Programme Overview
Canada Investor Programme
From CAD 1,200,000 — financed against your portfolio, not liquidated from it.
Or compare it against the other programmesCanada at a glance
The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) is the only passive investor route in Canada and reopened in redesigned form on 1 January 2024, with no cap on applications. It requires a CAD 1,000,000 five-year guaranteed investment repaid without interest, PLUS a separate CAD 200,000 non-refundable contribution, on a minimum net worth of CAD 2,000,000.
Investment from
CAD 1,200,000
Processing
9-12 months
Stay required
730 days
Investor Programme. Spouse and dependants included. There is a pathway to citizenship.
Canada Investor Programme — investment routes
Quebec Investment (CAD 1,200,000 total)
CAD 1,000,000 placed through an approved financial intermediary for five years and repaid in full without interest, plus a mandatory CAD 200,000 non-refundable contribution to Investissement Quebec Immigrants Investisseurs inc.
- ▪Investment of CAD 1,000,000 + CAD 200,000
Canada Investor Programme benefits
- Canadian permanent residency
- Live, work, study anywhere in Canada
- Include spouse and dependent children
- Access to universal healthcare
- World-class education system
- Path to citizenship after 3 years
- High quality of life and safety
- Dual citizenship permitted
Eligibility Requirements
- ▪Net worth minimum $1,460,000 USD (CAD $2,000,000)
- ▪Minimum 2 years management experience in past 5 years
- ▪Lawfully acquired assets
- ▪Intent to settle in Quebec
- ▪Pass medical examination
- ▪No criminal record
- ▪French language knowledge beneficial (not required)
- ▪Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) required
Who can be included
- Spouse or common-law partner
- Dependent children under 22
- Children 22+ if financially dependent due to disability
- All family members receive permanent residence
Taxation
Canada taxes residents on worldwide income with progressive federal rates up to 33% plus provincial taxes (combined top rates 44-54% depending on province). Capital gains 50% taxable.
Residency requirements
As permanent resident, must be physically present in Canada for 730 days (2 years) in every 5-year period to maintain status. For citizenship, need 1,095 days (3 years) in past 5 years.
Path to citizenship
Eligible for citizenship after 3 years as permanent resident with physical presence requirement. Language proficiency (English or French) and knowledge of Canada test required.
Application process
Typical duration: 9-12 months- 01
Programme Status
Currently suspendedQIIP suspended indefinitely as of 2024 - awaiting government decision on reopening
- 02
Historical Timeline (if reopens)
9-12 months totalWhen operational: Application preparation, Quebec CSQ, and federal processing combined timeline
Costs and fees (Commission)
Every charge the programme makes, and the sales commission an intermediary adds on top of them.
Investment
CAD 1,200,000 total
CAD 1,000,000 repaid after five years, plus CAD 200,000 non-refundable.
Quebec Fees
$1,259 USD (CAD $1,725)
Quebec provincial application fees
Federal Fees
$996 USD (CAD $1,365) + $515 biometrics
IRCC processing and biometrics fees
Legal Fees
$11,000-$22,000 USD (CAD $15,000-$30,000)
Immigration attorney and document preparation
Sales commission
$40,000–$90,000
Scales with the size of the commitment, and the commitment here is large.
Fee Based Model
The same programme, bought without an intermediary's commission.
You save
$40,000–$90,000
The sales commission on the left, which you do not pay. The $10,000 fee replaces it.
Total estimated cost
$894,000-$912,000 USD (CAD $1,225,000-$1,250,000) (full) or $164,000-$182,000 USD (CAD $225,000-$250,000)
financing. The sales commission above is on top of this figure.
What the advice costs
The programme costs the same. The advice does not.
Through a commission
$40,000–$90,000
Sales commission on Canada. Scales with the size of the commitment, and the commitment here is large.
Through a fee
$10,000
Paid once, and it runs to the permit being issued — route selection, the financing, the portfolio, and the agent appointed and managed for you. Paid by you, so the answer can be no.
Total saving
$40,000–$90,000
The whole commission, before the $10,000 fee. The programme costs what it costs either way.
This is the commission only. The licensed agent, the legal work and the government fees in the list above are payable whoever advises you, and nothing here removes them — a saving that quietly included a statutory fee would be the same trick in the other direction.
Commission ranges are typical rather than universal, and no firm is named. They are not published anywhere, which is the point of them.
Fund Your Canada Investment with a Lombard Loan
Instead of liquidating your portfolio to fund the From CAD 1,200,000 Canada investment, use your existing assets as collateral and keep your money working for you.
Traditional: Liquidate Assets
- ✗Sell From CAD 1,200,000 from your portfolio
- ✗Trigger capital gains tax (up to 20%)
- ✗Lose years of compound growth
- ✗After 10 years: $2.59M
Lombard Loan: Keep Your Portfolio
- Borrow From CAD 1,200,000 against $2.40M collateral
- No capital gains event triggered
- Portfolio continues growing at 8%
- After 10 years: $4.82M
10-Year Wealth Projection
Is Canada right for you?
Ideal for
- Families prioritizing quality of life, safety, and education
- Investors seeking government-guaranteed, zero-risk investment
- Those wanting North American access without U.S. tax complexity
- Entrepreneurs considering Start-up Visa pathway
- Investors patient enough to wait for QIIP reopening
Consider alternatives if
- ▪Investors needing immediate immigration solution (QIIP suspended)
- ▪Those unwilling to accept Canadian worldwide taxation
- ▪Investors seeking passive income from their investment
- ▪Those preferring warmer climates year-round
- ▪Applicants unable to meet management experience requirement
Related Resources
FAQs
Half an hour, $100, no commission.
Whether Canada is right for you, what it will actually cost, and whether a visa with no capital contribution gets you the same place for nothing.