BC invited 10 Base Stream and fewer than 5 Regional Stream entrepreneur candidates on September 22, 2026 at a minimum score of 119 — the highest threshold either stream has seen since early 2026.
British Columbia ran its 10th Entrepreneur Immigration selection round of 2026 on September 22, and the number worth noticing isn't the invitation count — it's the cutoff. At a minimum score of 119, this is the highest either the Base or Regional Stream has required since early in the year, and it tells entrepreneur candidates something useful about where the bar is heading.
The BC Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) issued invitations to apply through both streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration category:
| Stream | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|
| Base Stream | 10 | 119 |
| Regional Stream | Fewer than 5 | 119 |
Both streams required a score of 119 — the Base Stream's highest cutoff since February 10, 2026, and the Regional Stream's highest since March 10, 2026. Base Stream invitations go to candidates launching a new business anywhere in BC or buying and growing an existing one; the Regional Stream is reserved for new businesses outside Metro Vancouver and comes with extra steps, including a required exploratory visit and community referral.
| Date of draw | Stream | Minimum score | Invitations |
|---|
| Sep 22 | Base | 119 | 10 |
| Sep 22 | Regional | 119 | <5 |
| Aug 25 | Base | 116 | 11 |
| Aug 25 | Regional | 116 | 5 |
| Jul 28 | Base | 117 | 10 |
| Jun 30 | Base | 118 | 14 |
| Jun 30 | Regional | 113 | <5 |
| Jun 2 | Base | 117 | 15 |
| May 5 | Base | 115 | 8 |
| Apr 14 | Base | 115 | 14 |
| Mar 10 | Base | 117 | 7 |
| Mar 10 | Regional | 129 | <5 |
| Feb 10 | Base | 121 | 13 |
| Jan 14 | Base | 115 | 7 |
The trend since June has been a slow but steady climb — 117, 118, 116, and now 119 for the Base Stream. That's a narrower band than earlier in the year, when scores swung from 115 up to 121 and back down within a few months. A tighter, rising range usually means the applicant pool competing for entrepreneur invitations has gotten a bit stronger, not that BC is deliberately restricting access — invitation counts have stayed in the same 7-to-15 range all year.
As of this draw, BC has issued at least 114 invitations through Entrepreneur Immigration in 2026 across 17 separate draws, and at least 5,414 invitations total once Skills Immigration is factored in.
If your registration score is 119 or higher: you should have been invited in this round, provided you're in the applicable stream and met the community/exploratory-visit requirements for Regional. If you qualified and weren't selected, confirm your registration details — score, business type, and location — are entered correctly with the BCPNP.
If your score sits in the 113–118 range: you were competitive as recently as June and July. Don't assume the bar keeps climbing forever — Entrepreneur Immigration cutoffs have bounced both directions all year (121 in February, down to 115 by April). But treat 119 as the number to plan around for your next registration update, not last spring's lower scores.
If you're still building your business proposal: remember that Base and Regional have different net worth, investment, and ownership thresholds — $600,000 net worth and $200,000 minimum investment for Base versus $300,000 and $100,000 for Regional. A stronger proposal on paper (job creation plan, clear ownership structure, realistic financials) tends to matter more for your score than shaving a few points off elsewhere.
Tip
The Regional Stream's minimum score requirement is far more volatile than the Base Stream's — it's jumped from 105 to 129 and back down to 113 within 2026 alone, because so few invitations go out each round (often fewer than 5). If you're eligible for Regional, don't read a single high or low cutoff as a lasting signal; look at your standing against several rounds before deciding whether to hold out for a lower bar.
An invitation here isn't a nomination. Candidates have four months to submit a full provincial nomination application, which includes a detailed business proposal. Once nominated, you can apply to the federal government for a work permit, move to BC to establish and run the business, and — after meeting your performance agreement terms — apply for permanent residence. Those who meet their business performance agreement can also become eligible for a bridging open work permit after filing their PR application, thanks to a federal measure introduced in June 2026 that removed the need to wait for an Acknowledgement of Receipt first.
For a full breakdown of BC's PNP streams, eligibility, and how the province's other pathways compare, see our BC PNP guide. For how a provincial nomination affects your federal application, see our PNP guide.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.