Stream 2 of the Entrepreneur Program leads to a Quebec Selection Certificate through the creation of a business. It requires at least $600,000 in net worth and real spending in Quebec. In 2026 applications are accepted with no cap, but the number of certificates planned for the business category remains very limited.
Where the stream stands in 2026
The Ministry states that you may apply at any time and that there is no maximum number of applications (Québec.ca). The stream is therefore open.
The 2026 immigration plan nonetheless provides for 100 to 200 Selection Certificates for the entire business category. That figure includes the other business programs. You should plan for a demanding process with no guarantee.
The two profiles
Stream 2 has two distinct profiles. The Business start-up profile is for a person who has not yet created a business in Quebec. The Started business profile is for someone already operating one. If you are still weighing creating against taking over, see which stream to choose between starting and buying.
| Condition | Business start-up | Started business |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum net worth | $600,000 | $300,000 |
| Stay in Quebec | Not required | At least 2 years, authorized to work |
| The business | To be started after the permit | Operating for at least 1 year |
| Ownership | At least 25 % of the contributed capital | At least 25 % of the contributed capital |
| Outcome | Notice of intent, then certificate | Certificate and support letter |
The Business start-up profile also requires at least two years of business management experience in the five years preceding the application.
In both cases the net worth may be shared with the spouse included in the application. Gifts received in the six months preceding the application are excluded. The lawful origin and the accumulation of the assets must be demonstrated, including for the spouse: see our piece on net worth in business immigration.
The general conditions
The following conditions apply to both profiles (Québec.ca). Several are covered in separate articles on our blog. In summary:
- Be at least 18 years old when the application is filed.
- Hold at least a diploma equivalent to a Quebec secondary school diploma.
- Show oral French at level 7 on the Quebec scale, through a test no more than two years old.
- Sign a financial self-sufficiency contract covering three months after permanent residence is obtained.
- Not operate in an ineligible sector, in particular payday lending, the sex industry and real estate.
- Obtain the attestation of learning about democratic values within 60 days of the Ministry’s request.
Partners and the 25 % holding
You may start up alone or with no more than three other people who are also applying to the program. Each applicant must hold at least 25 % of the contributed capital. That holding may be held alone or with the spouse included in the application.
The rule has concrete corporate consequences. It calls for a share allocation consistent with the threshold from incorporation onward. It also means being able to prove each partner’s actual contribution. The clauses that lock the threshold in are set out in our piece on the shareholders’ agreement of an immigrant entrepreneur.
The steps in the Business start-up profile
This profile follows a two-part path. The Ministry first reviews your application and your business plan. The certificate is issued only once the start-up has been proven.
Filing
You file the complete application by mail, with the business plan on the official form and the narrative document.
The notice of intent
If you meet every condition except the start-up itself and the spending, you receive a notice of intent to select.
That notice allows you to apply for a work permit from the Government of Canada, as well as for the family included in your application.
The start-up
You start the business no later than two years after that permit is issued.
It must have been registered for at least one year when the start-up evidence is sent in.
Spending and the certificate
You show start-up or operating spending of at least $300,000 within the Montreal metropolitan community, or $150,000 elsewhere.
The Ministry then issues your Selection Certificate and your family’s.
The two-year deadline runs from the issuance of the permit, not from your arrival. Tight planning of the registration, the lease and the first hires is therefore necessary. The corporate side of that timetable is covered in our piece on incorporating without permanent residence.
The Started business profile
This profile is for a person who has been staying in Quebec for at least two years, authorized to work and complying with the conditions of their stay. Their business must have been operating for at least one year. The net worth required drops to $300,000.
If every condition is met, the Ministry issues the Selection Certificate directly. It also provides a support letter for a federal work permit application. This profile therefore skips the notice of intent stage.
Filing the application
The application is filed in a single mailing, to the Ministry’s family reunification and registration branch in Montreal (Québec.ca). An incomplete application is returned without being processed. The fees must accompany the mailing.
The fees in force in 2026
| Fees in force since January 1, 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Principal applicant | $1,272 |
| Spouse or common-law partner | $201 |
| Each dependent child | $201 |
These fees are not refundable, even where the application is refused.
Review and decision
During the review the Ministry may call you to an interview or carry out verifications. A decision may be an acceptance, a refusal or a rejection, the latter covering in particular false or misleading statements.
How MEKA AVOCAT works on this
Our role sits where corporate law meets your immigration file. We structure the corporation, draft the articles and provide for share classes consistent with the 25 % threshold. Each partner’s contributed capital is documented in the minute book, which makes the proof easier to produce for the Ministry.
Where several applicants go into business together, a shareholders’ agreement frames the contributions, the management and the exit of a partner who is refused. We also prepare the notice required by the Investment Canada Act for the establishment of a new business by a non-Canadian. That notice is filed before the investment or within the 30 days that follow (ss. 11 and 12).
Spending follow-up and the tax structure are coordinated with our accounting and tax partners. We will tell you frankly if your experience or your net worth strikes us as insufficient. Using a representative does not, in any event, give an application priority treatment.
Texts and sources
This article draws on the official stream 2 pages of the Entrepreneur Program published on Québec.ca by Quebec’s ministry of immigration, francization and integration (conditions, applying, review of the application, what follows the selection certificate), on the 2026 immigration plan and on the Investment Canada Act.
Frequently asked questions
Are stream 2 applications suspended in 2026?
No. They are accepted at any time, with no cap, but only 100 to 200 Selection Certificates are planned for the business category as a whole.
Can I create my corporation before receiving the notice of intent?
You can, but the registration and the spending must fit the program’s timetable. Legal advice beforehand avoids spending made at the wrong time.
Does my spouse also have to hold 25 %?
No. The 25 % holding may be held alone or jointly with the spouse included in the application.
Are the fees refunded if my application is refused?
No. The fees are not refundable, even on a refusal, and they must accompany the mailed application.
Preparing an application under the Start a business stream?
The structure of the corporation, the share allocation and the spending schedule are decided before filing. A meeting lets us validate your set-up and tell you whether the file holds up.
Going further: the net worth required, the shareholders’ agreement of an immigrant entrepreneur and our work on starting 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.
