Admissibility criteria for the Quebec Entrepreneur Program – Stream 3 (Business Succession / Repreneurship)

1. Eligible business for acquisition

• The project must involve acquiring a business that has been operating in Québec for at least five years.

• The business must not have been acquired in the past five years by someone selected under the Entrepreneur Program.

2. Personal net worth

• A minimum net worth of CAD 600,000 is required for candidates “in the process of acquisition.”

• For those applying under the “business already acquired” profile, the threshold is CAD 300,000.

• Donations received in the six months before application are excluded.

• The applicant and spouse must prove the lawful origin and accumulation of all assets.

3. French language proficiency

• Applicants must demonstrate oral French skills equivalent to Level 7 of the Québec scale.

• Accepted proof includes recognized test results (TEF, TEFAQ, TCF, DELF, DALF) or certain secondary diplomas (French Baccalaureate, Belgian CESS, Swiss Maturity Certificate).

• Test results must be dated within two years of application.

4. Business partners

• The acquisition may be carried out alone or with the spouse included in the application.

• External business partners may exist but cannot apply for immigration under the Entrepreneur Program.

5. Control of the business

• The applicant must acquire or already hold control of the business, individually or with the spouse.

6. Acquisition expenditures

• Minimum expenditures required:

  • CAD 300,000 if the business is in the Montréal metropolitan area, or

  • CAD 150,000 outside Montréal.

• Proof of these expenditures must be included with the business succession plan and acquisition offer.

7. Support from a succession organization

• Applicants must obtain services from a succession support organization in Québec (e.g., Centre de transfert d’entreprise du Québec – CTEQ).

• A formal Service Offer in Business Succession must be completed by the organization and included with the application.

8. Business succession plan

• Applicants must submit a detailed succession plan using the official template (Entrepreneur Program – Stream 3).

9. Acquisition offer

• Within two years of application, the applicant must make a formal acquisition offer consistent with the succession plan and demonstrate the required expenditures.