Residence begins on a conditional basis for two years. During that period the capital must remain invested and the required jobs must be created or shown to be forthcoming, and near the end of it Form I-829 is filed to remove the conditions. The residence obligation runs throughout, which matters for anyone still operating a business in Quebec.
Two years of evidence, not two years of waiting
The conditional period is where a plan either produces a record or does not. Payroll for the qualifying positions, the enterprise’s continued operation, and proof that the capital stayed at risk rather than being returned early are all being generated during those months, and the petition to remove conditions is assembled from them. Hypothetical example: Fabien’s own involvement in management or policy formulation should also be visible in minutes, correspondence and decisions rather than claimed at the end.
The residence obligation runs in parallel and is the part most likely to be underestimated by someone who still has bogs to harvest. Long or repeated absences from the United States can put permanent residence itself at risk, and arrangements such as a re-entry permit have their own rules and limits. Deciding early who runs the Quebec operation is not a lifestyle question here; it is part of keeping the status.