British Columbia issues invitations under entrepreneur streams
The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) has issued more invitations to apply (ITAs) to foreign nationals wishing to immigrate to the province.
Candidates were issued ITAs based on their willingness to start a new business or purchase a pre-existing business in the province, among other factors.
Assess your eligibility for enhanced PNP streams
Draw results
On 28 May, the BC PNP held draws under both its Entrepreneur Immigration (EI) streams. Cumulatively, these draws issued no more than 14 invitations, with varying cut-off scores based on the stream:
| Stream | Cut-off score | Number of invitations |
|---|---|---|
| EI Regional stream | 123 | <5 |
| EI Base stream | 115 | 9 |
The BC PNP’s entrepreneur streams have seen consistent draws throughout 2025 (with a total of 8 nominations selections this year)—in contrast to the other, skills-based, immigration streams run by the province.
To date, there has only been one skills-based immigration draw under the BC PNP in 2025.
The BC PNP advises that ITAs issued under the EI Regional stream are issued roughly once per month to eligible entrepreneurs who have been referred by a participating community.
Targeted invitations to apply under the EI Base stream can be based on one or more of these factors:
- The eligible candidate’s registration score;
- The particular region where the candidate intends to establish a business;
- The population size of the community where the business would be located;
- Whether the proposed business is a start-up or involves purchasing an existing business; and/or
- Whether the business proposal aligns with priority sectors that have been identified.
ITAs for the EI Base stream that are based solely on score-ranking will be held periodically, but may be limited to maintain normal processing times and to prioritize targeted invitations.
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration
Entrepreneur Immigration under the BC PNP is designed for foreign nationals who wish to start a new business, or purchase and operate an existing, in the province of British Columbia.
This branch of the BC PNP is distinct from the other, skills-based immigration streams run by the province, and contains two streams:
- The EI Regional stream; and
- The EI Base stream.
The main distinguishing factor between these two streams is the location where the new business will be started or is operating.
EI Regional candidates must be willing to start a new business (they cannot purchase an existing business) within a participating rural community in British Columbia. They must also receive an endorsement from the participating community to be eligible for an ITA.
EI Base candidates, in contrast, have the freedom to purchase an existing business or start a new business, and may do so anywhere in British Columbia (including metropolitan areas such as Vancouver, for example). EI Base candidates do not require community endorsement.
Apart from these factors, the two streams have further distinguishing features, including but not limited to
- Minimum net worth of candidates;
- Minimum ownership stake in the business;
- Minimum investment in the business; and
- Timeframe to submit a final report on the business.
To learn more about the BC PNP, visit our dedicated webpage.
- Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
- Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
