Is There an EB-5 Equivalent in Canada? Investor Permanent Residence Compared.

No — Canada has no direct equivalent to the US EB-5 visa, and has not had one since 2014. There is no federal program in which a passive capital investment buys permanent residence. Canada terminated exactly that program — the federal Immigrant Investor Program — in 2014, returned roughly 59,000 pending applications, and has not replaced it. What remains for investors in 2026 is narrower and more demanding than most comparison articles admit: Quebec’s investor program, provincial entrepreneur streams that require you to actually run a business, and work permits that lead to permanent residence only indirectly. This page sets out what is genuinely available, and how it measures against EB-5 and the new US Gold Card.

Why Canada Has No EB-5 Equivalent

This is worth understanding, because it explains why every “Canada investor visa” pitch you will encounter is describing something else.

Canada ran a passive investor program for decades. Under the federal Immigrant Investor Program, an applicant with sufficient net worth made a prescribed investment and received permanent residence without any obligation to operate a business. In February 2014, the government announced it would terminate the program and cancel the backlog. Bill C-31 gave that effect in June 2014, and roughly 59,000 investor applications and 7,000 entrepreneur applications were returned with fees refunded.

The stated reason matters more than the fact. Ottawa concluded the program delivered limited economic benefit: because the required investment was typically financed through loans from Canadian banks to provincial governments, very little genuinely new capital entered the country, and investors were not building businesses or creating jobs. That conclusion has shaped every Canadian business immigration program designed since.

The consequence for you as an applicant: Canada now sells participation, not passivity. Every remaining route asks you to operate something, be present, and demonstrate benefit. If your objective is to deploy capital and receive status without running a business, the honest answer is that the US EB-5 and Gold Card programs are built for that and Canada’s are not.

The US Side in 2026

EB-5, and the increase coming January 1, 2027

Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, the minimum qualifying investment is USD $800,000 for a project in a targeted employment area or qualifying infrastructure project, and USD $1,050,000 otherwise. Those figures have held since March 2022. The job-creation requirement is at least ten full-time positions for US workers, and the Regional Center Program is authorized through September 30, 2027.

The date to note is January 1, 2027. The RIA requires USCIS to reset the minimums every five years using CPI-U, applying inflation to the $1.05 million standard figure, setting the TEA minimum at 75% of the adjusted amount, and rounding down to the nearest $50,000. Independent analysts project a TEA minimum in the region of $900,000 to $937,500 and a standard minimum of roughly $1.2 to $1.25 million. No one has the final number, USCIS included, because it depends on CPI data not complete until close to the date.

The Gold Card

What Canada Actually Offers Investors

Ranked by how close each comes to the EB-5 model.

1. Quebec Immigrant Investor Program — the closest analogue

QIIP reopened on January 1, 2024 after a five-year suspension, on materially stricter terms than the program many investors remember. Current requirements include a net worth of at least CAD $2,000,000, a prescribed investment of CAD $1,200,000, at least two years of management experience within the preceding five years, and — the provision that disqualifies most international applicants — knowledge of spoken French at level 7 on the Quebec scale, roughly CEFR B2. Intake operates under a quota of approximately 1,900 applications per period, and the process is multi-stage with a residency component.

If you speak French to a working conversational standard, this is the nearest thing Canada has to EB-5. If you do not, it is effectively closed to you, and no amount of capital changes that.

2. Provincial entrepreneur streams — active operation required

These are the workhorse routes for business investors in Canada. The pattern is consistent across provinces: submit an expression of interest, be selected, obtain a work permit, move to the province, actively operate the business for a defined period, meet performance conditions, then receive a provincial nomination that leads to permanent residence.

Representative thresholds — verify before relying on these, as provinces revise them frequently:

Two realities that comparison articles omit. First, the lower rural thresholds are not a discount — they come with a genuine obligation to live and operate in a small community, and community endorsement is itself a competitive process. Second, these are two-stage routes: you hold a temporary work permit while you perform, and permanent residence comes only after you deliver on the business plan you submitted. See our Provincial Nominee Programs overview and immigration business plan guide.

3. C11 entrepreneur work permit — not a PR program

This needs stating plainly because it is the most common error in Canada-versus-US investor comparisons, including in the previous version of this page. The C11 work permit is issued under the significant-benefit provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. It lets an owner-operator come to Canada and run their business, it is LMIA-exempt, and it can be obtained comparatively quickly.

It confers no permanent residence. There is no C11-to-PR pathway. A C11 holder who wants permanent residence must qualify separately — through Express Entry after accumulating Canadian work experience, through a provincial nominee stream, or otherwise. Comparing C11 processing times to EB-5 processing times, as many articles do, compares a temporary work authorization to a permanent residence grant.

C11 remains genuinely useful — often the fastest way to physically get to Canada and start operating — but it is a first step, not a destination.

4. Start-Up Visa — closed

The federal Start-Up Visa stopped accepting new applications at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, 2025. IRCC cited inventory growth, processing times that had reached roughly 42 months on average, and concerns about the quality of outcomes. Applicants holding 2025 commitment certificates had until June 30, 2026 to file. Ottawa has said a more selective pilot aimed at higher-growth firms will follow, with parameters to be announced later in 2026 — nothing further is confirmed. Our analysis of the related legislative risk is here: Bill C-12 and the Start-Up Visa Program.

Side by Side

The Structural Difference That Should Drive Your Decision

Strip away the figures and one distinction remains. The United States has built capital-first programs: pay the required amount, satisfy a defined condition, receive status, and passive participation is expressly permitted. Canada, since 2014, has built operator-first programs: demonstrate you will build and run something of benefit, do it, be physically present, and then receive status.

That is not a judgment about which country is better. It is a filter. If you are an investor seeking a return and a passport-adjacent status without operational involvement, Canada has almost nothing for you outside Quebec. If you are an operator who intends to build and run a business in North America, Canada’s routes ask for a fraction of the capital and give you control of where it goes.

The 2026 Quota Reality

One more factor that rarely appears in comparisons: availability. Under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, provincial nominee allocations total 91,500 for 2026 — up about 66% from 55,000 in 2025, but still roughly 17% below the 110,000 available in 2024. Federal business admissions are capped at approximately 500 per year, which is the practical reason the Start-Up Visa closed.

For an applicant, this means provincial entrepreneur streams are competitive in a way they were not three years ago. Draw thresholds move, intake windows close early, and a viable business concept is no longer sufficient on its own.

Factors Beyond the Program

Taxation

An earlier version of this page stated that increased Canadian capital gains taxes were constraining business growth. That is no longer accurate and should be corrected in anyone’s analysis: the proposed increase in the capital gains inclusion rate from 50% to 66.67% was deferred and then cancelled on March 21, 2025. The inclusion rate remains 50%. The increased lifetime capital gains exemption of CAD $1.25 million on qualifying small business shares was retained. Cross-border tax planning is genuinely complex and worth professional advice, but this particular concern is resolved.

Education

Canadian tuition is lower, with an important qualification the usual comparison omits. Average domestic undergraduate tuition in Canada is well under CAD $10,000 a year, but domestic rates apply to permanent residents and citizens — international students typically pay three to five times more. So the saving is real once you hold PR, and largely unavailable while you are on a work permit. If you are weighing a two-stage provincial route, budget for international rates during the temporary phase.

Healthcare

Canadian public healthcare is publicly funded, not free, and coverage is provincial rather than federal. Several provinces impose a waiting period of up to three months before new arrivals are covered, and eligibility for temporary residents varies by province and permit type. Plan for private coverage during the gap. It remains a substantial advantage over the US, where individual market premiums are considerable — but “free” overstates it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EB-5 equivalent in Canada?

There is no direct equivalent. Canada terminated its federal Immigrant Investor Program in 2014 and has not replaced it, so no Canadian program grants permanent residence in exchange for a passive investment. The closest analogue is the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program, which requires CAD $2 million in net worth, a CAD $1.2 million investment, and French at oral level 7. Provincial entrepreneur streams require far less capital but require you to actively operate a business.

How much do I need to invest to get Canadian permanent residence?

It depends entirely on the route, and no amount of capital alone will produce permanent residence. Provincial entrepreneur streams generally require CAD $100,000 to $250,000 of investment plus CAD $300,000 to $600,000 of personal net worth, and grant PR only after you have operated the business successfully. The Quebec investor program requires a CAD $1.2 million investment and CAD $2 million net worth, plus French. Verify current figures directly with the relevant province, as thresholds change.

Is the Canada Start-Up Visa still open in 2026?

No. IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications on January 1, 2026, citing inventory growth, average processing times of roughly 42 months, and concerns about outcomes. Applicants who held 2025 commitment certificates had until June 30, 2026 to file their permanent residence applications. A more selective replacement pilot has been announced in principle, with details expected later in 2026.

Does a C11 work permit lead to permanent residence?

Not by itself. C11 is an LMIA-exempt work permit issued under the significant-benefit provision for owner-operators, and it confers no permanent status. A C11 holder seeking permanent residence must qualify through a separate route, most commonly Express Entry after accumulating Canadian work experience, or a provincial nominee stream. Comparisons that present C11 as Canada’s answer to EB-5 are comparing a temporary permit to a permanent residence grant.

Is the US Gold Card better than Canada’s investor options?

They serve different objectives. The Gold Card is a payment of USD $1 million per person, structured as a gift rather than a recoverable investment, with no business or job-creation obligation and direct permanent residence — but the litigation over the executive branch’s authority to create it was unresolved as at July 2026. Canada’s routes cost substantially less and leave the capital in a business you own, but require you to operate that business and be present. Choose on whether you want to deploy capital or run a company.

Will EB-5 get more expensive?

Yes, on January 1, 2027. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act requires USCIS to adjust the minimums every five years by CPI-U, beginning on that date. Projections put the targeted employment area minimum at roughly USD $900,000 to $937,500 and the standard minimum at roughly USD $1.2 to $1.25 million, though the final figures depend on inflation data not available until close to the date. Investors considering EB-5 at current thresholds are working against that deadline.

Can I get Canadian permanent residence by buying property?

No. Canada has no residence-by-property-purchase program, and real estate investment does not support any business immigration application. Provincial entrepreneur streams require an operating business that provides economic benefit; passive real estate holdings do not qualify. Be cautious of any advisor who suggests otherwise.

How long does the Canadian route to permanent residence take?

For a provincial entrepreneur stream, plan on several years end to end: expression of interest and selection, work permit issuance, a performance period of typically one to two years operating the business, then nomination and the permanent residence application. Timelines vary considerably by province and by how quickly you meet your business commitments. Anyone quoting a single number for “the Canada investor visa” is describing a program that does not exist.

Related Guides

• Canada vs. US for Startup Immigration (2026)
• Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada
• C11 Entrepreneur Work Permit
• C60 Work Permit
• Buying a Business in Canada as a Foreign Investor
• Immigration Business Plan Guide
• Legal Cost Estimator

Discuss your investor options with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer →

Disclaimer: This page provides general information about investor immigration options in Canada and the United States and is not legal advice. Sobirovs Law Firm is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario to advise on Canadian law only; the United States information here is provided for comparison and you should consult a US immigration attorney before acting on it. Program requirements, thresholds, and availability change frequently — figures are stated as at July 29, 2026. For advice on your situation, speak with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer.