Quebec Investor Program in Canada: QIIP and Golden Visa Guide

This guide explains who can qualify, and how the work permit, Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), and federal permanent residence stages fit together.

We’ll also touch on the main costs, and how to plan transfers of your assets into Canada without surprise fees.

This article is for general information only, not legal, immigration, tax, or investment advice. Always verify current rules, fees, accepted tests, and process steps before acting.

Key takeaways

💡 Point	🔍 Current position
Canada golden visa	Canada does not have a classic golden visa.
Relevant route	The Québec Immigrant Investor Program, or QIIP, is the closest passive investor route.
Net worth	You need at least CAD 2,000,000 in net worth.
Required capital	The route requires a CAD 1,000,000 five-year investment plus a CAD 200,000 financial contribution.
Language	Oral French at level 7 is required.
Pathway	The route moves through Québec selection, a work permit, a Québec stay, CSQ, and then federal permanent residence.
Before you apply	Verify current rules with official Québec and Canadian sources before acting.

Note: figures in this guide were checked against official Québec and Canadian government pages in July 2026.

What the Quebec investor program is and is not

When people search for a golden visa in Canada, they usually mean a passive investor route. Canada does not offer a classic golden visa where an investment alone buys residence rights.

What exists is the Québec Immigrant Investor Program, a Québec-selected pathway inside the wider Canadian immigration system. It is passive in the sense that you are not required to launch a start-up, but it is not a property route, not a direct citizenship purchase, and not the same as active entrepreneur pathways.

🤔 What has changed? Some older guidelines still talk about a Québec selection grid for investors and older process details. Current official guidance focuses on eligibility conditions, a work permit stage, a required stay in Québec, and only then CSQ and federal permanent residence.

🔍 Golden visa search term	💡 Official QIIP reality
Buy residence with money	Apply through a Québec immigration program with strict eligibility checks
Passive capital only	Passive capital plus French language, education, management, and source-of-funds evidence
One-step visa	Work permit first, then Québec stay, then CSQ, then federal PR
Property purchase helps	Buying property alone does not create eligibility
Fast citizenship route	No direct or automatic citizenship outcome

If you want an owner-operator route instead, compare it with our guide below:

Who can qualify for QIIP

Under the official Québec conditions page, the program is aimed at high-net-worth applicants who can prove lawful wealth, recent management experience, oral French ability, basic education, and a genuine plan to complete the required stay in Québec.

Net worth, investment and source of funds

When people search for “Canada golden visa net worth,” they’re usually looking for the current QIIP threshold of CAD 2,000,000. You can count eligible net worth held alone or with an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, but you must prove the lawful origin and accumulation of that wealth.

You must also arrange a five-year CAD 1,000,000 investment and a CAD 200,000 non-refundable financial contribution through an authorized financial intermediary.

Before moving money, confirm current intermediary instructions, accepted transfer routes, recipient naming, proof-of-funds requirements, and any provider limits.

📥 Requirement	💡 Current rule
Minimum net worth	CAD 2,000,000
Lawful origin	You must document how the funds were earned and accumulated
Investment	CAD 1,000,000 for five years, guaranteed by Québec and repaid without interest
Financial contribution	CAD 200,000, non-refundable
Delivery channel	Must be handled through an authorized financial intermediary

French, education and management experience

• French: You need spoken French at level 7 on the Québec scale. Check the accepted tests and diplomas on the official program page before you book anything.
• Education: You need at least a diploma equivalent to a Québec secondary school diploma, or another accepted study credential listed by MIFI.
• Management experience: You need at least two years of management experience within the five years before you apply. In practice, be ready to show real control over staff, budgets, or operations, not just ownership on paper.

How the QIIP application process works

The route is not a single-step visa.

It starts with Québec selection, moves to a work permit and required stay in Québec, and only then moves to CSQ (Certificat de sélection) and the separate federal permanent residence stage.

Québec stage and work permit stage

A simple way to think about the first half of the process is this:

1. You submit the paper application to MIFI with forms, supporting documents, and the application review fee.
2. MIFI checks completeness, opens the file, and may request more evidence, an interview, or the attestation on democratic and Québec values.
3. If the eligibility conditions are met, except for the Québec stay, MIFI can issue a notice of intention to select once the investment and contribution are confirmed.
4. Your authorized intermediary handles the required investment steps within MIFI’s timelines.
5. You then apply online for the Québec investor open work permit within six months of the notice.

Residence period, CSQ and permanent residence

The work permit is not the final destination.

Within two years of its issue, you must complete at least 12 months in Québec, and at least six of those months must be completed by the principal applicant. The other six months can be completed by you or your spouse or common-law partner.

Once MIFI accepts your proof of stay, it can issue the CSQ. After that, you apply to the federal government for permanent residence, which is a separate stage with its own fees, checks, and timelines. Permanent residence, and later citizenship, are not automatic or immediate.

✍️Insider Tip: Keep a simple file with lease documents, school records, utility bills, travel records, and health registration evidence during your Québec stay, because reconstructing residence proof later can be slow and stressful.

Costs and timelines

The headline cost is only part of the picture. At the time of review (28 July 2026), Québec lists an application review fee of CAD 18,241 for the principal applicant, on top of the CAD 1,000,000 investment and CAD 200,000 contribution.

IRCC lists federal business-class permanent residence fees from CAD 2,495, and you should also budget for medical exams, police certificates, translations, and professional fees if you use advisers.

🔍 A common question is how long the Quebec investor program takes:The answer is that there is no single timeline.

➡️ Québec review, the work permit window, the 12-month stay, CSQ issuance, and federal PR processing all move on different clocks, and delays often come from weak French preparation, incomplete source-of-funds evidence, missing residence proof, or relying on old grid-based content.

💰 Cost area	💡 What to know
Québec application review fee	CAD 18,241 for the principal applicant, checked against the official fee page
Federal PR fees	IRCC lists fees from CAD 2,495
Other costs to verify	Medicals, police certificates, translation, courier, adviser fees, and settlement costs
Financing	Some intermediaries may discuss financing structures, but do not treat financing as guaranteed or universal
Common mistakes	Underestimating French, assuming property helps, ignoring transfer logistics, using outdated rules

Common reasons applications get delayed or refused

• Weak source-of-funds evidence or unexplained asset growth.
• Management claims that are not backed by real authority over people, budgets, or operations.
• French proof from the wrong provider or an expired result.
• Missing translations, signatures, dates, or explanations.
• Poor evidence of the Quebec stay or confusion about who must be present.

Use the official checklists, keep a document index, and get qualified advice if your history is complex.

What happens after approval?

Approval is staged. After Quebec accepts you for selection, you do not get permanent residence right away.

You first use the notice of intention to select to apply for an open work permit, move to Quebec, and complete the stay rule. Citizenship is separate again and only comes later if you meet Canada’s own residence and legal rules.

The general steps required after approval include:

• Receive the notice of intention to select and apply to IRCC for the investor open work permit within six months.
• Complete the Quebec stay and submit proof so the CSQ can be issued for you and accompanying family members.
• File the federal permanent residence application and wait for medical, security, and background checks.

Plan to follow this as a Quebec route, not as a shortcut to settle elsewhere first. To verify the live details before you apply check the Québec post-CSQ page and the Quebec business immigration page.

Moving your finances and settling in Quebec

Cross-border money planning often starts before you land. You may need funds for application-related payments, transfers to an intermediary, temporary housing, lease or school deposits, and early CAD spending while your banking setup is still in progress.

A practical checklist can help:

• Confirm with your intermediary which transfer routes and recipient details they accept.
• Ask your bank or transfer provider about limits, compliance reviews, and source-of-funds documents.
• Keep transfer receipts, exchange confirmations, and proof-of-origin records in one file.
• Compare your day-to-day banking options early on, and get ready to move your funds
• Separate immigration-related funds from everyday settlement money where possible.

For international transfers, Wise can help you move your money with transparent fees and exchange rates you can see upfront. Wise uses the mid-market rate for currency conversion with no hidden costs, making it a reliable and straightforward way to send secure, speedy transfers from many countries to Canada.

Consider using Wise to send your qualifying investment to Canada if your intermediary allows it, to keep down overall costs and get the help of the dedicated Wise large transfer team if you need it. They also have progressive fee discounts on large transfers, which can help you keep your costs low.

For day-to-day relocation needs, the Wise Account can also help you hold CAD and other currencies, and receive money from abroad.

You might be able to open your Wise account before you head to Canada, subject to availability in your region, and can then get local CAD account information to receive payments conveniently once you land. That can make it easier to settle, receive salary or client payments, and manage your money in CAD on a daily basis.

➡️ If you are also planning wider personal finance decisions after arrival, Expatica’s guide to investing in Canada as an expat is a smart starting point.

FAQs

Is there really a golden visa in Canada?

Not in the classic sense. Canada does not offer a standard golden visa, but the Québec Immigrant Investor Program is the passive investor visa route that people usually mean when they use that search term.

What net worth do you need for the so-called Canada golden visa?

For the Québec Immigrant Investor Program, the current minimum net worth threshold is CAD 2,000,000. Applicants must also prove the lawful origin and accumulation of those funds, as well as meeting a variety of other education, experience and language benchmarks.

Do you need French for the Quebec investor program?

Yes. The current rule is oral French at level 7 on the Québec scale. Check accepted tests or diplomas on the official Québec page before booking a language exam.

Does the Quebec selection grid for investors still apply?

Some older pages still talk about a Québec selection grid for investors. This is not part of the current official program structure under the latest Québec conditions (as checked 28 July 2026).

How long does the Quebec investor program take?

Timing varies by stage, file complexity, and how quickly you meet each requirement. The route includes both Québec and federal stages, so timelines can vary quite widely.

Useful resources

Last checked 28 July 2026

• Gouvernement du Québec – QIIP eligibility conditions, including residence requirement
• Gouvernement du Québec: – Québec application submission page
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – Québec investor work permit application