Choose stream 2 to create your business, and stream 3 to acquire control of a business that has been operating for at least five years. Both streams require the same starting net worth and the same minimum spending. What separates them is the nature of the project, the control required and the supervision imposed.
What to know first in 2026
Neither stream is closed or suspended. The Ministry states that applications are accepted at all times, with no maximum number, in stream 2 as well as in stream 3.
The 2026 Immigration Plan nonetheless provides for only 100 to 200 Selection Certificates for the entire business people category. That volume also covers investors and self-employed workers. An open door therefore does not mean a quick selection.
Two streams, four profiles
Each stream has two profiles, depending on whether the project is still to be carried out or has already been carried out in Quebec. The first profile is for a person who is abroad or has not yet launched their project. The second is for a person already settled in Quebec for at least two years and authorized to work there.
| Profile | Stream | Situation covered | Minimum net worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business start-up | 2 | Business to be created | $600,000 |
| Business started | 2 | Business operating for at least 1 year | $300,000 |
| Business being acquired | 3 | Business to be acquired | $600,000 |
| Business acquired | 3 | Business already taken over | $300,000 |
The thresholds come from the official condition pages for each stream. Gifts received in the six months preceding the application are excluded from the calculation. Stream 1, Innovative business, is instead aimed at innovative projects supported by a support organization.
The profile that fits stream 2
The Start a business stream suits the person who wants to build a project from scratch. The Business start-up profile requires at least two years of business management experience in the five years preceding the application. You may start alone or with no more than three partners who are also applicants.
This stream therefore allows a structure with several immigrant partners. Each one must nonetheless hold at least 25 % of the contributed capital, alone or with a spouse included in the application. In practice, that rule limits the number of partners and imposes a precise allocation of the capital.
The profile that fits stream 3
The Business takeover stream suits the person who would rather take over an existing client base, staff and assets. The target business must have been operating for at least five years. It must not have been acquired, in the last five years, by a person selected under the Entrepreneur Program.
Stream 3 is stricter on control. You must acquire control alone or with your spouse included in the application. Any partners you have may neither apply under this program nor hold control.
If you are already in Quebec
A person who has been staying in Quebec for at least two years and is authorized to work has access to the Business started and Business acquired profiles. The net worth required there drops to $300,000. The choice then depends on where your business came from: created by you, or taken over from someone else.
In stream 2, the business must have been operating for at least one year. In stream 3, you must have been supported by the specialized organization throughout the takeover.
In both profiles, the Ministry issues the Selection Certificate directly where the conditions are met. It also provides a support letter allowing you to apply for a work permit.
Comparing the main requirements
| Requirement | Stream 2 Start a business | Stream 3 Business takeover |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the project | Creation of a business | Acquisition of an existing business |
| Age of the business | At least 1 year of registration before the evidence is sent | At least 5 years of operation |
| Holding required | At least 25 % of the contributed capital | Control of the business |
| Partners who are applicants | Up to 3 | None |
| Main document | Official business plan | Official succession plan |
| Mandatory support | No | Organization specialized in business takeovers |
| Minimum spending | $300,000 in the CMM; $150,000 outside the CMM | $300,000 in the CMM; $150,000 outside the CMM |
| Key deadline | Start-up no later than 2 years after the permit | Acquisition offer within 2 years of the application |
CMM stands for the Montréal Metropolitan Community. The spending threshold there is twice as high as elsewhere in Quebec. That geographic choice therefore weighs on your budget, whichever stream you take.
The conditions common to both streams
Some conditions apply in the same way to both streams. They are covered in detail in separate articles. Keep the following in mind:
- Age and schooling: be at least 18 years old and hold a diploma at least equivalent to a Quebec secondary school diploma.
- French: demonstrate level 7 oral French, through a test no more than two years old or a recognized diploma.
- Financial self-sufficiency: sign a financial self-sufficiency contract covering three months.
- Excluded sectors: stay out of the ineligible sectors, which include payday lending, the sex industry and real estate.
- Democratic values: obtain the attestation of learning about Quebec values within 60 days of the Ministry’s request.
The 2026 processing fees are $1,272 for the principal applicant and $201 per family member. They are not refundable, even where the application is refused.
How to decide between the two
Four questions usually point the way. Answer them honestly before spending anything:
The target
Do you have a specific target business, operating for five years, whose owner is ready to sell?
Without an identified target, stream 3 stays theoretical.
The partners
Do you plan to go into partnership with other immigrant applicants?
Only stream 2 allows it, with no more than three partners.
The experience
Does your recent management experience reach two years?
That is the condition of the Business start-up profile.
The support
Are you ready to pay for a support organization?
Its service offer will be reviewed by the Ministry.
Without a specific target business, stream 3 is hard to contemplate and stream 2 becomes the natural route. If you are aiming at a profitable business already in operation, stream 3 can reduce the commercial risk. It does, however, add a negotiation with a seller and mandatory support.
How MEKA AVOCAT works on this
The choice of stream has immediate corporate consequences. In stream 2, we incorporate the company, draft the articles and document each applicant’s contributed capital in the minute book. That record is what demonstrates the 25 % threshold when the evidence is sent. It is the core of our work on starting a business.
In stream 3, we work on the due diligence of the target, the purchase offer and the structure that will give you control. We also prepare the notice required by the Investment Canada Act where a non-Canadian establishes or acquires a business, under sections 11 and 12. The tax side is coordinated with our accounting and tax partners.
We will tell you plainly if your profile is weak or if the stream you have in mind does not fit. The Ministry also states that using a representative grants no priority processing.
Texts and sources
This article draws on the official pages of Quebec’s immigration ministry published on Québec.ca: the conditions and the application pages for streams 2 and 3, the review of stream 3 applications and the presentation of the Entrepreneur Program. It also draws on the 2026 Immigration Plan and the Investment Canada Act.
Frequently asked questions
Can a partner help me finance a takeover?
Yes, but that partner may neither apply under the program nor hold control of the business taken over.
Does the absence of an application cap guarantee selection?
No. The 2026 Immigration Plan provides for only 100 to 200 Selection Certificates for the whole business people category, investors and self-employed workers included.
What net worth must I show?
$600,000 where the project has yet to be carried out, and $300,000 for the Business started and Business acquired profiles. Gifts received in the six months preceding the application are excluded from the calculation.
Are the processing fees refunded if my application is refused?
No. They are $1,272 for the principal applicant and $201 per family member, and they are not refundable.
Torn between starting and buying?
The choice of stream determines the corporate structure, the main document to produce and the timetable of the file. A meeting lets you settle it before spending on processing fees that are not refundable.
Next: the Start a business stream, the Business takeover stream, and our work on buying a business.
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Lawyer, member of the Barreau du Québec since 2014, founder of MEKA AVOCAT. This text sets out general legal information: it describes rules that apply broadly, not the answer to a particular case, and does not replace advice on your own situation.
