1 open route
The routes to living in Canada.
Our verdict. Canada suits an investor willing to settle in Québec and speak French. The Québec Investor Program asks CAD 1 million for five years through an authorised intermediary, guaranteed by the Québec government, plus a CAD 200,000 contribution, a net worth of CAD 2 million and spoken French at level 7. Applications are accepted at any time, with no cap. The catch is the commitment: 12 months in Québec within two years of the work permit, and no fixed number of years to permanent residence is published. The federal investor programme closed in 2014, and the Start-up Visa in 2025. Set against the US EB-5, the outlay is similar, and in both a home does not count.
Québec Investor Program (Programme des investisseurs)
Open31applications are accepted at any time with no cap (conditions page updated 6 Aug 2026)
- Minimum
- CA$1,200,000 · about $876k
- What counts
- CAD 1m five-year investment through an authorised financial intermediary (guaranteed by the Gouvernement du Québec) plus a CAD 200k financial contribution to Investissement Québec Immigrants Investisseurs; net worth CAD 2m+ of lawful origin; spoken French level 7; 12 months' stay in Québec within 2 years of the work permit
- Processing
- Not published
- Permit
- Not published
- Time you must spend there
- 12 months in Québec within 2 years of the work permit, at least 6 months by the principal personally
- Path to a passport
- Leads to Canadian permanent residence: a Québec selection certificate, then 12 months in Québec within two years of the work permit; no fixed number of years is published.
- Family
- spouse/partner and dependent children included (no extra application fee)
- Tax
- Canadian tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income
Official source · Second source · checked 2026-10-20
Start-up Visa Program - CLOSED to new applicants
Closedclosed 2025-12-31 (announced 19 Dec 2025; holders of 2025 commitment certificates could apply until 30 Jun 2026; optional SUV work permit closed 19 Dec 2025); replacement entrepreneur pilot promised for 2026, not confirmed launched
- Minimum
- No minimum
- What counts
- Commitment certificate from a designated venture capital fund, angel group or incubator (no personal investment minimum)
- Processing
- IRCC tool showed an estimated wait of about 10 years before closure (CIC News)
- Permit
- Permanent residence
- Time you must spend there
- No rule published
- Path to a passport
- The permit is permanent residence from the start; the route itself sets no timetable for citizenship.
- Family
- Not published
- Tax
- Canadian tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income
Official source · Second source · checked 2026-10-20
Federal Immigrant Investor Program - CLOSED
Closedclosed 2014-06-19 (Economic Action Plan 2014 Act royal assent; backlog applications without a selection decision before 11 Feb 2014 terminated)
- Minimum
- CA$800,000 · about $584k
- What counts
- Former route: a passive CAD 800,000 loan to the government through the provinces, in return for permanent residence
- Processing
- Not published
- Permit
- Not published
- Time you must spend there
- No rule published
- Path to a passport
- The permit is permanent residence from the start; the route itself sets no timetable for citizenship.
- Family
- Not published
- Tax
- Canadian tax residents are taxed on their worldwide income
Official source · checked 2026-10-20
Residency rules, thresholds and fees change often, sometimes without notice. Everything here is general information, checked on the date shown, not legal, tax or immigration advice: confirm with the official source and a licensed adviser before you act. Continental sells property; we don’t arrange visas or residency.
Canada residency by investment