From capital to Canada: The Canadian Investor Immigration program

Money talks, and in Canada, it might even get you a new home. Canadian investor immigration is one path where your dollars do more than earn interest—they also open doors to becoming a Canadian permanent resident. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the basics and other legal considerations of the Canadian investor immigration path. Still, it’s important to get legal advice from an immigration lawyer in Canada before going this route. 

What is Canadian investor immigration? 

One of the many ways to immigrate to Canada (aside from family reunification and study-work process) is through economic immigration. In this process, you can apply to work in Canada through Express Entry or the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).  

Another way is opening or investing in a business in Canada; this process is called investor immigration.  

“At this time, there is no federal investor program,” says David L.P. Garson, partner at Garson Immigration Law. As to provincial investor immigration programs, Garson says that “Québec is the only province that maintains a passive investor program.”  

“There are also provincial nominee entrepreneur programs, and a Start-Up Visa program,” he adds. All these choices provide investors and business-owners with opportunities to become permanent residents in Canada. 

Entering the country through any of the Canadian investor immigration programs comes an application for permanent residency. After establishing the start-up business or investment, it usually takes several years of residency to become a Canada citizen. 

 There are three options that works as a Canadian investor immigration program: 

• Québec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) 
• PNP for Investors 
• Start-Up Visa program 

We’ll be discussing these options below. In any case, here’s a video of Garson discussing other Canadian immigration options that you can also consider: 

If you need help on these immigration programs, talk to the best immigration lawyers in Canada as ranked by Lexpert. 

Québec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) 

The Québec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is the province’s passive investor program, which allows those who have large capital to become permanent residents in Canada. It’s called passive, since it’s not required that the investor be active in a managerial role after investing in a company. 

Currently, the QIIP is the only active Canadian investor immigration program; it was suspended back in October 2019, but it was again reopened in January 2024. With its reopening, there were changes to its eligibility criteria and other requirements. 

Eligibility for the QIIP 

For the QIIP, Garson says that an applicant must:  

• have ability in French 
• have managerial or business experience 
• have a net worth of $2 million 
• commit to an investment of $1 million 

The QIIP is separate from the PNP of other Canadian provinces, and even from Québec’s PNP. In addition to the above requirements, an applicant must have: 

• the intent to settle in Québec permanently 
• have at least two years of management experience 
• enter into an investment agreement with a financial intermediary 

These requirements may change over time, as the QIIP is continually reviewed by the government as needed. If you want to be sure, it's best to consult with an immigration lawyer in Québec before preparing to apply for this immigration program. 

Conditions to apply under the QIIP 

The eligibility requirements set out above should not be taken as it is, as you’ll have to comply with other conditions related to it. These include: 

• investment agreement: you must have an agreement with a financial intermediary authorized to participate in the QIIP and will be doing the investment on your behalf 

• management experience: the two-year management experience must be acquired within five years before the application, and cannot be acquired from certain sectors (e.g. related to the sex industry) 

• CA$2 million net worth: while this can be shared with the spouse or common-law partner in the application, it must be proved that it’s of lawful origin, and excludes donations received in the last six months before the application 

• knowledge in French: you must have at least a level 7 knowledge of spoken French based on the Québec scale of French proficiency levels, with a test result from a provider recognized by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration 

• attestation: within 60 days (about two months) after your file is opened, you must obtain an attestation of learning about democratic values and Québec values, including for your spouse and dependent children 

Process of applying for QIIP 

If you think you are qualified under the QIIP, you will have to apply online to submit the required forms and documents. Here’s a watered-down version of the steps to apply for the QIIP: 

• complete and send the mandatory forms to the Ministère 

• pay the application review fee of CA$17,875 

• fulfill the residency period by living in Québec 

• if your application is approved, you’ll receive a Québec Notice of Intent to Select 

• you can now apply for a work permit after receiving the Notice of Intent 

• after fulfilling the residency requirement, you’ll be receiving the Québec Selection Certificate (CSQ) 

Once you received your CSQ, you can apply for permanent residency in Canada through the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). 

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) for Investors 

Garson says that most provinces also have entrepreneur programs as part of the Canadian investor immigration. These programs “allow people with business experience to submit an expression of interest regarding a proposed business they wish to establish and run.” This could then lead to obtaining a permanent residence in Canada, he adds. 

As a backgrounder, the PNPs offer specific categories for investors, entrepreneurs, and businesspeople as one of its “streams.” After being nominated by a specific province and after operating your business while living in Canada, you may then apply for permanent residency. 

Investor or business streams of PNPs 

Each province has its own criteria and requirements. Here are some of the PNPs focused on investor or business streams: 

While some of these PNPs have similar requirements, there are still some differences. As such, it’s better to consult a lawyer from the province you’re interested in moving into. For instance, if you want to apply for BC’s Entrepreneur Immigration, you can consult with an immigration lawyer in BC.  

As Garson puts it, “a lawyer can guide a client as to which program may be appropriate for them and assist in preparing the application.” These PNP streams may also be dropped and continued at the whim of the provincial government. Immigration lawyers know which of these are still open or not. 

BC’s Entrepreneur Immigration 

To show an example of a Canadian investor immigration through a PNP stream, we’ll briefly discuss the basics of the BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration. Dubbed as a “temporary to permanent” immigration pathway, this is one of the open immigration programs for investors as of 2025. 

Here, there are three streams that entrepreneurs can choose from: 

• Base stream 
• Regional stream 
• Strategic projects 

Each stream has its own requirements, especially regarding the amount of investment that you’ll have to pour into to be eligible. 

Start-Up Visa program 

“The Start-Up Visa program allows those with innovative ideas to partner with a Canadian designated organization to obtain permanent residence through establishment of a business,” Garson says. This program, also called the “Canada investor visa” by some, is just one of the many immigration programs sustained by the federal government. 

This program’s goal is to create jobs for Canadians through new businesses, while also having a sure process of granting permanent residencies to foreigners. It also aims to attract innovative and capital-rich people to move to Canada. 

To know more about how the Start-Up Visa program, watch this video: 

If you need help with your application for Canadian investor immigration, reach out to the Lexpert-ranked best immigration law firms in Canada. 

Eligibility for a Start-Up Visa 

To be eligible for a start-up visa, you must be an immigrant entrepreneur who must comply with these requirements: 

• qualifying business: each applicant must have at least 10 percent voting rights in the company being established, plus all applicants must hold more than 50 percent voting rights in the established company 

• letter of support: this letter can be obtained from a designated organization approved by the federal government; each organization would have their own process to accept an applicant 

• language requirements: you must have at least a Canadian Language Benchmark 5 result from a language test done by an approved agency, both for English and French, all in the aspects of listening, reading, writing, and speaking 

• minimum money to settle: you must present proof of existing money to support yourself and your family, depending on your family’s size; starts at CA$14,690 for one family member, and increases every additional family member 

Designated organizations can either be any of the following: 

• angel investor group 
• business incubator 
• venture capital fund 

Applying for a Start-Up Visa 

Here’s a short outline of the process of applying for a Start-Up Visa: 

• create an account with the Permanent Residence Portal 
• upload the required supporting documents to the Portal 
• pay an application fee, starting from CA$2,385, along with other fees 
• allot 40 months (or more than three years) for the processing time of your application 

From there, the usual process will then apply, such as arriving at Canada, presenting your proof of funds, and applying for permanent residence. It also follows the IRCC’s application process for an optional open work permit, which is done after you’ve applied for permanent residence. 

Canadian investor immigration: putting money in residency 

While citizenship and residency does not have a price tag, it’s not always the same when it comes to Canadian investor immigration. As one of the passive pathways to permanent residency, these programs aim to increase productivity in the country, while allowing foreigners to reap the benefits of their investments. Interested investors and business-owners are advised to speak to legal professionals only, such as an immigration lawyer, when learning more about these immigration programs. 

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