To promote local economic development and address labor shortages, Canada continues to extend an olive branch to new immigrants. Naturally, the most significant and market-relevant programs remain the Provincial Nominee Programs within the economic immigration category, which will have a quota of 51,000 in 2017, a slight increase from 2016. The Canadian government has affirmed that immigration programs will continue to operate and will remain capable of attracting outstanding investors and applicants. Among these, the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program is the most favored and sought-after by applicants. So, what is the new immigration policy for Quebec, Canada?
Since the launch of the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program in 1986, the requirements for family net worth and investment amounts have been very low. From the net worth requirement of 800,000 CAD starting in 2000, it rose to 1.6 million CAD in December 2010, and the required investment amount also doubled to 800,000 CAD.
Starting in 2012, quotas were introduced for the first time. In 2014, the age limit for accompanying children was lowered from 22 to 19. In 2015, the application fee increased from 10,000 CAD to 15,000 CAD. Just in December 2016, the Quebec Immigration Bureau announced that effective January 1, 2017, the application fee for the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program would increase from 15,000 CAD to 15,111 CAD.
From the changes mentioned above, it is evident that application requirements are gradually increasing, quotas are becoming tighter, and costs are rising. A higher threshold is an inevitable trend. Immigration is a matter of "sooner rather than later"; for applicants with immigration intentions, it is essential to plan ahead and select high-quality immigration programs to pursue.