees applying through base PNP pathways.

Under the measure, qualifying provincial nominees can apply for a BOWP without having to wait for an Acknowledgement of Receipt for their permanent residence application.

This can be relevant to entrepreneurs who have progressed through the provincial nomination stage and are continuing with their federal PR application, subject to meeting the federal eligibility requirements.

Conclusion

The September selection demonstrates that BC PNP entrepreneur invitations continue to be issued through both available streams, but selection depends on the candidate’s registration score and program requirements.

Applicants should therefore examine their proposed business location, available investment funds, personal net worth, ownership structure, business-management background and language ability before choosing a stream. Regional applicants must also account for the community referral and exploratory-visit requirements.

Check your Canada PR Eligibility

The latest draw is another indication that British Columbia continues to use its Entrepreneur Immigration program to select business applicants who meet the province’s established economic and investment criteria.