Canada Business Immigration
Canada has no golden visa. Residency through investment runs through provincial entrepreneur streams and the Quebec Investor Program instead
Canada Has No Golden Visa Programme
Canada has never operated a residency-by-investment programme in the way Portugal, Spain or the UAE have. The federal Immigrant Investor Program that existed until 2014 was closed and not replaced with an equivalent. Today, admission through investment runs through provincial entrepreneur streams (which require running a business, not making a passive investment) and Quebec's separate Investor Program.
Canada is often searched alongside golden visa countries, but it does not run one. There is no federal programme that grants residency for buying property, and no province offers one either. What Canada does offer is business immigration: provincial entrepreneur streams that require an active, managed business, and a separate net-worth-based investor programme run by Quebec.
Buying Property Does Not Grant Residency
Foreign nationals can buy Canadian real estate, subject to the federal Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act and provincial rules, but ownership itself carries no immigration status. None of the routes below accept a property purchase as the qualifying investment.
Investment and Entrepreneur Routes
Start-up Visa Program (Federal)
IRCC's Start-up Visa Program grants permanent residence to founders of an innovative business backed by a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator. The programme is currently paused: only applicants holding a valid 2025 commitment certificate can apply, and only until 30 June 2026. It operates outside Quebec.
Quebec Investor Program (QIIP)
Quebec runs its own investor route, separate from the federal system and open as of the current intake. It is a passive, net-worth-based programme rather than a business-management one.
- Minimum personal net worth of CAD 2,000,000, honestly and lawfully acquired.
- A CAD 1,000,000 investment guaranteed by the Gouvernement du Québec for a five-year term, refunded without interest at the end of the term, plus a separate non-refundable contribution of CAD 200,000 — CAD 1,200,000 in total.
- At least two years of management experience within the five years before applying.
- Spoken French at a minimum of level 7 on the Échelle québécoise, tested within two years of applying.
Provincial Entrepreneur Streams
Every province runs its own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) entrepreneur stream, each with its own net worth, investment and job-creation thresholds. British Columbia is a representative example:
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration — Base
- Personal net worth of at least CAD 600,000.
- An eligible investment of at least CAD 200,000 in the business.
- At least one new full-time job created for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
BC PNP Entrepreneur Immigration — Regional
- Personal net worth of at least CAD 300,000.
- An eligible investment of at least CAD 100,000, in a business located outside the Metro Vancouver Regional District.
- A community referral and an exploratory visit are required before applying.
Other provinces set their own thresholds and application windows, and change them without much notice. Each province's own portal is the current source before applying to any of them.
Who Can Apply?
There is no single eligibility test — it depends on the route. Provincial entrepreneur streams look for a business owner-manager who will run the company day to day and meet the province's net worth, investment and job-creation minimums. The Quebec Investor Program looks for net worth, management experience and French proficiency rather than business management. Neither route is available to someone whose only qualification is owning Canadian property.
Application Process
- Choose a route: a provincial entrepreneur stream (business ownership and management) or the Quebec Investor Program (net worth and a guaranteed investment).
- For a provincial stream, prepare a business proposal or plan and register with the relevant province's PNP portal.
- Receive an invitation to apply, then submit the full provincial application with supporting documents.
- For the Quebec Investor Program, sign an investment agreement through a participating financial intermediary before applying.
- Once nominated by a province (or approved by Quebec), apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Processing times and intake windows are set by each province and by IRCC separately, and can change with limited notice.
Why Canada?
Universal Healthcare and Education
Permanent residents and their families access Canada's public healthcare system and school system on the same basis as citizens in most provinces.
Direct Path to Citizenship
Permanent residents may apply for Canadian citizenship after accumulating 1,095 days of physical presence within the five years before applying.
Family Included
A spouse or common-law partner and dependent children can be included in most provincial entrepreneur and investor applications.
Diversified Economy
Business owners can build in sectors ranging from technology to natural resources across ten provinces with different regional incentives.
Official sources: IRCC, Gouvernement du Québec, WelcomeBC
This page follows IRCC's Start-up Visa Program page, the Gouvernement du Québec's investor programme conditions and WelcomeBC's Entrepreneur Immigration guides. Thresholds, intake status and processing times are set by each government and can change without notice.
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