Changes to Quebec’s Investor, Entrepreneur and Self-Employed Worker programs coming August 2
Significant changes to Quebec’s Immigrant Investor, Entrepreneur and Self-Employed Worker programs are due to take effect August 2.
Among the modifications are new or higher capital investment requirements for all three programs.
Candidates for Quebec’s popular Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) will now have to meet higher net asset and investment requirements, which are rising to CAD $2 million and CAD $1.2 million, respectively.
The previous requirements were net assets of CAD $1.6 million and an investment of CAD $800,000.
The investment must be for a five-year term with a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec and the investment agreement must be made through a financial intermediary authorized to participate in the QIIP.
The QIIP received 1,900 applications during its most recent application intake period, which took place between April 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018.
Quebec has suspended new applications to this program until August 15 as it struggles to clear a backlog of applications to all three of its business immigration programs.
A new intake period is expected to commence September 10, 2018 for 1,900 applications.
Quebec is also introducing important changes to its Entrepreneur Program, which is also suspended until August 15. A new intake period should be announced in the coming weeks.
The change alters the two components through which entrepreneurs have been selected into one focused on startups supported by a business incubator / accelerator or university and another focused on owner-funded and operated businesses.
Under the first component, Quebec’s Immigration Ministry (MIDI) will select entrepreneurs who:
The second component focuses on the operation of an enterprise that the immigrant entrepreneur creates or acquires.
Under this component, MIDI will select a foreign entrepreneur who:
Another requirement is that the enterprise does not carry out a restricted economic activity.
A key change between this last component and the current Acquisition of a business in Quebec component is candidates will now have to pay a performance guarantee deposit of $300,000 or $200,000 (depending on the region where the business will be implemented) that is refundable if certain conditions are met.
In order to meet the requirements of Quebec’s Self-Employed Worker Program, candidates who will be based in Montreal will now have to register a start-up deposit of $50,000 or more at a local financial institution. Candidates based in regions outside of Montreal will have to deposit at least $25,000.
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