Can you still bring a foreign start-up to Canada?
Yes, but not through the Start-Up Visa. That program stopped taking new applicants on January 1, 2026, and the last deadline for 2025 commitment certificate holders passed on June 30, 2026.
If you already run a company abroad, the open routes are work permits: an intra-company transfer to open a Canadian office, a C11 entrepreneur work permit, or a C60 permit tied to a provincial entrepreneur stream. Permanent residence comes later, usually through a province.
Already in the Start-Up Visa queue?
Applications filed before the deadline are still being processed. IRCC stopped accepting new SUV work permit applications on December 19, 2025, but still accepts extensions. Our Start-Up Visa status page explains what this means for your file.
What we are watching
IRCC has said a smaller, targeted entrepreneur pilot will replace the Start-Up Visa. No rules, cap or launch date have been published. We will update this page when they are.
Which route fits your start-up?
Start with one question: does your company already operate outside Canada, and have you worked for it full-time for at least a year? Your answer points to the right route.
Intra-company transfer
Best for
Founders who have worked full-time for their foreign company for at least 1 year in the last 3, and want to open a Canadian branch or subsidiary.
Watch out for
A new office gets a 1-year first permit (C61). To renew, you need real premises, funding and local hiring under way.
C11 entrepreneur work permit
Best for
Founders who will own at least 51% of a Canadian business and run it day to day.
Watch out for
Permits now last at most 18 months, and C11 time does not count toward Canadian Experience Class.
C60 + provincial stream
Best for
Founders ready to commit to one province and meet its investment and net worth minimums.
Watch out for
Many provincial entrepreneur streams have paused or narrowed intake. Check current status before you plan around one.
Start-Up Visa
Best for
Founders who already filed before the June 30, 2026 deadline.
Watch out for
No new applications. A replacement pilot is announced but has no published rules.
How does an intra-company transfer work for a start-up?
If your company already operates abroad, an intra-company transfer (ICT) is often the cleanest route. Your company opens a related Canadian business and sends you to run it. No LMIA is needed.
-
A qualifying relationship
The Canadian business must be a branch, subsidiary, affiliate or parent of your foreign company.
-
At least 1 year with the company
Continuous full-time work for the foreign company in the last 3 years, in an executive, senior manager or specialized knowledge role.
-
A foreign company that really operates
IRCC sets no minimum age. In our experience, 12 months of real operations is the practical floor. Both companies must keep doing business while you are in Canada.
-
A credible plan for the Canadian office
Physical premises, a realistic hiring plan, and the funds to pay you and start operating.
-
Intent to leave if your status ends
You can plan to apply for permanent residence later (dual intent is allowed), but the officer must be satisfied you will leave Canada if your status ends.
Key takeaway
A new office gets a 1-year first permit. Use that year to secure premises, hire locally and start earning revenue, because your renewal depends on it. Our ICT guide covers the full requirements.
When is the C11 the better choice?
The C11 suits founders whose foreign company is new or small, or who will set up a stand-alone Canadian business. You need no job offer and no LMIA. You must show the business will bring significant economic, social or cultural benefit to Canada.
Since May 27, 2025, IRCC requires at least 51% ownership and caps C11 permits at 18 months. Your business plan has to show real progress inside that window.
Compare both routes in C11 vs ICT, or read our C11 work permit guide.
How do you get from a work permit to permanent residence?
A work permit is temporary. For most founders, the step to permanent residence now runs through a province.
-
Step 01
Enter on a work permit
Use an ICT, C11 or C60 permit to come to Canada and start operating.
-
Step 02
Build the Canadian business
Secure premises, hire Canadians, and keep clear records of revenue and spending.
-
Step 03
Secure a provincial nomination
Most entrepreneur streams issue a nomination once you meet the terms of your agreement with the province.
-
Step 04
Apply for permanent residence
Provincial nomination is the usual route. ICT holders paid as employees may also build Canadian experience for Express Entry. C11 self-employed time does not count toward Canadian Experience Class.
What mistakes sink start-up applications?
These are the problems we see most often in founder files in our practice.
Waiting for the Start-Up Visa to return
Why it hurts
The replacement pilot has no published rules or date. Months spent waiting are months without a Canadian track record.
What works instead
Use an open work permit route now, so you are already operating in Canada when new options appear.
A thin foreign company
Why it hurts
A shell or very new company abroad makes an ICT look like a way around the rules.
What works instead
Show real operations, staff, revenue or funding, and your own year of full-time work for the company.
A plan written for another program
Why it hurts
Officers read plans sceptically. Generic projections and recycled SUV pitch decks do not show benefit to Canada.
What works instead
Tie the plan to your actual funding, Canadian hiring and 12 to 18 month milestones.
Assuming your family is covered
Why it hurts
Since January 2025, spouses get open work permits only in some cases, and dependent children no longer get them.
What works instead
Plan your family members’ status at the same time as yours.
Can your co-founders, team and family come too?
Co-founders. Each co-founder needs their own basis to work in Canada. Because the C11 requires at least 51% ownership, it usually covers one founder per business. Others may qualify through an ICT or as employees of the Canadian company.
Key staff. Your company can transfer experienced employees through an ICT, or hire through an LMIA or the Global Talent Stream for in-demand tech roles. See staff transfers to Canada.
Family. Your spouse may qualify for an open work permit if your role is in TEER 0 or 1 (or a listed TEER 2 or 3 job) and your permit has at least 16 months left when they apply. A 1-year C61 or 18-month C11 permit makes that timing tight. Dependent children no longer get open work permits, but school-age children can generally attend school in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
No. IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications on January 1, 2026. Holders of a valid 2025 commitment certificate had until June 30, 2026 to apply. Files already submitted are still being processed. IRCC has announced a targeted entrepreneur pilot to replace it, but has not published the rules or a launch date.
Yes. If you have worked full-time for the company for at least 1 year in the last 3, an intra-company transfer lets it open a Canadian branch or subsidiary and send you to run it. If not, a C11 work permit for a Canadian business you own and run may fit better.
IRCC sets no minimum. In our experience, 12 months of real operations is the practical floor for a new-office ICT, and a longer history is much stronger.
Not for the open routes. Support from a designated organization was a Start-Up Visa requirement. ICT, C11 and C60 applications rest on your own company, ownership, funding and business plan. Provincial streams set their own investment minimums.
Not directly. You enter on a work permit and build the Canadian business first. Most founders then apply through a provincial entrepreneur stream. ICT holders paid as employees may also build Canadian experience for Express Entry. Time spent self-employed on a C11 does not count toward Canadian Experience Class.
A new-office ICT (C61) is usually issued for 1 year. A C11 is capped at 18 months. Renewals depend on the progress you can prove, so plan for them from day one.
Keep your status valid. IRCC still accepts extensions of existing SUV work permits, but not new ones. If your business or timeline has changed, consider a backup route such as a C11 or ICT. Our Start-Up Visa status page explains your options.
Final thoughts: which route should you choose?
The Start-Up Visa is closed for now, but a founder with a real company abroad still has open routes. For most, the choice is an intra-company transfer if you have a year of full-time work with your company, or a C11 if you will own and run a Canadian business. A provincial entrepreneur stream usually carries you to permanent residence.
Waiting for the replacement pilot has a cost. Founders who are already operating in Canada will be better placed when new options open.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Every file turns on its own facts.
Keep reading:
