Start-up Visa

The Start-up Visa (SUV) is Canada's permanent-residence program for entrepreneurs who want to build an innovative, scalable business in Canada and create jobs for Canadians. Unlike traditional investor visas, it is not about personal wealth - it is about a credible, high-potential venture backed by a recognised Canadian organisation.

The defining feature of the SUV is the support requirement: your business idea must secure a commitment from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator. That designated entity acts as a gatekeeper, validating that the venture is genuinely promising.

The SUV grants permanent residence directly - successful applicants and their families become permanent residents from the outset, regardless of whether the business ultimately succeeds. Up to five people can be included as essential members of a single start-up team. While the PR application is processed, founders can apply for a work permit to begin building the company immediately.

For founders shut out of the disrupted US H-1B route, or seeking a stable base to scale a global startup, the SUV is one of the most attractive entrepreneur immigration programs in the world.

You need a qualifying business in which you hold a sufficient ownership stake - applicants must together hold more than 50 percent of voting rights, and each essential applicant must hold at least 10 percent. Up to five people can apply as a team for one business.

You must obtain a Letter of Support from a designated venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator. The required commitment differs: a designated venture capital fund must invest at least CAD 200,000, an angel investor group at least CAD 75,000, while business incubators must accept you into their program with no minimum investment. You must meet a language requirement of at least CLB 5 in English or French, show sufficient settlement funds for your family size, and be admissible to Canada.

First, develop your business concept and approach designated organisations - the official list of designated venture capital funds, angel investor groups and incubators is published by IRCC. Pitch your venture and, if successful, secure a Letter of Support and (for funds and angel groups) a Commitment Certificate confirming the investment.

With the Letter of Support in hand, you submit your permanent-residence application to IRCC, including the support documents, language test results, proof of settlement funds, police certificates, a medical examination and identity documents for all team members and dependants.

Because you should not wait idle while the PR application is processed, you can apply for a work permit supported by your Letter of Support and a letter from the designated entity, allowing you and your team to come to Canada and start building the business right away. IRCC then assesses the PR application; if approved, you and your family become permanent residents. The credibility of the venture and the support commitment is the heart of the assessment.

Federal PR fees include the processing fee and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee, with reduced fees for dependent children, plus biometrics at CAD 85 per person. A language test costs roughly CAD 300-360, and a medical examination CAD 200-450 per person. You must show settlement funds scaled to your family size. The most significant practical costs are business-related: incubator program fees, due-diligence costs charged by some angel groups, legal and accounting fees for incorporation, and the capital needed to actually launch the venture. The interim work permit carries its own fee of CAD 155.

Securing a Letter of Support is the first hurdle and can take months, as designated organisations conduct their own due diligence and selection. Once a complete PR application is filed, IRCC processing has historically taken a significant period - often in the range of one to three years, though times vary. The interim work permit is the key to acting quickly: it lets you and your team enter Canada and operate the business while the PR application proceeds.

A successful SUV application grants permanent residence to you, your team members and your families - and that PR is not contingent on the business succeeding, which gives founders security to take entrepreneurial risk. You may live and work anywhere in Canada and access healthcare and social services.

Permanent residents must meet the residency obligation of at least 730 days of physical presence in Canada within every five-year period. After three years (1,095 days) of physical presence within the preceding five years, plus language and other requirements, you can apply for Canadian citizenship. While there is no obligation to keep the original company alive to retain PR, you are expected to make a genuine effort to establish and actively manage the business in Canada, and the program is intended for founders who truly build their venture there.