Start-Up Visa Program

This program is currently paused. On 19 December 2025, IRCC announced that effective 1 January 2026, intake for the Start-Up Visa Program is set to zero. New commitment certificates are no longer accepted after 31 December 2025. Applicants who already hold a valid 2025 commitment certificate may still apply under transitional provisions until 30 June 2026. A replacement "high impact" Start-Up Visa pilot targeting elite entrepreneurs is expected, but detailed program parameters have not yet been published.

The Start-Up Visa (SUV) Program is a federal economic immigration pathway enabling foreign entrepreneurs to obtain permanent residence in Canada by launching innovative businesses with support from designated venture capital funds, angel investor groups, or business incubators. Established as a pilot in April 2013 and made permanent in April 2018, the program is administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and targets entrepreneurs whose businesses are innovative, can create jobs for Canadians, and can compete globally. Under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, federal business class admissions have been reduced to 500 per year, down from 2,000 in 2025.

• Commitment certificate (letter of support) from a designated organization: venture capital fund (minimum CAD $200,000 investment), angel investor group (minimum CAD $75,000), or business incubator (acceptance into program, no minimum investment)
• Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in all four skills (speaking, reading, writing, listening) in English or French, with test results less than 2 years old
• Settlement funds based on family size (CAD $15,263 for one person, CAD $19,001 for two, CAD $23,360 for three, CAD $28,362 for four, scaling up to CAD $4,112 per additional person; figures effective 29 July 2025). Funds must be transferable, available, and unencumbered by debts
• Qualifying business incorporated in Canada with active management and essential operations conducted in Canada
• Each applicant must hold at least 10% of voting rights; applicants and the designated organization combined must hold more than 50%
• Up to 5 applicants may apply as co-owners of the same business
• Must intend to reside in a province or territory other than Quebec
• Commitment certificate must be less than 6 months old at time of application

• Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) and Schedule 13 (Start-up Business Class)
• Schedule A — Background/Declaration (IMM 5669)
• Additional Family Information (IMM 5406)
• Supplementary Information — Your Travels (IMM 5562)
• Valid passport or travel document
• Language proficiency test results (CLB 5+ in all four skills)
• Letter of support / commitment certificate from designated organization
• Birth certificates for all family members
• Police certificates from every country where applicant has lived 6+ consecutive months since age 18
• Proof of settlement funds (bank statements)
• Photographs of applicant and all family members
• Medical examination results from an IRCC-approved panel physician
• Certified translations for any non-English/French documents

The program grants permanent residence directly — there is no fixed visa duration. The PR card is valid for 5 years and can be renewed by demonstrating at least 730 days of physical presence in Canada within any 5-year period. Business failure after obtaining permanent residence does not affect PR status.

Spouse or common-law partner and dependent children under 22 (or over 22 if dependent due to a physical or mental condition) may be included. Each must pass medical and security checks. All family members become permanent residents simultaneously upon approval. Fees: CAD $950 processing + CAD $575 RPRF for a spouse/partner; CAD $260 per dependent child.

Permanent residents who establish residential ties in Canada are considered tax residents by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and must report worldwide income. Canada has a progressive federal and provincial income tax system. Business income from the start-up is subject to Canadian corporate and personal income tax. Canada has tax treaties with over 90 countries to prevent double taxation.

1. Pitch your business to a designated organization (venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator)
2. If accepted, the organization issues a commitment certificate to IRCC and provides a copy to you
3. Create an account on the IRCC PR Portal and complete the required forms
4. Upload supporting documents, pay processing fees (CAD $2,385 total for principal applicant: CAD $1,810 processing + CAD $575 RPRF) and biometrics fee (CAD $85 per person, CAD $170 family max)
5. Submit the application — for team applications, IRCC does not begin processing until all co-owners have applied
6. Complete biometrics within 30 days of notification
7. If any essential team member is refused or withdraws, all team members' applications are refused

Standard processing has exceeded 36 months, with some advertised processing times reaching 10 years. Priority-processed applications — those backed by venture capital, angel investors with CAD $75,000+, or Canada Tech Network incubators — have taken approximately 12–24 months. A backlog of roughly 44,000 economic-class applications existed at the time of the program pause. Under Bill C-12 (Royal Assent 26 March 2026), IRCC has new statutory powers to cancel, suspend, or change large groups of applications when deemed in the public interest, which is expected to be used to address the backlog, particularly applications linked to business incubators where program integrity concerns have been identified.

Permanent residents may apply for Canadian citizenship after 1,095 days (3 years) of physical presence in Canada within a 5-year period.