As Of December 2025, Canada no longer accepts Start Up Visa applications
This program is officially closed. only applications being processed are those with a 2025 commitment letter
The Startup Visa Canada Program provides a chance for entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas that are competitive on a global scale and can create employment for Canadians to immigrate to Canada under the Startup Visa Program.
As a business-based program, it allows either one or a group of up to five entrepreneurs working on the same project to immigrate to Canada as Permanent Residents.
How To Apply For The Startup Visa in Canada
Check Your Eligibility For The Startup Visa Canada
The Startup Visa Program has a business, investment, financial, and other requirements that all applicants must meet. Make sure you meet all of the requirements before you begin your application. This will save both time and money.
Get the Application Package
If you’re eligible for a startup Visa, get the application package and fill out the necessary information. The package comes with an instruction manual and a document checklist to help you complete the forms as required. Once you fill out the required forms, print them out, sign them as stated and attach all the documents as per the document checklist.
Pay Your Application Fee
There are payments that you’re required to make, including the right of permanent residence fee, biometrics fee, and processing fee. Pay the fees through the provided online payment methods. Make sure it’s the exact amount required by IRCC and attach a copy of the receipt as proof of payment.
Submit Your Application For Startup Visa Canada
Review your application to ensure that you’ve filled all the necessary parts and provided signatures where stated. Make sure all the supporting documents are attached to your application. If everything is in order, send your complete application package to IRCC through the address provided on the instruction guide.
Provide Additional Information
During processing, IRCC will request you to provide your biometrics. They might also ask for medical exams and police certificates as per your case.
Get Help With Your Startup Visa Canada Application
Canada Startup Visa Program Requirements?
To be eligible for the Startup Visa Canada Program, one must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Provide a letter confirming that your business has backing from a Canadian Investor/ designated organization
- Secure the minimum required investment from the designated organization/investor
- Venture capital fund – minimum $CAN 200,000
- Angel investor – minimum $CAN 75,000
- Business incubator – no minimum investment requirement
- Have a minimum level of CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) 5 in language skills, i.e., speaking, listening, writing, and reading (either French or English).
- Prove that you are capable of financially supporting yourself and your dependants once you’re in Canada
- Have a qualifying business
- Meet the admissibility requirements
If you plan to live in Quebec province, check Quebec’s Immigration Requirements as they assess their business immigration programs.
Startup Visa Canada Processing Time
Applications for startup visas are processed within 12-16 months. As you wait for your application to be processed, you can acquire a temporary work permit and work in Canada.
Startup Visa Checklist
- Make sure you secure an investment from a designated investor and that you meet all the other requirements
- Complete your forms as required and submit them through the correct channels
- Ensure that you attach all supporting documents, including proof of investment from approved investors/organizations
- Make all payments early to avoid delays or rejection
Get Help With Your Startup Visa Canada Application
Startup Visa Canada Cost
Here are the main fees that you’re required to pay when applying for permanent residence under startup visa:
| Fees | $CAN |
| Processing fees | 1050 |
| Right of permanent residence fee | 490 |
| Biometrics fee | 85 |
There may be extra fees if you’re bringing your family along. Contact Canadian Immigration Experts to learn more.
How We Can Help
At Jane Katkova & Associates – Canadian Immigration, Global Mobility Experts, we are dedicated to providing you with a successful outcome when you’re looking to migrate into Canada as an entrepreneur. With our years of experience, we have acquired what it takes to navigate the intricate IRCC system.
Let us help you bring your business into Canada by assisting you in your whole application process. Our partnership with experts in the business industry and financial sectors enables us to provide entrepreneurs with the best strategies to successfully gain startup Visas.
Contact our immigration consultants to learn more about Startup Visa Canada and how we can help you through your application process. We can provide you more detailed information about business immigration to Canada along with all of the options available.
Book A Consultation
This message is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration case manager with whom you work at Jane Katkova and Associates or send an email to support@katkova.com.
FAQs about Start-up Visa program in Canada
It is one of the top three most popular immigration programs available to immigrant entrepreneurs, in which up to five people can apply as the owners of a single start-up business. In the first quarter of 2022, 160 newcomers were welcomed through the Start-Up Visa. It is expected that until the end of the year, Canada will welcome 640 new permanent residents. In three years, 2021 to 2023, Canada aims to welcome around 500 new permanent residents annually under the Start-up Visa Program. This estimation is based on IRCC 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan.
If you are an entrepreneur with the skills and potential to build a business in Canada which is innovative, creates jobs for Canadians, and can compete on a global scale, then this program is a right option for you. In order to be qualified for the Start-up Visa Program, the person must meet four following eligibility requirements, and not be inadmissible to Canada. The person must:
- Have a qualifying business
- Have a letter of support from a designated organization (a business group that has been approved to invest in or support possible start-ups)
- Meet the language requirements, and
- Have enough money to settle and live in Canada before you make money from your business.
| Number of
family members |
Funds required (in Canadian dollars) |
| 1 | $13,310 |
| 2 | $16,570 |
| 3 | $20,371 |
| 4 | $24,733 |
| 5 | $28,052 |
| 6 | $31,638 |
| 7 | $35,224 |
| For each additional family member | $3,586 |
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Quick answer
The Start-Up Visa gives permanent residence to entrepreneurs whose business is backed by a designated Canadian organisation. You need a Letter of Support, at least CLB 5 in English or French, enough settlement funds, and a qualifying ownership stake. Since 2024, IRCC has applied intake caps, so timing matters.
What are the exact Start-Up Visa eligibility requirements?
You must have a qualifying business, secure a Letter of Support from a designated organisation, meet the language and funds thresholds, and be admissible to Canada. Each part is assessed on its own, and a gap in any one can sink the application. The table below sets out what each requirement actually means.
| Requirement | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Letter of Support | A designated business incubator, angel investor group or venture capital fund must review your venture and issue a Letter of Support, paired with a Commitment Certificate sent to IRCC. |
| Qualifying business & ownership | You and your fellow applicants must hold at least 10% of the voting rights, and together with the designated organisation you must hold more than 50%. The business must be incorporated in and operated from Canada. |
| Language | At least CLB 5 in English or French, in each of reading, writing, listening and speaking, proven by an approved test. |
| Settlement funds | Unencumbered, available funds scaled to your family size to establish yourself — check the current IRCC figure, as it is updated periodically. |
| Admissibility | Medical, security and criminal admissibility for you and accompanying family members. |
Who are the designated organisations?
Only organisations on the IRCC designated list can issue a valid Letter of Support. They fall into three types, each with a different bar. Business incubators require acceptance into their programme rather than a cash investment; angel investor groups commit a minimum investment; venture capital funds commit a larger minimum. An organisation that is not on the current designated list will not count — this is where much of the real work sits in business immigration to Canada.
How does the Start-Up Visa process work, step by step?
The order matters. You cannot file for permanent residence until a designated organisation has committed to your venture. A realistic sequence looks like this.
- Develop the business and prepare a fundable pitch and plan.
- Approach a designated organisation and pass its due diligence.
- Receive the Letter of Support; the organisation sends its Commitment Certificate to IRCC.
- Sit an approved language test to confirm CLB 5, and organise your settlement funds.
- Submit the permanent residence application with the full document package.
- Optionally apply for a work permit to start building the business in Canada while you wait.
- Respond to any IRCC requests, including a possible interview or peer review, then await the decision.
What are the common Start-Up Visa pitfalls?
Most refused or stalled files fail on avoidable points, not on the strength of the idea. Watch for these.
- Ownership split wrong. The 10% individual and combined 50%-plus voting-rights rules are strict; a loose cap table fails.
- Funds not genuinely available. Borrowed or encumbered settlement funds are not accepted.
- Language below CLB 5. Even a strong business will not save a shortfall in one ability.
- Chasing a non-designated organisation. Only the current designated list counts.
- Ignoring intake caps. Since 2024, IRCC limits applications tied to each designated organisation, so your submission window may be narrower than you expect.
- Treating it as a status purchase. IRCC scrutinises ventures that look set up only to obtain permanent residence.
If the Start-Up Visa does not fit — because you already run an established company abroad, for example — an intra-company transfer or a provincial entrepreneur stream may be the better route. Artists and athletes sometimes look instead at the Self-Employed Persons Program. We compare all of them as part of business immigration to Canada, and you can read the current federal criteria on the IRCC website. When timing is tight, it is worth a short call to book a consultation before you approach any organisation.
Not sure the Start-Up Visa is your best route?
The timing, the ownership split and the choice between a Start-Up Visa and other business routes all turn on your facts. A short call can save months.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to invest my own money in the business?
Not in the way an investor visa works. The Start-Up Visa sets no personal investment amount. What matters is that a designated organisation supports your business and that you hold enough unencumbered settlement funds. A venture capital fund or angel group may invest, but that money comes from them, not a required deposit by you.
What happens to my permanent residence if the business fails?
Your status is not tied to the survival of the business. Once you are approved and land, you are a permanent resident, and a later failure does not by itself remove that status. The venture must be genuine when you apply; IRCC can refuse files it sees as set up mainly to acquire status.
Can I work in Canada while my application is processed?
Often, yes. Many founders apply for a work permit to start building the business in Canada while permanent residence is assessed. It is optional and fact-dependent, and it is a separate application with its own requirements.
How many founders can share one supported business?
Up to five applicants can be attached to a single business, each applying for permanent residence. Each must meet the language, funds and admissibility rules individually. If one essential applicant withdraws or is refused, the designated organisation can decide the venture no longer qualifies.
Is the Start-Up Visa still open in 2026?
The programme continues, but since 2024 IRCC has applied intake limits capping how many applications can be tied to each designated organisation in a period. That changes when you can submit. Confirm availability and check current IRCC guidance before you build a timeline.
Reviewed by our immigration team · Updated September 2026.
Disclaimer: This section is general information about Canadian immigration law and procedure, current as of 2026. It is not legal advice and no solicitor-client or representative-client relationship is created by reading it. Rules, deadlines and requirements change; the right pathway depends on the facts of your case. Speak to a qualified immigration professional about your own circumstances before acting. Jane Katkova & Associates has advised clients on Canadian immigration matters since 1995.
