- 1Choose a programInvestor, entrepreneur or self-employed
- 2Apply to QuebecAny time, with net assets proof
- 3Intention to selectInvestor and some entrepreneurs
- 4Meet the conditionsInvest, start or buy a business
- 5CSQ, then IRCCQuebec business class
Overview
Under the Canada–Quebec Accord and section 9 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Quebec selects the business immigrants who will live in Quebec, and IRCC decides admissibility and grants permanent residence. The federal regulations set out a Quebec investor class (section 90), a Quebec entrepreneur class (section 97) and a Quebec self-employed persons class (section 101). Each requires a CSQ and an intention to live in Quebec.
- Quebec business programs, all open
- 3
- Minimum oral French in every program
- Level 7
- Investor's 5-year placement, repaid without interest
- $1,000,000
- Number of applications Quebec will receive
- No maximum
These programs are run by Quebec's immigration ministry, called the Ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration (MII) since October 22, 2026. Many program pages still use its former name, the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI).
The most common mistake
Do not confuse Quebec's programs with federal ones. The federal Start-Up Visa is for people who intend to live outside Quebec (section 98.01 of the regulations), and people bound for Quebec use the separate Quebec business classes. Quebec's own programs have different rules, and the French requirement (oral level 7) applies even if French is your first language: you must prove it with an accepted test or diploma.
Who it fits
A good fit if
- You want to live in Quebec and can prove oral French at level 7 or higher on the Quebec scale.
- You can show that your net assets were obtained and accumulated legally, as can your spouse if included.
- You have management experience (investor and entrepreneur startup) or at least 2 years of self-employment in your profession.
- You already live and work in Quebec and have started, bought or built an innovative business there. Some streams have profiles for you with lower net asset rules.
Look elsewhere if
- You plan to live in another province. Look at provincial entrepreneur streams instead. Provincial entrepreneur streams
- Your business is in real estate (trade, rental, brokerage or development). It is ineligible in the Entrepreneur and Self-Employed Worker programs.
- You cannot reach oral French level 7. All three programs require it.
- You want to work as an employee in Quebec. The PSTQ is the skilled worker route. Quebec Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ)
The three programs compared
| Investor Program | Entrepreneur Program | Self-Employed Worker Program | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | 2 years of management in the last 5 years | Startup profile: 2 years of business management in the last 5 years; other streams vary | 2 years self-employed in your profession in the last 5 years |
| Minimum net assets | $2,000,000 | $600,000 (startup and takeover); $300,000 for profiles already in Quebec 2 years | $100,000 |
| Money committed | $1,000,000 five-year placement plus $200,000 contribution | Startup or takeover spending of $300,000 in the Montreal area or $150,000 elsewhere | Start-up deposit of $50,000 in the Montreal area or $25,000 elsewhere |
| Oral French | Level 7 | Level 7 | Level 7 |
| Selection steps | Notice of intention to select, work permit, 12-month stay, then CSQ | Intention to select and work permit for the startup and takeover-in-progress profiles | CSQ after the application is examined |
| Intake | Any time, no maximum | Any time, no maximum | Any time, no maximum |
All three require at least a diploma equal to a Quebec high school diploma (DES), or a diploma from a full-time program of at least 1 year equal to a DEP, ASP or AEC. A Quebec diploma must cover at least 600 hours at the secondary level or 900 hours at the college level. You do not need a comparative evaluation of studies done outside Quebec to apply. Net assets exclude gifts received in the 6 months before you apply and may be shared with a spouse included in the application.
Investor Program
- Investment agreementSign an agreement with a financial intermediary that has a participation agreement with the ministry and Investissement Québec Immigrants Investisseurs inc. The intermediary makes the placement and contribution for you.
- Management experienceAt least 2 years in the 5 years before you apply, not in payday loans, cheque cashing, pawnbroking or the sex industry
- Net assetsAt least $2,000,000, with proof of lawful origin and accumulation for you and any included spouse
- Placement and contributionWithin 120 days of the ministry's request, your intermediary makes a 5-year placement of $1,000,000, guaranteed by the Government of Quebec and repaid without interest within 30 days of the end of the term, and pays a $200,000 financial contribution
- Stay in QuebecAfter the notice of intention to select, apply for a work permit within 6 months. Within 2 years of the permit, stay in Quebec at least 12 months: at least 6 by you, the rest by you or your spouse. Then mail proof of the stay to the ministry.
Entrepreneur Program
The Entrepreneur Program has three streams (volets), each with two profiles. Real estate businesses are excluded from all three. Applying with partners is possible in Streams 1 and 2 (up to three other applicants), but not in Stream 3.
| Stream 1: Innovative business | Stream 2: Business startup | Stream 3: Business takeover | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile from abroad | Start an innovative business | Business being started | Business being acquired (operating at least 5 years) |
| Profile already in Quebec (2 years authorized to work) | Carry out an innovative project in a business you started | Business already started (at least 1 year) | Business already acquired |
| Ownership | At least 10% of the business's equity | At least 25% of the equity, for each partner | Control of the business, alone or with your spouse |
| Required support | Service offer from a Quebec innovation support organization | Business plan on the ministry's form | Takeover support organization and a succession plan |
| Net assets | No minimum listed on the conditions page | $600,000 (startup) or $300,000 (already started) | $600,000 (acquiring) or $300,000 (acquired) |
Stream 2, startup profile: if you meet every condition except starting the business and spending the money, you receive a notice of intention to select and can apply for a work permit. To get the CSQ, you must start the business within 2 years of the work permit, have it registered for at least 1 year, and spend at least $300,000 on startup or operating costs in the Montreal metropolitan area (CMM) or $150,000 outside it.
Stream 3, acquisition profile: the business must not have been bought by Entrepreneur Program selectees in the previous 5 years. You must make an acquisition offer within 2 years of applying and show spending of at least $300,000 in the CMM or $150,000 outside it. Your partners, if any, cannot apply as entrepreneurs.
Self-Employed Worker Program
- Work for yourself in QuebecPractise your profession alone or with others, with or without paid help. You may apply even if you have already started working as self-employed in Quebec.
- ExperienceAt least 2 years of self-employment in your profession in the 5 years before you apply
- Regulated professionsIf your profession is regulated in Quebec, hold an authorization to practise or proof of partial or full recognition dated within 5 years
- Net assetsAt least $100,000, lawfully obtained
- Start-up depositOn the ministry's request, deposit $50,000 in the CMM or $25,000 outside it with a financial institution in Quebec
- Ineligible sectorsPayday loans, cheque cashing, pawnbroking, the sex industry, and real estate trade, rental, brokerage or development
Step by step
- 1
1. Confirm the program and your French
Prove oral French at level 7 with a test result less than 2 years old (such as TCF, TEF, TEFAQ, DELF or DALF) or an accepted French-language secondary diploma.
- 2
2. Prepare your file
Complete the forms and the business plan, succession plan or service offer your stream requires, with proof of the lawful origin of your net assets.
- 3
3. Apply and pay
Apply to the ministry at any time. Incomplete files can be returned without processing.
- 4
4. Values attestation and any interview
When your file is opened, you and family members (a spouse aged 16 or over and children aged 18 or over) have 60 days to obtain the attestation of learning about democratic and Quebec values. The ministry may interview you, including to check your French.
- 5
5. Notice of intention to select (some programs)
Investors and some entrepreneurs first receive a notice and apply to IRCC for a work permit, then meet the investment, stay or business conditions.
- 6
6. CSQ
When all conditions are met, Quebec issues CSQs to you and your family.
- 7
7. Apply to IRCC
Apply online in IRCC's Permanent Residence Portal in the Quebec investor, entrepreneur or self-employed class, with a copy of the CSQ.
While you wait for permanent residence, IRCC says investors may qualify for an open work permit for Quebec investors or a bridging open work permit, entrepreneurs for an employer-specific permit, and self-employed persons for an employer-specific permit once they hold a CSQ.
Costs and processing times
| Program | Principal applicant | Spouse or partner | Each dependent child |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investor Program | $18,241 | $0 | $0 |
| Entrepreneur Program (all streams) | $1,272 | $201 | $201 |
| Self-Employed Worker Program | $1,272 | $201 | $201 |
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Principal applicant, with right of permanent residence fee | $2,495 |
| Principal applicant, without right of permanent residence fee | $1,895 |
| Spouse or partner, with right of permanent residence fee | $1,590 |
| Each dependent child | $270 |
| Biometrics | $85 per person, $170 maximum per family |
The $1,000,000 investor placement, the $200,000 contribution, the self-employed start-up deposit and business spending are not fees; they are program conditions. Quebec does not publish a processing time for these programs. For the federal stage, check IRCC's processing times tool.
Common refusal reasons
| Reason | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lawful origin of assets not shown | You, and any included spouse, must prove how net assets were obtained and accumulated, even if the spouse's assets are not needed to reach the minimum. |
| French not proven | Oral level 7 must be shown with an accepted test less than 2 years old or an accepted diploma. The ministry may test it at an interview. |
| Ineligible sector or experience | Experience or a business in an excluded sector, such as real estate or payday lending, does not count. |
| Conditions after the intention to select not met | Not completing the 12-month investor stay, not starting the business within 2 years, or not making the acquisition offer in time. |
| Values attestation not obtained | It must be obtained within 60 days of the request. |
| Federal inadmissibility | IRCC can refuse permanent residence for medical, criminal or security reasons, or misrepresentation under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. |
Who can represent you before Quebec
Quebec says you do not need a paid representative and will get no priority by using one. If you pay someone, Quebec allows only a lawyer of the Barreau du Québec, a notary of the Chambre des notaires du Québec, a person with special authorization from one of those bodies, or an immigration consultant recognized by the ministry and listed in the Registre québécois des consultants en immigration. For these programs, you mail a power of attorney to the ministry. A federal consultant licence alone is not enough.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. On November 4, 2026, Quebec.ca says you can apply to the Investor Program at any time, with no maximum number of applications. You need at least $2,000,000 in lawfully obtained net assets, 2 years of management experience in the last 5 years and oral French at level 7.
Through an approved financial intermediary, you make a 5-year placement of $1,000,000, guaranteed by the Government of Quebec and repaid without interest, and a $200,000 financial contribution. Quebec's application fee in 2026 is $18,241.
Oral French at level 7 or higher on the Quebec French proficiency scale, in the Investor, Entrepreneur and Self-Employed Worker programs. Even native speakers must prove it, with an accepted test less than 2 years old or an accepted French secondary diploma such as the French baccalauréat.
For the business startup and business takeover streams, at least $600,000, or $300,000 if you have lived in Quebec for 2 years with authorization to work and already started or bought the business. The innovative business stream's conditions page lists no net asset minimum but requires a service offer from an innovation support organization.
Yes, through Stream 3 (business takeover) of the Entrepreneur Program. The business must have operated for at least 5 years, you must take control alone or with your spouse, work with a takeover support organization, and spend at least $300,000 in the Montreal area or $150,000 elsewhere.
It is for people who will practise their own profession in Quebec. You need at least 2 years of self-employment in your profession in the last 5 years, net assets of at least $100,000, oral French at level 7, and a start-up deposit of $25,000 outside the Montreal area or $50,000 in it. Real estate activities are not eligible.
No. They are Quebec's own selection programs, with their own rules, fees and French requirement. The federal Start-Up Visa is for people who intend to live outside Quebec, and people selected by Quebec apply to IRCC in the separate Quebec investor, entrepreneur or self-employed persons class. Quebec.ca lists its three programs as accepting applications at any time.
IRCC's fee list shows $2,495 for the principal applicant including the right of permanent residence fee, $1,590 for a spouse or partner, $270 per dependent child, and biometrics fees. These are in addition to Quebec's fees.
Related programs
Official sources
We checked this page against these official sources on the review date above. Rules change often, so confirm with the official source before you apply.
- Quebec.ca: Investor Program, conditions
- Quebec.ca: Investor Program, présenter une demande
- Quebec.ca: Entrepreneur Program, Stream 1 conditions
- Quebec.ca: Entrepreneur Program, Stream 2 conditions
- Quebec.ca: Entrepreneur Program, Stream 3 conditions
- Quebec.ca: Entrepreneur Program, Stream 2 application and fees
- Quebec.ca: Self-Employed Worker Program, conditions
- Quebec.ca: Self-Employed Worker Program, présenter une demande
- Quebec.ca: Get represented in your immigration procedures
- IRCC: Quebec investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed persons, work permit options
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, section 97 (Quebec entrepreneur class); also sections 90, 98.01 and 101
- IRCC: Fee list
This page is general information, not legal advice. No immigration outcome can be guaranteed. For advice on your situation, book a consultation with a licensed consultant.
