By Chady Zahri, Chief Executive Officer · Updated October 8, 2026

Voxen insight

Call Services Québec before you post the job, not after you hire. The referral is the condition that decides the wage subsidy, and it cannot be added once someone is on payroll. The financing question comes second: how many weeks of wages you carry before customers and programs pay.

Quebec and federal programs that lower the cost of a hire

The programs below are the ones a Quebec small business is most likely to use when hiring or training, with what each publishes about its support. Where a program does not publish a rate, the table says so rather than guessing one.

Checked on 2026-10-08 on the official pages linked.

The Services Québec wage subsidy: start with the referral

The condition to read first is the referral. The wage subsidy applies to a candidate Services Québec refers to you, so you cannot hire someone first and then ask for it. Contact your local Services Québec office before you recruit, describe the job, and let them put candidates forward. The subsidy covers a percentage of the new hire's wage, capped at minimum wage, and no fixed rate is published, so get the terms for your file in writing before you count on a figure in your budget.

PRIIME and MFOR: the right hire, and the training after

PRIIME supports a first North American job in the person's own field, for immigrants and members of visible minorities. Its current rate is not published, so ask the program for the terms of your file. MFOR's business stream helps pay for training your staff. Amounts are decided case by case; the 2023 guide gives a general figure of up to 40% of costs, and up to 65% in some cases, with priority to businesses of 6 to 99 employees. Both reduce the cost of building a team. Neither changes the date your payroll is due.

Carrying payroll until the program pays

Payroll runs every week or two; a subsidy pays on the program's own schedule, which is set in your agreement. The difference has to come from somewhere, and the right source depends on why cash is short.

• If customers pay you slowly, invoice factoring advances part of each B2B invoice when you bill, so payroll is funded by work already done.
• If the gap is general or seasonal, a line of credit lets you draw for payroll and repay when the money arrives, paying interest only on what you use.
• If you are hiring for a new contract, size the funding to the weeks between the first paycheque and the first customer payment, not to the subsidy.
• Keep the subsidy out of your cash plan until your agreement says when it pays, and budget the full wage until then. If it arrives earlier, the money simply goes back to the line.

Where Voxen fits, and what it does not do

Voxen does not apply for wage subsidies or training programs and does not advance money against a subsidy you expect. Services Québec and the program offices are the place to start for those, and the hiring and training page of the grants hub lists them. What Voxen arranges is the financing that carries payroll, based on your revenue, your bank statements and, for factoring, your customers. If your payroll gap comes from slow-paying clients, read how staffing agencies size the payroll gap; the arithmetic is the same in any business.

What to do next

Call your Services Québec office before recruiting, and check PRIIME and MFOR for the hire and the training. Then work out how many weeks of payroll you carry before customers pay, and apply with Voxen for a line of credit or factoring sized to that number.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get the Services Québec wage subsidy for someone I already hired?

The subsidy applies to a candidate referred by Services Québec, so contact your local office before you hire. A person already on your payroll was not referred by them.

How much does the Services Québec wage subsidy pay?

A percentage of the new hire's wage, capped at minimum wage. No fixed rate is published, so ask the office for the terms that apply to your file and get them in writing.

Who is PRIIME for?

PRIIME supports a first North American job in the person's own field, for immigrants and members of visible minorities. Its current rate is not published, so ask the program for the terms that apply to you.

Does MFOR pay for staff training?

Yes, through its business stream. Amounts are set case by case; the 2023 program guide says generally up to 40% of costs, and up to 65% in some cases, with priority to businesses of 6 to 99 employees.

Can Voxen advance my wage subsidy?

No. Voxen does not lend or advance against a subsidy. It arranges financing for payroll, such as a line of credit or invoice factoring, based on your own revenue and customers.

Is Canada Summer Jobs open?

Not now. The 2026 application window ran from November 4 to December 11, 2025, and the 2027 dates have not been announced.

Related

• Chady Zahri — Chief Executive Officer
• Hiring and training programs
• Services Québec wage subsidy
• PRIIME
• MFOR training support
• Student Work Placement Program
• Business line of credit
• Covering Payroll While Clients Pay in 60 Days: Funding for Staffing Agencies
• Payroll Financing: How to Never Miss Payroll Again
• Covering a Seasonal Cash Gap in Construction
• Open Now: Business Funding Programs in Canada and Quebec (October 2026)

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