Start-Up Visa
Under this program, qualified immigrant entrepreneurs are given Canadian permanent residence. This program is launched with the target to take up innovative and skilled entrepreneurs to Canada and link their business with the Canadian private sector businesses and facilitate and help for the establishment of their start-up business in Canada.
The candidates who will be successful will then receive a letter of support from a government-designated entity such as an angel investor group, venture capital fund, or business incubator. The applications for the start-up visa are assessed on a pass-fail basis.
IRCC has paused the Start-up Visa Program. Only applicants with a valid 2025 commitment certificate could apply, and the deadline was June 30, 2026. The program is closed to all other applications.
If you already hold a Start-up Visa work permit, you may be able to extend it while your permanent residence application is processed. Contact us to review your options, including provincial entrepreneur streams.
Shilpa Arya Immigration Services Inc. (SAIS) is led by Shilpa Arya, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC-IRB), licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), licence R706736. We help clients visit, study, work, sponsor family and immigrate permanently to Canada.