Entrepreneur, investor and self-employed pathways to Canadian permanent residence — federal, Quebec, provincial and territorial. Buying or starting a company in Canada does not by itself give you status, so the programme has to be chosen before the money moves.
The federal Start-up Visa Program was paused on June 30, 2026 and is not accepting new applications. The federal Self-Employed Persons Program has been paused since April 30, 2024, with no reopening date announced. Saskatchewan permanently closed its entrepreneur, international graduate entrepreneur and Farm Owner/Operator categories on March 27, 2025, and Ontario's entrepreneur stream is closed. All four are listed below so the comparison is complete — not because they are available.
This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in business immigration. Incorporating a Canadian company, buying an existing one, or even operating it profitably gives you no immigration status on its own. Status comes from a programme, and every programme has its own thresholds for net worth, investment, ownership, language and where the business must be located.
Most provincial streams require you to be approved before you invest, then operate under a performance agreement, and only then receive a nomination. Buying first and looking for a programme afterwards usually disqualifies the purchase.
Net worth is what you must prove you own and lawfully accumulated. Investment is what you must actually put into the business. A programme will state both, and both are verified — including the source of the funds.
Entrepreneur streams generally require active, day-to-day management in the province, often with a minimum physical-presence requirement. These are not passive investor visas, and Canada no longer runs a federal passive investor programme.
Every figure on this page was checked against the relevant government source in September 2026, and each card links to that source. Thresholds, intake status and performance conditions change without notice, and several programmes here can close mid-year when their nomination allocation is used up. Confirm the current position on the official page — and take advice on your own facts — before committing funds.
Open the interactive comparison chart → Filter all 26 pathways by status, or search by province or programme name.
Canada's two federal business routes are both paused. There is currently no general federal investor immigration programme.
Permanent residence for founders of innovative businesses backed by a designated Canadian organisation. IRCC paused the programme on June 30, 2026 and continues processing applications accepted before that date.
Permanent residence for people with relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics who intend to be self-employed in Canada. Intake has been paused since April 30, 2024 while IRCC works through its inventory. No reopening date has been announced.
Quebec selects its own economic immigrants and runs the only investor programme in Canada. Spoken French at level 7 on the Quebec scale applies across these programmes.
The only investor immigration programme in Canada, for experienced investors intending to settle in Quebec.
For founders developing an innovative business project in Quebec with backing from a specialised innovation organisation.
For entrepreneurs establishing or buying an eligible Quebec business. Thresholds differ between the start-up profile and the acquisition profile.
For professionals and tradespeople who will practise their occupation independently in Quebec. Note this is a Quebec programme and is separate from the paused federal one.
Alberta is our home province and the AAIP entrepreneur streams are the ones we work with most often.
For entrepreneurs starting or buying a business in a participating rural Alberta community.
For graduates of Alberta publicly funded institutions who have started or bought and run a business in Alberta.
For graduates of foreign institutions, applying from outside Canada, with an innovative start-up backed by a designated agency.
For experienced farm operators buying or establishing a primary-production farming business in Alberta.
For entrepreneurs establishing or buying and actively managing an eligible business in British Columbia.
For entrepreneurs referred by a participating smaller B.C. community to start a new business there.
For an established foreign corporation expanding into British Columbia and nominating key staff.
For businesspeople establishing, buying into or partnering in an eligible Manitoba business.
For experienced farm operators establishing and running a farm business in rural Manitoba.
Saskatchewan announced on March 27, 2025 that its Entrepreneur, International Graduate Entrepreneur and Farm Owner/Operator categories would be permanently closed.
The Atlantic provinces run some of the most accessible entrepreneur thresholds in the country, generally in exchange for a genuine commitment to live and operate there.
For entrepreneurs establishing and actively managing an eligible New Brunswick business.
For business owners or senior managers establishing, buying or co-managing an eligible provincial business.
For graduates of Memorial University or College of the North Atlantic already running a provincial business.
For owners or senior managers establishing or acquiring and running a Nova Scotia business. Application is by invitation only.
For recent Nova Scotia graduates already operating an eligible business in the province.
For applicants who will obtain a work permit, invest in and actively run an eligible PEI business before nomination.
Ontario has launched the Workforce Priority stream and states that all other OINP streams are now closed, which includes the Entrepreneur Stream.
For entrepreneurs proposing a viable business that meets identified economic needs in Yukon.
For entrepreneurs establishing, buying or investing in and running a business in the Northwest Territories. Thresholds are lower outside Yellowknife.
Nunavut does not operate a territorial nominee programme of any kind, business or otherwise.
Most provincial entrepreneur routes follow the same shape, and the order is not optional.
Compare your business and management experience, net worth, language results, investment capacity and intended destination against the programmes actually accepting applications.
Business concept, market research, ownership structure, evidence of the lawful source of your funds, and a credible settlement plan. Source of funds is examined closely and is where files most often stall.
Where the programme requires it, sign a performance agreement and obtain a work permit to establish and actively manage the business. This is the stage at which the investment is usually made.
Operate the business, meet the job-creation, investment and residence conditions in the agreement, and receive the nomination or selection certificate.
A nomination is not permanent residence. IRCC makes the final decision and assesses medical, criminal and security admissibility for you and your family.
The weightings differ, but the same ten factors decide almost every entrepreneur file.
Programmes rarely refuse because an applicant has too little money. They refuse because the applicant cannot document, to an officer's satisfaction, how the money was lawfully accumulated — across years, currencies, businesses and sometimes family transfers. Start assembling that trail early; it is the longest part of the file.
We compare your experience, net worth, language results and destination against the streams actually accepting applications, and tell you plainly which are realistic — including when the honest answer is none of them yet.
We are based in Edmonton and work regularly with the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program's rural, graduate, foreign graduate and farm entrepreneur streams.
Building the evidence trail for net worth and investment capital — usually the longest and most decisive part of a business immigration application.
Your file is handled by Mehrul Rajib, RCIC, licence R708721, regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants, with service in English, Bangla, Hindi or Urdu.
Before you transfer funds or sign for a business, have the programme, the thresholds and the source-of-funds evidence reviewed. Mehrul Rajib, RCIC, assesses your business history, net worth, language results and intended destination against what is open today.
This page 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 relevant federal, provincial or territorial government source in September 2026 and each programme links to that source; confirm the current position there, and take advice on your own circumstances, before investing or purchasing a business.
