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Compare every pathway at a glance

The same 26 federal, Quebec, provincial and territorial business-immigration programs from our full guide — filterable by status, searchable by province or program, with net worth and investment shown to scale.

Checked September 2026 26 pathways · 1 federal + Quebec + 9 provinces + 3 territories All amounts in CAD

Both federal routes are paused. The Start-up Visa was paused June 30, 2026, and the Self-Employed Persons Program has been paused since April 30, 2024. Saskatchewan permanently closed its entrepreneur categories on March 27, 2025, and Ontario's OINP Entrepreneur Stream is closed. Every program is listed so the comparison is complete — not because all are available. Confirm live intake on the linked source before advising a client or filing.

Federal pathways

IRCC-administered — apply regardless of destination province

Pathway	Status	Min. net worth	Min. investment	Ownership	Key requirements	Source
Start-up Visa Program Backed by a designated organization	Paused	Not prescribed	None from applicant	≥10% voting rights per founder; founders + org >50% together	Letter of support & commitment certificate from a designated org CLB 5 in all four abilities Settlement funds per IRCC's published table Paused June 30, 2026; pre-pause applications continue processing.	IRCC →
Self-Employed Persons Program Culture & athletics	Paused	Not prescribed	Not fixed	N/A	Relevant cultural or athletic self-employment experience Intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada Selection-factor points and admissibility Paused since April 30, 2024; no reopening date announced.	IRCC →

Quebec

Own selection system · French level 7 applies across all four

Pathway	Status	Min. net worth	Min. investment	Ownership	Key requirements	Source
Quebec Investor Program The only investor program in Canada	Check intake	$2,000,000	$1,000,000 + $200,000 non-refundable contribution	N/A — passive investment	Net worth legally acquired 2+ years' management experience in the past 5 5-year term investment, government-arranged Spoken French at level 7	Quebec →
Entrepreneur — innovative business Backed by an innovation-specialized org	Check intake	Not stated on page	Not stated on page	Not stated on page	Service offer from a specialized innovation organization Business plan for the innovative project Spoken French at level 7	Quebec →
Entrepreneur — start or acquire a business Start-up vs. acquisition profiles differ	Check intake	$600,000 / $300,000 start-up vs. acquisition	$300,000 / $150,000 Montréal metro vs. outside	≥25% of business value	Start-up/operating expenditure per region Spoken French at level 7	Quebec →
Self-Employed Worker Program Independent professionals & tradespeople	Check intake	$100,000	$50,000 / $25,000 Montréal metro vs. outside	N/A — sole practice	2+ years self-employed in your profession in the past 5 French, occupation and regulatory requirements Separate from the paused federal Self-Employed program.	Quebec →

Western Canada

Alberta · British Columbia · Manitoba · Saskatchewan

Pathway	Status	Min. net worth	Min. investment	Ownership	Key requirements	Source
AAIP Rural Entrepreneur Stream Participating rural Alberta communities	Check intake	$300,000	$100,000 your own equity	Not stated on page	CLB 4 in each ability High-school equivalency with an ECA Exploratory visit and community support letter	AAIP →
AAIP Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Graduates of Alberta public institutions	Check intake	Not stated on page	Not stated on page	Min. 34%	2+ years' full-time study for an Alberta degree/diploma Valid PGWP at time of EOI Business operated in Alberta ≥1 year CLB 7 in each ability	AAIP →
AAIP Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Applying from outside Canada	Check intake	Not published on this page	Not published on this page	Not published on this page	Foreign post-secondary degree completed within the past 10 years Letter of recommendation from an AAIP-approved designated agency CLB 5 in each ability	AAIP →
AAIP Farm Stream Primary-production farming	Check intake	$500,000 or proof of access	$500,000 equity in the farm business	Not stated on page	Farm management experience Viable farm business plan	AAIP →
BC PNP Entrepreneur — Base BC PNP	Registration	$600,000	$200,000	Not stated on page	≥1 new full-time job for a Canadian citizen or PR CLB 4	BC PNP →
BC PNP Entrepreneur — Regional Referred by a participating small community	Referral	$300,000	$100,000	≥51%	≥1 new permanent FTE job Community exploratory visit and referral before applying	BC PNP →
BC PNP Strategic Projects Established foreign corporation expanding to BC	Corporate	N/A — corporate	$500,000 toward B.C. operations	N/A — corporate	≥3 new FT jobs per key staff member proposed Up to 5 key staff may be proposed	BC PNP →
MPNP Entrepreneur Pathway Manitoba PNP, Business Investor Stream	EOI pathway	$500,000	$250,000 / $150,000 Winnipeg Metro vs. outside	Not stated on page	3+ years in past 5 as active owner or senior manager CLB/NCLC 5 Create/maintain ≥1 job for a Canadian/PR	MPNP →
MPNP Farm Investor Pathway Rural Manitoba farm business	EOI pathway	$500,000	$300,000 farm investment	Not stated on page	3+ years farm ownership and operation experience Farm business research visit to Manitoba	MPNP →
SINP entrepreneur & farm categories Entrepreneur, Int'l Graduate Entrepreneur & Farm Owner/Operator	Closed	—	—	—	Permanently closed March 27, 2025 No new applications or EOIs; existing files continue	Sask. →

Ontario & Atlantic Canada

New Brunswick · Newfoundland & Labrador · Nova Scotia · PEI · Ontario

Pathway	Status	Min. net worth	Min. investment	Ownership	Key requirements	Source
NB Business Immigration Stream New Brunswick PNP	Check intake	$500,000 $300k for agriculture-sector	$150,000	≥51% (or senior mgr, 2+ staff)	Age 19–59; CLB 4 in all four skills 2 of last 5 years owning ≥51% or as senior manager Create ≥1 full-time job	NB →
NL International Entrepreneur Category Newfoundland & Labrador PNP	EOI open	$600,000 unencumbered net assets	$200,000 or $1M+ in equity, any share	≥33.3% (or $1M+ equity, any share)	Age 21–59; CLB 5 across all four competencies ≥1 FTE job for the local population	NL →
NL International Graduate Entrepreneur Memorial University & College of the North Atlantic grads	EOI pathway	Not stated on page	Not stated on page	Min. 33.3%	2+ academic years full-time in-person study at Memorial or CNA Valid PGWP; ≥1 year operating the business; CLB 7	NL →
Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream By invitation only	By invitation	$600,000 / $400,000 outside Halifax Regional Municipality	$150,000 / $100,000 outside HRM	Not stated on page	CLB 5 Operate the business one year before nomination	NS →
NS International Graduate Entrepreneur By invitation only	By invitation	Not stated on page	Not stated on page	Min. 33.33%	2+ academic years full-time in-person study at an NS university or NSCC ≥1 year continuous business operation; CLB 7 and valid PGWP	NS →
PEI Business Impact — Work Permit Stream By invitation only	By invitation	$600,000 verifiable, personal	$150,000 within 12 months	Not stated on page	Age 21–59; CLB 4 Operate ≥12 consecutive months; ≥$75k eligible operating expenses ≥274 days/year resident in PEI	PEI →
OINP Entrepreneur Stream Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program	Closed	—	—	—	Ontario launched a Workforce Priority stream; all other OINP streams, including Entrepreneur, are closed A previously registered EOI is not an invitation	Ontario →

Northern Canada

Yukon · Northwest Territories · Nunavut

Pathway	Status	Min. net worth	Min. investment	Ownership	Key requirements	Source
Yukon Business Nominee Program Identified economic needs in Yukon	Check intake	$500,000 incl. ≥$300k liquid	$300,000 in the first 2 years	Not stated — must manage business yourself	3+ years entrepreneurial/management experience, plus 5 years relevant work experience Hold a NOC TEER 0 or 1 position	Yukon →
NTNP Business Stream Lower thresholds outside Yellowknife	Check intake	$500,000 / $250,000 Yellowknife vs. outside	$200,000 / $100,000 Yellowknife vs. outside	≥33.3% (or $1M+ equity, any share)	CLB 4 English or French equivalent Exploratory visit with a face-to-face interview, plus a business plan	NWT →
Nunavut No territorial nominee program	No program	—	—	—	No territorial entrepreneur nomination of any kind to apply for Federal options must be assessed independently	—

Status key

EOI open

has a genuinely open, unconditional application route right now.

Check intake / Registration / Referral / By invitation

has some route in, but it's conditional, selective, or prone to pausing without notice.

Paused / Closed / No program

no active intake, permanently or pending redesign.

Reading the bars

Net-worth bars are scaled to a $2,000,000 ceiling (the Quebec Investor Program); investment bars to a $1,000,000 ceiling, so the relative reach of each threshold is comparable at a glance across every row.

“Not stated on page”

Means the linked source doesn't publish a fixed figure for that field — not that the program has none. Follow the source link for the full application guide before relying on it.

This chart is general information, not legal or financial advice. Business immigration criteria, investment thresholds, performance conditions and intake status change without notice, and no nomination or approval is guaranteed. Every figure here was checked against the linked federal, provincial or territorial government source in September 2026; confirm the current position there, and take advice on your own circumstances, before investing or purchasing a business.

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