Start-up Visa Program

Program status: closed to most new applicants. Effective January 1, 2026, IRCC stopped accepting new Start-up Visa (SUV) applications, except from candidates holding a valid 2025 commitment certificate from a designated organization, who had until June 30, 2026 to apply. IRCC has signalled a new, more selective “high-impact” Start-up Visa pilot is in development for 2026, but no eligibility details have been released yet.

About the Start-up Visa Program

The Start-up Visa Program was designed to give immigrant entrepreneurs permanent residence to build innovative businesses in Canada, provided they secured support from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator. Since its 2013 launch, roughly 900 entrepreneurs became permanent residents through the program, launching more than 300 start-ups.

Why It Was Paused

By late 2025, the program was carrying a backlog of over 42,000 applications (including dependants) and processing times had stretched beyond 10 years in some cases. IRCC has stated the pause is meant to clear the backlog and redesign the program around fewer, higher-quality applications with demonstrated economic impact — prioritizing founders already in Canada with businesses showing immediate results.

What This Means for You

• If you already hold a valid 2025 commitment certificate, confirm your application deadline and status directly with us or IRCC
• If you’re in Canada on an SUV work permit, extensions are still being accepted
• If you’re a prospective new applicant, there is currently no open intake — we can help you plan for the redesigned pilot once details are released, or assess other business/entrepreneur pathways (e.g. provincial entrepreneur streams) in the meantime

How We Help

We track IRCC’s announcements on the new entrepreneur pilot closely and can advise whether a provincial entrepreneur stream (several of which remain open — see BC PNP, Alberta AAIP, Manitoba MPNP, and others) is a better near-term fit for your business plan.