Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (Suspended Until April 1, 2023)
Note: The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is suspended until April 1, 2023.
The QIIP allows investors to obtain Canadian permanent residence by investing CAD $1.2 million risk-free through an approved financial intermediary or by financing that investment.
Since 2014, it has been the only passive investor immigration program offered in Canada. This CanadaVisa page provides you with an overview of the QIIP.
Table of Contents
- Overview of the QIIP
- Advantages of the QIIP
- QIIP Criteria
- The Eight Steps of Canadian Immigration through the QIIP
Overview of the QIIP
Candidates for the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program are awarded points based on six factors under the Quebec Economic Class selection grid for the program. A minimum passing score of 40 points is required and the mandatory cut-off scores of 10 points and 25 points for management experience and financial investment, respectively, must be satisfied.
Quebec Immigrant Investor Program candidates are evaluated based on factors that include education level/areas of training, experience in management, age, language proficiency in French or English, stay and family in Quebec, and the Investment Agreement. The maximum points available are 94 points for applicants with or without a spouse or common-law partner.
Candidates who satisfy the required minimums for management experience and financial investment will only need five additional points to meet the passing score of 40.
Those points could be met if candidates satisfy only one of the following example requirements:
- A post-secondary school technical diploma attesting to one OR two years of full-time studies (value: 6 points)
- An undergraduate university degree attesting to two years of full-time studies (value: 6 points)
Quebec investor program candidates may be invited to a selection interview following a review of their application.
Advantages of the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program
Investment without risk: The investment of CAD $1,200,000 is guaranteed by the Quebec government and returned in full after five years.
Passive investment: No active managerial role is required after the investment is made.
The family included in the application: All immediate members of the candidate's family (spouse and dependent children) are included in the application and have the same status as the candidate.
Benefits of permanent resident status: Enjoy the same benefits provided to Canadians (universal health care, free public education, access to world-class universities, etc.)
QIIP Criteria
All Quebec Immigrant Investor candidates are expected to meet the following minimum requirements:
Criteria |
Requirement |
|---|---|
Minimum Net Worth |
A minimum of CAD $2,000,000 in legally acquired net worth, alone or with the help of their spouse or common-law partner if accompanying the applicant. Assets such as property, bank accounts, pension funds, stocks and, shares may be included. |
Business or Management Experience |
A minimum of two years of management experience over the course of five years prior to the submission of the candidate’s application. The experience must have been acquired in a specific enterprise (agricultural, commercial, industrial), in a government or international agency, and in a position defined as full-time. The company does not necessarily have to be profitable. If the management experience is claimed as a professional, the company must have at least two full-time employees (excluding the candidate). The candidate can be retired at the time of the submission of the application as long as he/she can demonstrate a recent management experience of two years within the five past years. The candidate must be able to demonstrate the planning, supervision, and control of financial resources AND human resources OR material resources, under his/her authority.The experience acquired in the context of an apprenticeship, training, or specialization process attested to by a diploma cannot be included. |
Agreement to invest the sum of CAD $1,200,000 through an approved financial intermediary (this investment can be financed). |
The Eight Steps of Canadian Immigration through the QIIP
All applications are first submitted to Quebec immigration authorities. Upon approval at the provincial level, applications must be submitted to Canadian immigration authorities for federal processing.
All applications must contain:
- Correctly completed, signed application forms
- Identity and civil status documents
- Documents proving your net worth
- Documents supporting your educational qualifications
- Documents showing your business experience and qualifications
- Police clearance certificates.
Incomplete applications are returned to the applicant. Complete applications are placed in the processing queue and an Acknowledgement of Receipt is sent to the applicant.
A Quebec Immigration Visa Officer carefully assesses your application to ensure that you meet the net worth requirements and that it was obtained legally. Your business experience and other qualifications are also reviewed at this stage.
If your application meets the standards for immigration to Quebec under the Investor category, you will be called to an interview with an Immigration Officer. You are required to submit updated forms and documents and any additional documents that may support your application within ten business days of receiving an interview appointment. Applicants are asked to bring the originals of all the documents previously submitted to immigration authorities as copies. In certain cases, an interview is waived.
After the conclusion of a successful interview (or an interview waiver notice), you will be given instructions to make a wire transfer of the required funds to Quebec immigration authorities. Your Quebec Selection Certificate (Certificat de Sèlection du Quebec, commonly known as a CSQ) is issued after the wire transfer is received.
Once your CSQ is issued, your application must be submitted to federal authorities within one year. Applications must include the issued CSQ, identity and civil status documents, police clearance certificates, and federal government processing fees. Incomplete applications are returned to the applicant.
Upon assessment of your application by the Canadian Immigration Visa Office, medical instructions will be forwarded to you. You and your accompanying family members, if applicable, are required to undergo a medical examination by a doctor that has been approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
After the medical results have been received by the Canadian Immigration Visa Office, they will request the Right of Permanent Resident Fee (RPRF) payment and your passport for the purpose of issuing a Canada Immigration (Permanent Resident) Visa.
Your Canada Immigration Visa will have an expiry date, by which time you and your accompanying family members must enter Canada, or "land."
