Yes, if the withdrawn funds are lawfully sourced, traced into the investment and, after tax withholding, still meet the applicable capital amount. The investor must also satisfy the job-creation and engagement requirements through the chosen enterprise.
Withholding shrinks the net, so plan the gross
Hypothetical example: the couple's registered savings total more than the required capital, but collapsing them triggers withholding and a large tax bill in the year of withdrawal. What reaches the investment is the net, and that is the amount compared with the requirement. The plan should either draw more than needed or combine the withdrawal with the house sale so the investment is fully funded, and a Canadian tax adviser should model the year before any withdrawal. The source itself is easy to prove: decades of contribution statements and employment records. The couple should also check whether the capital figure will adjust before their filing date under the reform act's schedule. Neither spouse needs business experience for a regional-centre investment, but the partnership agreement must give the investor genuine rights in management or policy. A pension that cannot be commuted is not investable and should be left out of the calculation entirely.
Hypothetical example: an investor chooses a compostable-food-packaging project because its brochure forecasts many jobs, but the offering gives no clear method for allocating those jobs among investors. Before subscribing, the first review should calculate the capital required on the intended filing date, identify the new commercial enterprise, and determine how the ten full-time-job requirement will be documented for that investor. For a regional-centre case, ask how modelled jobs are allocated; for a direct case, ask for the payroll hiring schedule. Subscription documents, the business plan, and job-allocation provisions settle the decision more than a sales presentation. The investment must remain at risk, and a promised return or guarantee can undermine that condition. Do not assume petition approval itself creates permanent residence.