Quebec Investor Program: C$2 Million Net Worth, C$1 Million Investment

The Investor Program is one of Quebec's three business immigration programs, alongside the Entrepreneur Program and the Self-Employed Worker Program. It is a passive investment program: you do not have to start or run a business in Quebec. Instead, your money is invested through Investissement Québec Immigrants Investisseurs Inc., and you must live in Quebec for a set period.

Quebec selects investors and issues a CSQ. You then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. There is no federal investor program for people who plan to live elsewhere in Canada, so this program has no direct equivalent outside Quebec.

As of September 2026, you must meet all of these conditions:

You do not need an educational credential assessment for studies outside Quebec to apply.

You do not send money to the Quebec government yourself. You sign an investment agreement with a financial intermediary (a firm that has signed a participation agreement with Quebec's immigration ministry and with Investissement Québec Immigrants Investisseurs Inc.).

Within 120 days after Quebec asks, your intermediary must:

• make a five-year investment of C$1,000,000, and
• make a financial contribution of C$200,000.

Quebec's government guarantees the C$1,000,000 investment. At the end of the five years, your intermediary pays back the C$1,000,000 without interest within 30 days. The C$200,000 contribution is not returned. The income from your investment and the contribution fund business support and labor market programs in Quebec.

Ask your intermediary to explain all of its fees and terms in writing, read every contract carefully, and consider independent legal and financial advice.

Yes. The program uses a two-stage selection:

1. Notice of intention to select. Once you meet the conditions and Quebec confirms your investment and contribution, it sends a notice of intention to select.
2. Work permit. You use that notice to apply to the Government of Canada for a work permit for you and your family. You must apply within six months of the notice.
3. 12-month stay. Within two years after the work permit is issued, you must complete a stay of at least 12 months in Quebec. You must personally complete at least six of those months. The other six can be completed by you or by your spouse or common-law partner.
4. Proof and CSQ. You mail Quebec documents proving the stay. Quebec then decides on your CSQ.

Plan your business and family life around this residence period before you apply.

Quebec's examination fee as of January 1, 2026 (adjusted each January 1):

The fee is not refunded if your application is rejected. Quebec lists accepted payment methods, including bank drafts drawn on a Canadian bank and postal money orders made out to the Minister of Finance of Quebec.

On top of this, budget for the C$200,000 contribution, any intermediary fees, federal permanent residence and work permit fees, French tests, translations, and the cost of living in Quebec for at least a year.

Quebec says you can apply at any time and there is no maximum number of applications. The application is on paper:

• the permanent selection application form for investors (in French),
• a narrative document written using Quebec's guide (your spouse included in the application completes one too),
• supporting documents, with French translations if they are not in French or English, and
• the full fee.

You mail everything in one envelope to the MIFI address listed on Quebec's website. Incomplete files can be returned unprocessed. You do not need a paid representative; if you use one, check that they are authorized. See how to verify a lawyer or consultant.

If you want to run a business rather than invest passively, look at the Quebec Entrepreneur Program. If you work for yourself in a profession or trade, see the Self-Employed Worker Program.

Outside Quebec, business options are narrower in 2026. The federal Start-Up Visa closed to new applicants at the end of 2025, and the federal Self-Employed Persons program is paused. Several provinces run entrepreneur streams, such as the Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream and the New Brunswick Business Immigration stream. See investing in Canada for an overview.