BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration Regional Stream: Start a Business in a B.C. Community

The Regional stream is one of three streams in Entrepreneur Immigration, the business category of the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP). It began as a pilot to bring entrepreneurs to smaller communities that need new businesses, and it now sits alongside the Base and Strategic Projects streams.

The idea is simple: a community agrees that your business would help it, refers you to the BC PNP, and you move there to run it. The investment and net worth minimums are about half those of the Base stream, which makes it one of the more accessible business immigration routes in Canada.

Like the Base stream, it is a work permit first program. You get a work permit, set up and run the business, and are nominated only after you meet your performance agreement. Then you apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

B.C.'s April 23, 2026 restructure focused on Skills Immigration. Heron Law noted no material changes to Entrepreneur Immigration, but invitations remain limited.

WelcomeBC lists these main requirements (as of September 2026):

You also generally need to:

• Prove your funds are legal and document your net worth.
• Manage the business actively from the community every day.
• Propose a business the community wants. Each participating community decides which kinds of businesses fit its priorities.
• Meet language and education expectations. These earn points in the registration score; check the program guide for minimums.

The community steps are what make this stream different.

1. Choose a participating community. Only communities that have signed up with the BC PNP take part. WelcomeBC lists them, along with each community's contact and business priorities.
2. Contact the community first. Before you travel, reach out to the community's economic development contact. Tell them about your experience and business idea.
3. Make an exploratory visit. You must visit the community in person. During the visit you meet the community representative, look at the local market and confirm that your plan makes sense there.
4. Get a referral. If the community supports your idea, it refers you to the BC PNP. Without a referral, you cannot register.

Treat the visit as serious business research. Communities want entrepreneurs who will stay, hire locals and add something the town needs. Your visit costs (travel, lodging) are your own.

1. Registration. After the referral, you register with the BC PNP and receive a score.
2. Invitation. B.C. invites candidates in periodic draws. Heron Law reported Regional minimum scores of about 105 to 129 in early 2026. These change from draw to draw.
3. Application. You submit a full application with a business plan and financial documents.
4. Performance agreement and work permit. If approved, you sign a performance agreement and get a letter to support your work permit application to IRCC.
5. Establish the business. You move to the community, invest, hire and operate the business.
6. Final report and nomination. If you met the agreement, B.C. nominates you.
7. Permanent residence. You apply to IRCC.

The Entrepreneur Immigration program guide sets the deadlines for each stage. The full process usually takes several years.

• Fit the community's needs. A business that fills a local gap (for example, a service people now drive to another town for) is easier for a community to support than one that competes with existing local firms.
• Use your real experience. Plans that build on the industry you already know are more credible than a switch to a new field.
• Budget beyond the minimum. The $100,000 minimum investment rarely covers startup costs, working capital and your family's living costs in the first year.
• Plan the hiring. You must create at least one full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Check how easy it is to hire locally before you commit.
• Keep records from day one. Your final report must prove your investment, hiring and active management. Keep receipts, payroll records and bank statements organized.
• Think long term. Communities and B.C. both want entrepreneurs who stay. Visit in more than one season if you can.

• Fees: BC PNP registration and application fees (listed on WelcomeBC), federal work permit and permanent residence fees (listed on canada.ca), and professional help with your business plan and financial documents.
• Investment risk: your $100,000 or more is at real business risk. Small-town markets can be small.
• No guarantee: if the business does not meet the performance agreement, you may not be nominated.
• Family: your spouse and children may be able to join you on temporary status. See our pages on study permits and spousal open work permits.

Only take immigration advice from a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC). Our guide on how to verify a lawyer or consultant explains how. Be wary of anyone who sells ready-made businesses with promised nominations.

• Worker routes in regional B.C.: the Rural Community Immigration Pilot covers West Kootenay, North Okanagan Shuswap and Peace Liard, and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot covers Kelowna.
• Business streams in other provinces: Alberta's Rural Entrepreneur Stream, Manitoba's Entrepreneur Pathway and the Northwest Territories' Business Stream.
• Federal business programs: the Start-Up Visa closed at the end of 2025 and the Self-Employed Persons program is paused.

The British Columbia guide lists every B.C. stream and its status.