Note
Update: Canada’s Start-Up Visa is closed to new applicants. New permanent residence applications closed after December 31, 2025, and the last window for 2025 commitment-certificate holders closed June 30, 2026. See our full update and the pathways open now.
Why Do We Need a Start-Up Visa?
The Canadian Start-Up Visa Program allowed innovative foreign entrepreneurs to obtain permanent residence in Canada while establishing a start-up business. Unlike other Canadian immigration programs for entrepreneurs, the Start-Up Visa did not require a minimum personal investment by the immigrant. Successful applicants could also settle anywhere in Canada, rather than in a specific province as under a Provincial Nominee Program. As permanent residents, they could later apply for Canadian citizenship once they met its requirements.
The program helped new businesses started by foreign entrepreneurs establish themselves and grow, with access to Canadian and North American markets and the backing of a designated organization (an angel investor group, venture capital fund or business incubator) that agreed to support the business.
What Did the Start-Up Visa Require?
Before the program closed to new applicants, a Start-Up Visa applicant had to meet four core requirements:
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Qualifying Business
Each applicant had to hold at least 10% of the voting rights in the business, and the applicants and the designated organization together had to hold more than 50%. If the application succeeded, the business had to be incorporated in Canada.
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Support From a Designated Organization
A designated organization (an angel investor group, venture capital fund or business incubator) had to agree to support the business and issue a letter of support for the application.
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Proof of Language Ability in English or French
Applicants had to reach Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in listening, reading, writing and speaking, shown through a test from an approved agency.
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Proof of Funds to Support Settlement in Canada
Applicants had to show enough money, not borrowed, to support themselves and their dependants after arriving in Canada. IRCC set the required amount by family size and updated it each year.
These steps are no longer available: IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications, so past processing times and fees no longer apply. Entrepreneurs planning a business in Canada now should look at the C11 entrepreneur work permit and provincial nominee entrepreneur streams.
How a Business Immigration Lawyer Can Help
The Start-Up Visa is closed, but Canada still has pathways for foreign entrepreneurs. The C11 entrepreneur work permit is designed for owner-operators who come to Canada to run their own business, and provincial nominee entrepreneur streams offer a route to permanent residence through a specific province. The business immigration team at Sobirovs Law Firm can assess which pathway fits your business and goals and help you prepare a complete application. Contact our team to get started.
