Start-up Visa
The fastest pathways to permanent residency for foreign entrepreneurs
An innovative business idea
Letter of support
Share structure
More than 50% of voting rights after joining with the designated organization
Settlement fund
Language
Process timeline of reviewing the start-up visa application
between applicants with Federal Government
Have financial support
Contact a designated organization, convince them that the business idea is worth supporting and obtain the letter of support.
Application submission
Attach the letter of support and submit the completed application to IRCC when all minimum requirements are met.
Medical examination
Receive a request from IRCC for a medical examination with panel physicians to provide proof of the health conditions.
Biometrics collection
Receive a request from IRCC for biometrics collection at visa application centers to verify identity and admissibility.
Decision
Application approved, submit the passport to have a counterfoil PR visa attached to it and ready to come to Canada.
IRCC reviews in 12 - 16 months
Get PR Status
Application approved, the applicant gets Permanent Resident status after landing or confirming on IRCC Portal.
Each team member has to submit their own application.
If an essential member application is refused, all related applications will be refused.
The applicant may apply for a short-term work permit under the International Mobility Program before and after submitting
the permanent resident application with letter of support from a designated organization.
When reviewing the application, the visa officer may request a peer review assessed by a panel of experts in the same industry
to protect against fraud and ensure the genuineness or validity of the financial support.
Crucial elements affecting the decision of a start-up visa application
Benefits the applicant and their accompanying family members are entitled to when becoming permanent residents
Family-friendly
The immigration application includes the applicant's spouse and children
Medical
Access to high-quality modern public health care as same as Canadian
Education
Free or lower tuition for children depends on the level of education
Benefits
Access to social benefits as same as Canadian
Mobility right
Live and work anywhere under Permanent Resident status
Sponsorship
Ability to sponsor relatives if the conditions are met
Naturalization
Ability to obtain citizenship if residency conditions are met
Important requirements the applicant should note
- Start-up visa is a federal immigrantion program for entrepreneurs with an innovative business idea and financial support from at least one designated organization, allows up to 5 applicants and their family members to obtain permanent residency in Canada
- Each designated organization has its own requirements. The applicant must reach an agreement with at least one designated organization to receive the minimum requirement of financial support and obtain the letter of support
- The business outcome has no effect on the permanent resident status
- The program is not based on an expression of interest, is not rank-based and has no limit on the number of applications per year.
- If the business will be run by more than 2 members and the essential members' application is refused, other relevant applications are also refused.
- When reviewing the application, the visa officer may request a peer review assessed by a panel of experts in the same industry to protect against fraud and ensure the genuineness or validity of the financial support
Immigration Ineligibility
- Misrepresentation: directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts that cause or may cause administrative errors of the government
- Have failed to comply with any immigration act or regulation
- Have a family member who is inadmissible to Canada
- Financial ground: unable or unwilling to financially support yourself and accompanying family members
- Medical ground: have a health condition that is dangerous to public health, public safety or may cause excessive demand on health or social services
- Have committed a crime, including impaired driving
- Membership in criminal organizations for activities such as human trafficking or money laundering
- National security reasons: espionage, subversion of government, violence or terrorism, or membership of related organizations
- Violations of human rights or international law such as war crimes, crimes against humanity, or being a prescribed senior official of a government that engages or has engaged in these activities
Designated Organizations
- Venture capital funds
- 7 Gate Ventures
- Arete Pacific Tech Ventures (VCC) Corp
- BCF Ventures
- BDC Venture Capital
- Celtic House Venture Partners
- Extreme Venture Partners LLP
- First Fund
- Golden Venture Partners Fund, LP
- iNovia Capital Inc.
- Intrinsic Venture Capital
- Lumira Ventures
- Nova Scotia Innovation Corporation (o/a Innovacorp)
- PRIVEQ Capital Funds
- Real Ventures
- Red Leaf Capital Corp
- Relay Ventures
- ScaleUp Venture Partners, Inc.
- Top Renergy Inc.
- Vanedge Capital Limited Partnership
- Version One Ventures
- WhiteHaven
- Westcap Management Ltd.
- Yaletown Venture Partners Inc.
- York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (YEDI) VC Fund
- Angel investor groups
- Business incubators
- Alacrity Foundation
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry ( Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator or Food Processing Development Center )
- Alberta IoT Association
- Biomedical Commercialization Canada Inc. (operating as Manitoba Technology Accelerator)
- Brilliant Catalyst
- Creative Destruction Lab
- DMZ Ventures
- Empowered Startups Ltd.
- Extreme Innovations
- Genesis Center
- Highline BETA Inc.
- Innovacorp
- Innovation Cluster - Peterborough and the Kawarthas
- Innovation Factory
- Interactive Niagara Media Cluster o/a Innovate Niagara
- Invest Ottawa
- Knowledge Park o/a Planet Hatch
- L-SPARK
- LatAm Startups
- Launch Academy - Vancouver
- LaunchPad PEI Inc.
- Millworks Center for Entrepreneurship
- NEXT Canada
- North Forge East Ltd.
- North Forge Technology Exchange
- Pacific Technology Ventures
- Platform Calgary
- Pycap Inc (o/a Pycap Venture Partners)
- Real Investment Fund III LP o/a FounderFuel
- Roseview Global Incubator
- Spark Commercialization and Innovation Center
- Spring Activator
- The DMZ at Ryerson University
- Toronto Business Development Center (TBDC)
- Treefrog
- TSRV Canada Inc. (operating as Techstars Canada)
- University of Toronto Entrepreneurship Hatchery
- VIATEC
- Waterloo Accelerator Center
- York Entrepreneurship Development Institute
Letter of support
Obtain from an organization designated by IRCC that commits to providing financial support to the business idea with a minimum investment of at least:
- $200,000 from a Venture Capital Fund, or
- $75,000 from an Angel Investor Group, or
- Acceptance into a Business Incubator Program
Share structure
- Each applicant hold at least 10% of voting rights with a maximum of 5 applications for a qualifying business, and
- Hold more than 50% of voting rights after joining with the designated organization
Language
Minimum CLB/NCLC 5, assessed by 1 of 4 language proficiency tests within the last 2 years:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-General)
- Pearson Test of English - Core (PTE-Core)
- Test d'évaluation de français (TEF)
- Test de connaissance du français Canada (TCF Canada)
Settlement fund
Proof of funds to support yourself and family members during the period of adaptation after your arrival, based on Low Income Cut-Off threshold and family size:
| Size of family | Funds required (CAD) |
|---|---|
| *1* | $14,690 |
| *2* | $18,288 |
| *3* | $22,483 |
| *4* | $27,297 |
| *5* | $30,690 |
| *6* | $34,917 |
| *7* | $38,875 |
| *If more than 7 people, for each additional family member, add* | $3,958 |
