Canada · Business & founder
Provincial Nominee Programmes (including entrepreneur streams)
Open, and partially recovering. Federal PNP allocations for 2026 were set at 91,500 nominations, up about 66% from the 55,000 allowed in 2025, but still roughly 17% below the 110,000 available in 2024. Reported 2026 provincial splits include Ontario 14,119, Alberta 6,403, Manitoba 6,239, British Columbia 5,254 and Saskatchewan 4,761, with about 10,000 held in federal reserve for francophones and physicians. Ontario is reintroducing an Entrepreneur Stream focused on applicants already operating or acquiring an Ontario business. Regulatory changes are expected to come into force around 30 May 2026, though the launch had not been officially confirmed as of July 2026.
With the federal Start-up Visa closed, PNP entrepreneur streams are now the main federal-adjacent business route to Canadian PR. But they are genuinely operational programmes, not investment products. Almost all require you to move on a work permit, run the business, hit performance conditions, and only then receive the nomination.
Qualifying routes
Thresholds vary widely by province, typically CAD 100k–600k in business investment plus a net worth test. Each province sets its own rules, and most operate an EOI/points intake.
A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points, which is effectively decisive in an Express Entry draw.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- 200k CAD
- Total landed cost
- Highly province-dependent. Entrepreneur streams call for CAD 100k–600k of business investment, plus legal counsel. Enhanced skilled streams require no capital.
- Route type
- Business & founder
- Timeline
- 1–3 years (Provincial nomination comes first, then federal PR. Base, non-Express Entry, streams are considerably slower than enhanced ones.)
- Physical presence
- Applicants must intend to reside in the nominating province. PNP entrepreneur streams typically require a work permit and active management before nomination.
- Family
- Spouse or common-law partnerDependent children
- Permanent residency
- Direct PR on federal approval of the provincial nomination
- Citizenship
- 3 years of physical presence in Canada out of the preceding 5
- Language test
- CLB 4 English or French for ages 18–54
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- Province-specific requirements: net worth, minimum investment, job creation, business location, and often a performance agreement.Intent and demonstrated ties to the nominating province.Language ability, and often prior management experience.
- Allocations were cut hard in 2025 and only partially restored in 2026. 91,500 is still below 2024's 110,000, and future levels plans can cut again.
- Most entrepreneur streams are two-stage. A work permit and performance agreement come first, and nomination follows only after you deliver on jobs and investment. Failing to perform means no PR and a lost investment.
- Provinces close streams and change thresholds with little or no notice.
- Ontario's reintroduced Entrepreneur Stream is expected but was not confirmed as launched as of July 2026.
- A nomination is not a green light on admissibility. Federal security and medical screening still applies.