Start-up Visa Program
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Quick answer
The Start-up Visa Program grants Permanent Residence to entrepreneurs who secure a letter of support from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator for a qualifying business. Applicants must hold at least ten per cent of the voting rights, meet language and settlement fund requirements, and intend to build and operate the business in Canada.
Key takeaways
- A letter of support from a designated organization is the central requirement of the program.
- Up to five founders can be included in one application, and each must qualify individually.
- Each applicant needs at least ten per cent of the voting rights, and together with the designated organization the founders must hold more than fifty per cent.
- Minimum language ability of Canadian Language Benchmark level five is required in English or French.
- Applicants must show settlement funds appropriate to family size, separate from any business capital.
- An optional employer-supported work permit lets founders start building the business while the Permanent Residence application is processed.
Overview
The Start-up Visa Program targets innovative businesses that can compete globally and create jobs in Canada. Rather than assessing the business plan itself, the government delegates that judgement to designated organizations that evaluate the venture and issue a letter of support if they choose to fund, invest in or incubate it.
Because Permanent Residence is granted up front rather than after the business succeeds, the assessment focuses heavily on whether the venture and the founders' involvement are genuine.
Eligibility
- A qualifying business in which each applicant holds at least ten per cent of the voting rights.
- A letter of support from a designated venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator.
- Language test results of at least Canadian Language Benchmark level five in all four abilities.
- Sufficient settlement funds for the applicant and any accompanying family members.
- An intention to actively manage the business from within Canada, with essential operations located in Canada.
Requirements
The designated organization sets its own commitment thresholds — investment from a venture capital fund, investment from an angel group, or acceptance into an incubator programme. Its commitment certificate is sent directly to IRCC and must match the letter of support the applicants provide.
Officers may interview founders and can refuse an application where the business appears to exist mainly to support an immigration outcome rather than to trade.
Application process
- Develop the business concept and identify a suitable designated organization.
- Pitch the venture and negotiate the terms of support, investment or incubation.
- Receive the letter of support and the commitment certificate sent to IRCC.
- Take an approved language test and assemble proof of settlement funds.
- Submit the Permanent Residence application, and optionally a supported work permit application to begin operating sooner.
Documents
- Letter of support from the designated organization
- Business incorporation and shareholding records
- Language test results from an approved provider
- Proof of settlement funds held in an accessible account
- Passports and civil status documents for all family members
- Police certificates and medical examination results
Costs and timelines
Applicants pay the Permanent Residence processing fee, the right of permanent residence fee, biometrics and medical costs, plus any fee the designated organization charges for its own review process.
Processing has historically run long compared with Express Entry, and IRCC now prioritises applications backed by capital or by incubators in a recognised national network, so timelines vary considerably by supporter.
Common pitfalls
- Paying a third party to broker a letter of support rather than genuinely pitching the venture.
- Founding teams where some members have no meaningful operational role in the business.
- Settlement funds that appear shortly before filing with no explanation of their source.
- Assuming the business can be run remotely from outside Canada after landing.
- Overlooking the possibility that a failed business does not, by itself, remove Permanent Residence already granted, but misrepresentation does.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need my own investment capital?
- Not necessarily. Venture capital and angel routes involve investment into the business, while an incubator route requires acceptance into a programme instead, but every applicant still needs separate settlement funds.
- Can several founders apply together?
- Yes. Up to five people can be identified as essential to one qualifying business, and each files an individual Permanent Residence application supported by the same commitment from the designated organization.
- What happens if the business fails?
- Permanent Residence already granted is not withdrawn simply because a venture does not succeed, provided the application was genuine and no misrepresentation occurred at any stage.
- Can I work in Canada while waiting?
- Founders whose venture is urgent can apply for a work permit supported by the designated organization, which allows them to begin operating the business before the Permanent Residence decision is made.
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Official sources
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Government requirements change. Confirm details against the official sources above, and read our editorial standards.
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