Overview

Quebec is one of Canada's most developed provinces and has several streams of programs to help applicants go from work-permit to permanent residence to citizenship in Canada. Programs specific to Quebec have a two-level process:

1. EThe applicant must first get selected by the province of Quebec and obtain a CSQ (Quebec Selection Certificate or Certificat de sélection du Québec). This certificate is awarded to the applicants whose documentation is actively verified by the provincial authorities, found to be meeting the eligibility criteria, and selected as a valueadding application. However, obtaining CSQ is only one part of the process and does not provide the permit to immigrate to Canada.
2. The second part of the process unfolds after a CSQ has been obtained. The Canadian federal authorities examine each applicant with the CSQ and provide further permits necessary for immigrating to Canada.

Quebec provides the advantage of choosing from three routes to attaining a permanent residence:

1. Entrepreneur Program:

• The program includes two streams. Stream 1 necessitates the applicant to work with a business incubator, business accelerator, or university entrepreneurship center. Stream 2, which has been temporarily closed, includes making a security deposit of CAD 200,000 and then establishing a business in Quebec, Canada.

2. Investor Program

• The program used to require an investment of CAD 1.2 million to be made over the forthcoming 5 years. The program has been temporarily closed.

3. Self-Employed Worker Program:

• The program has been designed for professionals capable of working as self-employed individuals who can add value to Quebec's economy.

Eligibility Criteria

A. Entrepreneur Program

Unlike the Federal Startup Visa program, Quebec Entrepreneur Program Stream 1 does not have a designated list of incubators, accelerators, or university entrepreneurship centers. Instead, it provides the roles and requirements that these organizations have to fulfill to make your application eligible. Along with satisfying the below-mentioned roles, the organization must provide a support plan (which shows all the services it will provide throughout the business project's lifecycle), an operational plan (which shows the schedule and budget for the services it will offer), and proof of tangible expertise in the given area (business incubation, acceleration, or entrepreneurship at a university).

1.Business Incubation Centre:

• A Quebec-based organization that provides services similar to mentoring to the business projects structured for bringing innovation to the province.

2. Business Accelerator:

• A Quebec-based organization that provides services primarily related to locating capital for business projects engineered for creating value and bringing innovation to the province.

3. University Entrepreneurship Centre:

• It can be an organization either managed by a university as stated in Chapter E-14.1 Section 1 of the Act of Respecting Educational Institutions at the University' or have an association with a university as directed by the spirit of the same law. The organization must be providing mentoring as one of its primary services to the business project owners.

B. Investor Program (Temporarily Closed)

Have CAD 2 million worth of assets on a standalone basis or combined with the spouse, attained by legal means other than donations, at least six months prior to the date of application.

At least 2 years of management experience, excluding any training period in the 5 years prior to the date of application. The applicant must have been the key decision-maker on allocating capital, human, or other material resources.

An agreement made with a broker or a trust-company that has been recognized as a legal participant for this program.

Create a plan of investing at least CAD 1.2 million with Investissement Quebec Immigrants Investisseurs Inc.

5. Provide an attestation letter by a stipulated deadline showing your successful completion of training on democratic values and Quebec values as expressed in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

C. Self Employed Persons

Have the financial capability of migrating to Quebec and starting one’s business activities without the grants and assistance of other parties.

Make a deposit of CAD 50,000 with a financial institution registered in the respective jurisdiction if one will be working in the Montreal Metropolitan Community or CAD 25,000 for working outside of the same.

Have a net-worth of over CAD 100,000 on a standalone basis or in conjunction with the spouse.

Have at least 2 years of experience as a self-employed professional in the industry and position one wants to practice after immigrating to Quebec.

AProvide an attestation letter by a stipulated deadline showing your successful completion of training on democratic values and Quebec values as expressed in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.

While the Quebec government’s website does not explicitly state the requirement of French proficiency to be eligible for the aforementioned programs, it would be safe to assume that have demonstrated linguistic ability in French will provide more points and increase the chances of acceptance. Here are the only tests acceptable for the same:

Benefits of the Quebec Programs

1. Provide access to the affluent market of Montreal.

Montreal has one of the largest economies in Canada alongside Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Most applicants of the Quebec Programs get to tap into the markets based in Montreal.

2. Have relatively lower net-worth-based eligibility criteria.

Quebec Programs have relatively lower net-worth-based criteria for several programs and explicitly consider both standalone net-worth and combined networth of spouses.

3. Offer a wide range of programs for province-focused entrepreneurs.

If one is focused entirely on the Quebec-based market opportunities, it makes sense to apply for one of the three listed programs as the applicant pool is relatively smaller compared to the federal application process.

4. Less-constraining eligibility criteria relative to the size of the province’s economy.

At large, most of the Quebec Programs have less stringent criteria. For instance, the Entrepreneur Program Stream 1 states the roles of business incubators, accelerators, and university entrepreneurship centers but does not limit the applicant's opportunity set with a dedicated list of organizations.

Application Process for the Quebec Programs

A. Entrepreneur Program

B. Investor Program (Temporarily Closed)

Aggregate the documents showcasing 2 years of management experience and at least CAD 2 million of net-worth on a standalone or in conjunction with the spouse.

Enter into an investment agreement with a registered broker or a trust in the respective jurisdiction in Quebec.

Create a 5-year plan for allocating and investing CAD 1.2 million with Investissement Québec - Immigrants Investisseurs Inc.

Get an attestation of having learned the democratic values and Quebec values as expressed in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms within the stipulated deadline

Close the documentation as mandated by the province of Quebec and the subsequent federal process.

C. Self Employed Persons

Aggregate documentation showcasing sufficient access to funds required to sustain oneself and one's professional activities in Quebec without external assistance. The documents must also reflect a net worth of at least CAD 100,000 on a standalone basis or in conjunction with one's spouse as well as 2 years of experience in the industry and position one plans to practice as a self-employed person in Quebec.

Make a deposit (CAD 50,000 for settling in Montreal Metropolitan Community and CAD 25,000 for settling outside the same) to a recognized & registered financial institution in the province.

Finish the documentation as per the provincial requirements as per the CSQ and close the federal application process.