Dear future neighbour,
Got a business idea and dreaming of building it in Canada? British Columbia just gave entrepreneurs another reason to pay attention. On June 30, the province ran a fresh selection round through its Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) category, reaching out to business owners who want to either start something new in BC or take over and grow an existing business there.
This wasn’t a one-off. It’s actually the seventh time this year that BC has specifically targeted entrepreneurs through this program, and it’s already the second EI draw this month alone, a noticeably faster pace than the roughly one-a-month rhythm the province had been keeping through most of 2026.
See below draw details
BC’s Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) invited candidates from both of its EI streams, though not equally. The province leaned harder into its Base Stream this time:
| Stream | Minimum score | Invitations issued |
|---|---|---|
| Base Stream | 118 | 14 |
| Regional Stream | 113 | Fewer than 5 |
Worth noting: aside from the February 10 round, this draw produced the highest Base Stream cutoff score and the lowest Regional Stream cutoff score of the year so far.
BC has now held 12 EI draws in 2026, seven Base Stream and five Regional Stream – issuing at least 78 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in total.
Base Stream or Regional Stream – which one fits you?
Both pathways lead to the same destination (permanent residence), but they ask different things of you along the way.
| Criteria | Base Stream | Regional Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Business type | Launch new or take over and grow existing | Launch new business outside Metro Vancouver |
| Business experience | 3 years as owner-manager in the last 10 years | 3 years as owner-manager in the last 5 years |
| Education | Post-secondary credential* | Post-secondary credential* |
| Minimum language level | CLB 4 | CLB 4 |
| Minimum net worth | $600,000 | $300,000 |
| Minimum investment | $200,000 | $100,000 |
| Minimum ownership stake | 31.33% | 51% |
| Community referral needed? | No | Yes |
| Exploratory visit needed? | No | Yes |
| Minimum registration score | 115/200 | 105/200 |
| Co-applicant on registration? | Yes | No |
If you don’t have a post-secondary credential, you’ll need at least three of the past five years as an active, fully-owning business owner-manager instead.
The Regional Stream asks for a lower net worth and investment, but it comes with two extra steps:
- finding a participating community that fits your business, and
- completing an exploratory visit to secure a referral
The Base Stream skips those, but demands deeper pockets and a bigger investment.
From there, the path looks similar either way:
- Develop your business proposal
- Register and get scored on your human capital and economic factors
- Wait for an invitation
- Submit your nomination application within four months of getting that ITA
- Apply for a work permit once approved
- Get your business up and running in BC, and finally
- Receive your nomination for permanent residence once you’ve met the program’s conditions. After that, you apply directly to IRCC for PR.
Let’s Map Your Path to Business Immigration in Canada
Numbers like these tell a bigger story, BC is actively looking for entrepreneurs, and the door is open right now. But getting from “I have a business idea” to “I have my PR” involves a lot of moving parts: choosing the right stream, building a proposal that actually scores well, and staying on top of tight deadlines once your ITA lands. A single misstep can cost you months, or the opportunity altogether.
At Ese Umoh Immigration, we help entrepreneurs, workers, families, and students find their best route into Canada whether that’s provincial nomination, Express Entry, work permits, postgraduate work permits, spousal sponsorship, visitor visas, super visas, citizenship applications, or school admissions. If BC’s entrepreneur streams sound like your kind of opportunity, let’s talk it through together. Book your consultation here and let’s get your business and your future moving in the right direction.