Pathway

Canada Quebec Business Permanent Residence

Canada Residency

Updated October 8, 2026

Pathway overview

At a glance

If you want to invest, start or buy a business, or work for yourself in Quebec, you need to choose the immigration program that fits your plans. Quebec has separate Investor, Entrepreneur, and Self-Employed Worker programs. Each has its own requirements, followed by a federal application for permanent residence if Quebec selects you.

Business: Investors, entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals
Financial requirements: Depend on the program: investors need at least CAD 2 million in net worth; self-employed applicants need at least CAD 100,000 plus the required deposit
French level: Accepted proof of spoken French at level 7 on Quebec's scale

Summary

Quebec runs its own business-immigration selection programs. These routes are demanding: they generally require strong spoken French, education, funds or net worth, a serious Quebec business or professional plan, and Quebec selection before the federal permanent-residence step.

The Entrepreneur Program has three streams: Innovative Business, Business Start-up, and Business Takeover. Some streams have different rules for a proposed business and one already operating in Quebec. As of August 2026, Quebec's official pages say Investor and Self-Employed Worker applications can be submitted at any time with no maximum intake. Check the current rules for the exact entrepreneur stream and type of application before applying.

Complete Quebec selection, then apply for residence

Choose the business program The Investor, Entrepreneur, and Self-Employed Worker programs have different requirements.
Complete Quebec's selection steps Check whether applications are open and meet the relevant French, business, funds, and time-in-Quebec requirements.
Apply for permanent residence After Quebec selection Use your Quebec Selection Certificate in the separate federal application.

A business plan or available money alone is not enough. Some options include work-permit steps and time living in Quebec.

Eligibility

Investor Program

You need an agreement with an authorized financial intermediary, a qualifying diploma, spoken French at level 7 on Quebec's scale, and at least two years of qualifying management experience during the previous five years. Your net worth—assets minus debts—must be at least CAD 2 million and come from lawful sources.

When requested, the intermediary makes a five-year CAD 1 million investment and a CAD 200,000 contribution. Within two years after the supported work permit is issued, your family must complete at least 12 months in Quebec. You must spend at least six months there yourself; you or your accompanying spouse can complete the other six months.

Entrepreneur Stream 1: Innovative Business

You need support from a qualified Quebec innovation organization, a business plan, the required education, and spoken French at level 7. You must contribute at least 10% of the company's original or paid-in capital.

One option is for starting an innovative company. Another is for carrying out an innovative project through a company already started in Quebec. For the second option, you must also have lived in Quebec and been authorized to work there for at least two years.

Entrepreneur Stream 2: Business Start-up

This stream covers starting or operating a business that is not classed as innovative. Both options require a business plan, the required education, spoken French at level 7, enough money to support yourself, and at least a 25% ownership stake.

If you are starting the business, you also need:

two years of recent management experience;
at least CAD 600,000 in net worth from lawful sources; and
documented spending to start or operate the business of at least CAD 300,000 in metropolitan Montreal or CAD 150,000 elsewhere, before Quebec makes its final selection decision.

If the business is already operating, you need at least two years living in Quebec with permission to work, a business started at least one year earlier, and at least CAD 300,000 in net worth from lawful sources.

Entrepreneur Stream 3: Business Takeover

This stream covers buying an existing Quebec business or operating one you have already acquired. You need support from a Quebec organization specializing in business transfers. The business must have operated for at least five years, and you and your accompanying spouse must acquire control. You also need a takeover plan, the required education, and spoken French at level 7.

If the takeover is in progress, you need at least CAD 600,000 in net worth from lawful sources and takeover spending of at least CAD 300,000 in metropolitan Montreal or CAD 150,000 elsewhere. If you have already acquired the business, you need at least two years living in Quebec and at least CAD 300,000 in net worth from lawful sources.

Self-Employed Worker Program

You need at least two years of recent self-employed experience in the proposed profession, at least CAD 100,000 in net worth from lawful sources, a qualifying diploma, and spoken French at level 7. The start-up deposit is CAD 50,000 within metropolitan Montreal or CAD 25,000 elsewhere. For a regulated profession, you also need permission to practice or accepted evidence that your qualifications have been recognized.

Requirements shared by the programs

You must genuinely intend to settle in Quebec and, where required, show how you lawfully earned or acquired your money. Relevant family members need the Quebec-values attestation, a document confirming completion of that requirement. After Quebec selects you, the federal government still checks medical, criminal, security, and other entry requirements.

What This Route Allows

Quebec first decides whether to select the applicant and issue a Quebec Selection Certificate, officially called the Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ). The applicant then applies to IRCC for Canadian permanent residence. Some programs have a work-permit stage before final Quebec selection; that stage does not itself guarantee a CSQ or permanent residence.

Federal approval gives permanent residence to the applicant and included eligible family members. The business, investment, residence, and reporting commitments must still be honored as the applicable program requires.

What This Route Is Not

This is not citizenship by investment, a property-purchase route, or a single passive-investment visa. The Investor Program has French, management, net-worth, investment, contribution, and Quebec-presence requirements. Entrepreneur and self-employed routes require real activity and supporting records. The takeover stream requires control of an operating business and specialist support; buying a minority interest or property is not enough.

Quebec selection is not federal approval. IRCC still assesses identity, family composition, medical results, criminality, security, misrepresentation, and other admissibility matters.

Next Steps

Choose Investor, Entrepreneur Stream 1, 2 or 3, or Self-Employed Worker based on the actual proposed activity.
Read the current Quebec conditions page for that exact program and profile; confirm that intake is open.
Obtain accepted proof of spoken French level 7 and check the education and experience rules.
Build a complete lawful-source-of-funds record before moving or borrowing money for the project.
For Investor, use only an authorized financial intermediary. For Entrepreneur, use Quebec's required business-plan format and support documents.
Apply to Quebec first, complete any work-permit and Quebec-presence stage that applies, then apply federally after receiving the CSQ.