October 20, 2026: BC PNP Invites Entrepreneurs at Score 118
On October 20, 2026, British Columbia invited entrepreneur candidates through the BC Provincial Nominee Program. The official invitations to apply page states Last updated: October 20, 2026. In the Entrepreneur Immigration table, the Base stream shows a minimum score of 118 and 10 invitations. The Regional stream shows the same minimum score of 118 and fewer than 5 invitations.
That 118 is a BC PNP registration score. It is separate from an Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System cutoff. An invitation lets you file a BC PNP application. Nomination, and later permanent residence, are later decisions.
What changed from September 22
The same table lists the previous entrepreneur round on September 22, 2026. Both streams used a minimum score of 119 that day. Base issued 10 invitations. Regional issued fewer than 5.
| Date | Stream | Minimum score | Invitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2026 | Base | 118 | 10 |
| October 20, 2026 | Regional | 118 | <5 |
| September 22, 2026 | Base | 119 | 10 |
| September 22, 2026 | Regional | 119 | <5 |
The October 20 score is one point lower than September 22. The Base invitation count stayed at 10. WelcomeBC states that invitations go to qualified registrations received before the date of the draw.
Which date starts which clock
October 20 is the draw date on the public table. If you were invited in this round, the filing clock runs from the date on your invitation. For this round, that date is October 20, 2026.
The entrepreneur pathway page, last updated September 10, 2025, sets the later steps. They do not all start on the draw date.
- You have up to four months from the date of the invitation to submit a complete application in the BC PNP user portal.
- Before you submit, a BC PNP-authorized accounting firm must review your personal net worth and how you accumulated the funds. The invitation includes the firm list.
- A qualified registration stays in the pool for up to six months, or until you are invited. That pool period is separate from the four-month filing window.
- A Regional community referral is valid for 90 days from the date of issue. That period belongs to the referral, not to the October 20 draw.
- After a later approval, you sign a Performance Agreement and receive a Letter of Support. You then have up to 90 days to file the work permit with IRCC, and you must arrive in B.C. within 12 months of receiving that work permit.
- After arrival, you have up to 20 months to implement the plan. The final report is due 18 to 20 months after arrival.
Strategic Projects was not in the October 20 table. Its invitation window is 90 days. Use four months only for a Base or Regional invitation.
What Base and Regional still require
The entrepreneur page, last updated September 10, 2025, still sets the floors. The October 20 draw did not publish a change to them.
| Requirement | Base | Regional |
|---|---|---|
| Personal net worth | at least $600,000 | at least $300,000 |
| Owner-manager experience | 3 years in the last 10 years | 3 years in the last 5 years |
| Eligible personal investment | at least $200,000 | at least $100,000 |
| New full-time job for a citizen or permanent resident | at least 1 | at least 1 |
| Language | CLB 4 | CLB 4 |
| Community referral and exploratory visit | referral not required; visit recommended | both required |
Fees are $300 to register, $3,500 to apply, and $500 for a request for review, paid only in the BC PNP portal. The IRCC permanent residence fee comes after a nomination. If the experience test is not met, the page allows an eligible post-secondary degree for consideration. Staff score the business concept within six weeks. Home-based businesses, passive investments, and real estate brokerage are on the ineligible list.
What to do this week
If the invitation is in your BC PNP Online profile, record its date and count four months from that date. Complete the authorized accounting review before you pay the $3,500 fee. Base can be a new business or the purchase of an existing one. Regional must be a new business outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District, with a community referral still inside its 90 days.
If no invitation arrived, 118 is the lowest score invited on October 20. The next cutoff is not published. Confirm the registration is still inside the six-month pool. Our July 16 Skills Immigration note covers a different table on the same page.
For a review of a BC PNP entrepreneur file, a work permit after a Letter of Support, or a provincial nomination plan, contact JSR Immigration & Legals through the consultation page, the British Columbia PNP page, or the work permit page.
This article is general information current to October 25, 2026, and is not legal or immigration advice. Confirm the live invitations table and the entrepreneur pathway page on welcomebc.ca before you file or pay a fee.
Immigration & paralegal practitioner at JSR Immigration & Legals, helping newcomers and Ontario residents with their cases.
This post is general information about Canadian immigration and Ontario paralegal matters and is not legal advice. Rules change and every case is different — confirm current requirements for your own situation.