Can You Get Canada PR by Investment?

Can You Buy Canada PR?

IRPA s.12(2) sets the test for every economic program. It reads: “A foreign national may be selected as a member of the economic class on the basis of their ability to become economically established in Canada”. A payment alone does not meet that test.

IRPR s.108(1) names five business classes. They are the Quebec investor class, the Quebec entrepreneur class, the start-up business class, the self-employed persons class and the Quebec self-employed persons class. An officer issues a visa in these classes only if the applicant and family also meet the general rules in IRPR s.70(1).

IRPR s.89 closes the door on paper deals. A start-up or self-employed applicant fails the requirements when they rest on transactions made “primarily for the purpose of acquiring a status or privilege” under the Act.

The Federal Routes: Start-up Visa and Self-Employed

The Start-up Visa is the start-up business class in IRPR s.98.01. The applicant needs a commitment from a designated entity. IRPR s.98.03 lists three kinds: “business incubators”, “angel investor groups” and “venture capital funds”. The business must be one the applicant manages actively from within Canada (IRPR s.98.06).

IRCC’s Start-up Visa page was modified on July 21, 2026. It shows “Status: Paused” and says: “The program is closed to all other applications”. People who already hold a work permit under the program may be able to extend it while IRCC processes their file.

The self-employed program is a different route. IRCC’s page, modified March 11, 2026, says it is for people who “have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics”. They must also be people who “will make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada”. IRCC lists it as paused.

Quebec’s Investor Program

Quebec picks its own business immigrants. Under IRPR s.90, a Quebec investor must intend to live in Quebec and be named in a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). IRCC’s page for Quebec business immigration says: “You need to apply to the Quebec government and get a Certificat de sélection du Québec before you apply for permanent residence”.

Quebec’s conditions page was updated on August 6, 2026. It sets these conditions, in its own words.

• • Net worth: you “must have a net worth of at least CAD $2,000,000”.
• • Investment: “your financial intermediary must make a five-year term investment of CDN $1,000,000 and make a financial contribution of CDN $200,000”.
• • Management: “You must have at least two years of management experience.”
• • French: “You must have a knowledge of spoken French corresponding minimally to level 7”.
• • A stay in Quebec of at least 12 months, within two years after the work permit is issued.

Quebec’s page on applying says: “You may submit an application at any time”. It adds: “There is no maximum number of applications to be received”. The CSQ is only the first half. Quebec says the investor must then apply to the Government of Canada. In its words: “The Government of Canada is responsible for deciding whether to grant you permanent residence”.

Quebec also runs programs for entrepreneurs and self-employed workers (IRPR s.97 and s.101). Its entrepreneur page describes three paths: an innovative business, a business startup and a takeover. This guide did not check their intake status. Our guide on Quebec immigration explains how Quebec selection works.

Provincial Entrepreneur Streams

IRCC’s Provincial Nominee Program page was modified on September 14, 2026. It says provinces and territories nominate people who can help their economy, “like business people and skilled workers”. It adds: “Each province and territory has its own requirements”. It also notes: “Quebec and Nunavut don’t have programs”.

A nominee joins the provincial nominee class in IRPR s.87 once a province names them in a nomination certificate. Two examples show the shape of a business stream.

• • British Columbia describes its Entrepreneur Immigration as a pathway to permanent residency for people who can help the economy “by establishing or managing a business in B.C.” Its page sets a minimum net worth and a minimum personal investment for each stream.
• • Alberta says: “Entrepreneurs who want to start a business or buy an existing business in a rural Alberta community can submit an Expression of Interest.”

Streams change often. Ontario closed all its previous OINP streams on June 25, 2026. Its new stream covers skilled workers with a job offer and self-employed physicians. Check the province’s own page before you plan.

Each of these streams asks the applicant to run a business in the province. For how nomination works across Canada, read our Provincial Nominee Program guide.

British Columbia’s rules are covered in more depth in our BC PNP guide.

Before You Pay Anyone

An offer that promises PR in return for an investment should raise a flag. IRCC decides every file, and the law sets the classes. IRCC also warns: “You are responsible for all the information in your application, even if a representative completes it for you”.

Only certain people may charge for immigration advice under IRPA s.91. They are lawyers, Quebec notaries, law society paralegals and members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants. Our guide on immigration lawyers vs RCICs shows how to check one.

Frequently Asked Questions