Review of your application to immigrate to Québec as an entrepreneur – Starting and operating an innovative business

The Gouvernement du Québec checks that you have included all the required documents in your application. If your application is complete, you will receive an acknowledgment of receipt.

During the review of your application for permanent selection, the selection counsellor of the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration will verify the information and documents you have provided. Your application is reviewed according to the program’s selection conditions, which include the selection grid. The latter has specific factors and criteria, such as:

• Your age
• Your level of education
• Your language skills
• Your visits to Québec
• The presence of family members in Québec
• Your ability to become financially independent

Special attention is given to your business plan and to the service offer of the accompanying organization.

You must submit attestations of test results or diplomas accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration to obtain points on the selection grid for your knowledge of French and English, even if one is your first language.

Your results must be less than two years old at the time of your application.

If you do not wish to submit test results or diplomas for your knowledge of French or English, you will not receive points for these criteria. 

Your accompanying spouse can also earn points for oral French by submitting the results of an oral comprehension and expression test.

You or your accompanying spouse may also be required to attend an interview to demonstrate that your level of oral French is consistent with that stated in your application.

The language skills of your dependent children will not be taken into account.

Knowledge of French

You can earn points on the selection grid for your knowledge of French, based on your results in:

• oral comprehension
• oral expression
• written comprehension
• written expression

Knowledge of French is one of the factors that allows you to obtain the most points on the selection grid.

To obtain points on the grid, your knowledge of French must correspond to at least Level 7 (advanced intermediate) according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français (PDF 4.94 Mb) (Québec scale of French proficiency levels of adult immigrants) or its equivalent.

You must submit attestations of test results or diplomas accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration. The accepted tests and diplomas are:

• Test de connaissance du français pour le Québec  (TCF-Québec) from France Éducation international
• Test de connaissance du français pour le Canada  (TCF-Québec) from France Éducation international 
• Test de connaissance du français  (TCF) from France Éducation international 
• Diplôme approfondi de langue française  (DALF) from France Éducation international 
• Diplôme d’études en langue française  (DELF) from France Éducation international
• Test d’évaluation du français adapté pour le Québec  (TEFAQ) from Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris Île-de-France (CCIP-IDF) 
• Test d’évaluation du français pour le Canada  (TEF Canada) from the CCIP-IDF
• Test d’évaluation du français  (TEF) from the CCIP-IDF

Only the results issued by the providers of these tests (France Éducation international and the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris Île-de-France) are accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration.

Electronic versions of the above tests are also accepted. You must take these tests at a centre accredited by the organization that provides them.

Knowledge of English

You can earn points on the selection grid for your knowledge of English based on your results in:

• oral comprehension
• oral expression
• written comprehension
• written expression

You must submit your results of the International English Language Testing System  (IELTS), the test accepted by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration.

To obtain points on the grid, your knowledge of English must correspond to at least Level 5 (intermediate) of the Canadian Language Benchmarks .

Your accompanying spouse’s knowledge of English is not taken into account. Therefore, no points will be given.

You may be required to attend an interview with a selection counsellor from the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration to verify, for example, the accuracy of the information provided in your application for permanent selection.

If so, you will receive a written invitation specifying:

• The date of the interview
• The location of the interview
• The time of the interview
• The documents to bring with you

You can use the services of an interpreter.

The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration may also carry out additional verifications.

After your application is reviewed, there are three possible outcomes:

Application accepted

If you meet all of the program’s conditions and your application is accepted, you will receive:

• Your Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ - Québec selection certificate) for you and for your accompanying family members

• A letter of support for you and your accompanying family members to apply for a work permit from the Government of Canada while your application for permanent residence is being processed

Application refused

You will receive a letter notifying you that your application for permanent selection was refused if:

• You have not met all of the conditions of the program.

• You have not submitted all of the documents requested in the proper format and by the given deadline.

• You have not submitted anything to the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration.

You must, therefore, respond to this letter by submitting the requested or supporting documents.

If you send your response by the given deadline, the review of your application will continue.

If you do not respond by the given deadline, your application will be refused. You will have the option of submitting an application for administrative review.

Application rejected

You will receive a letter notifying you that your application for permanent selection was rejected if:

• The Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration has reason to doubt the authenticity of some of your declarations or the documents you have provided.

• You have provided false or misleading information or documents.

• You have not submitted, by the required deadline, convincing evidence to resolve the reasons for rejection.

• You did not appear for your interview on the specified date.

You must present convincing evidence to resolve the reasons for rejection conveyed to you in the letter.

If you respond by the required deadline, the review of your application will continue.

If you do not respond by the required deadline, your application will be rejected. You will have the option of submitting an application for administrative review.