Canadian Start-up Visa Program: Permanent Residence for Innovative Entrepreneurs

TL;DR — The Start-up Visa (SUV) Program grants permanent residence to entrepreneurs whose innovative business is supported by a designated Canadian organization: a venture capital fund (committing at least CAD $200,000), an angel investor group (committing at least CAD $75,000), or a business incubator (no investment required). Up to five entrepreneurs can co-apply on a single business. The program closed temporarily to new intake in early 2024 and reopened in 2025 with a cap and stricter assessment criteria.

What the SUV is

Launched in 2013 and made permanent in 2018, the Start-up Visa Program is Canada's primary federal pathway for innovative entrepreneurs. It targets early-stage businesses that:

Have a scalable, innovative product or service.
Plan to operate primarily in Canada (outside Quebec — Quebec runs separate entrepreneur streams under MIFI).
Are supported by a designated Canadian organization.

Unlike many other entrepreneur programs, SUV grants permanent residence directly rather than starting with a temporary work permit. Applicants do not need to prove personal investment in the business beyond meeting settlement-funds requirements.

Eligibility

SUV applicants must:

1. Have a qualifying business

The business must:

Be incorporated in Canada (each applicant must own at least 10 percent of voting rights, with the designated organization owning some shares).
Have its essential operations conducted in Canada.
Provide an innovative or scalable concept.

2. Get a Letter of Support from a designated organization

The applicant must secure a commitment from one of three types of designated entities:

Venture capital fund: must commit at least CAD $200,000 of investment.
Angel investor group: must commit at least CAD $75,000.
Business incubator: must accept the business into its program (no minimum financial commitment).

Designated organizations are listed on the IRCC website. Multiple organizations can support the same business.

3. Meet language requirement

Applicants must score Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 or higher in all four abilities (English or French) on an approved language test.

4. Have settlement funds

Applicants must show settlement funds based on family size — typically equivalent to 50 percent of the LICO for the family. As of 2026, this is approximately CAD $13,757 (1 person) up to CAD $36,407 (7+ persons).

Funds must be unencumbered (no loans secured against them) and accessible.

5. Be admissible

Must pass medical, criminal, and security screening.

Up to 5 co-applicants

SUV is unique in that up to five entrepreneurs can be co-applicants on a single qualifying business. Each gets PR if approved. This makes SUV well-suited to founding teams.

Each applicant must own at least 10 percent of voting rights.
Together with the designated organization, the applicants must own more than 50 percent of voting rights.
All co-applicants must meet language and settlement-funds requirements.

If one applicant is deemed essential to the business, IRCC may issue PR to that applicant first while assessing the others.

Application process

Step 1: Develop a business and find a designated organization

Applicants approach designated venture capital funds, angel investor groups, or business incubators with a pitch. Acceptance into an incubator program or commitment from a fund/angel group is the prerequisite.

Step 2: Receive a Letter of Support and Commitment Certificate

The designated organization provides:

A Letter of Support (sent to the applicant).
A Commitment Certificate (sent directly to IRCC).

These documents confirm that the organization supports the business.

Step 3: Submit application to IRCC

The applicant assembles:

Application forms.
Letter of Support.
Identity, language, and settlement-funds evidence.
Police certificates.
Medical exam (post-receipt of medical instruction letter).
Application fees: CAD $2,140 (principal applicant) + CAD $1,365 (spouse) + CAD $230 (per dependent child); plus CAD $575 RPRF.

Step 4: Optional temporary work permit

While the PR application is processing, applicants can apply for an LMIA-exempt work permit (one-year, employer-specific to the start-up) to begin operating the business in Canada.

Processing times and caps

Service standard: 36 to 38 months (extended in 2024 due to backlog).
Annual cap: Limited intake at 10 applications per designated organization (in some years), encouraging quality over quantity.
2024 changes: Stricter assessment of business viability; reduction of letters of support per organization; closer scrutiny of "shell" applications.

For a brief period in 2024, IRCC closed new SUV intake to manage the backlog. The program reopened with new caps and assessment criteria.

What happens to the business

If the business fails after PR is granted, the entrepreneur retains PR status. PR is conditional only at the assessment stage — once granted, it is permanent (subject to the standard residency obligation).

However, IRCC monitors the business during the application period. A material change (designated organization withdraws support, business dissolves) before PR is granted can lead to refusal.

Pathway after PR

SUV PRs follow the standard PR maintenance rules:

730 days physical presence in 5-year rolling window for residency obligation.
Eligible for citizenship after 1,095 days physical presence.
Tax filing required.
Can sponsor family.

Quebec alternative

Entrepreneurs intending to settle in Quebec apply through Quebec's separate business programs — Investor, Entrepreneur, or Self-Employed Worker — which were paused in 2024 pending redesign. Once reopened, those programs follow MIFI's selection process.

Key facts at a glance

PR pathway: Direct (no work-permit precondition required).
Designated organizations: VC funds (CAD $200K+), angel groups (CAD $75K+), incubators (no investment minimum).
Co-applicants: Up to 5 per business.
Language: CLB 5 in all four abilities.
Settlement funds: Approximately CAD $13,757 (1) to CAD $36,407 (7+).
Fees: ~CAD $2,140 principal + RPRF + family.
Service standard: 36 to 38 months.
Quebec: separate; programs paused in 2024.

Source attribution

This article rewrites public information published by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa.html. The original Government of Canada content is licensed under the Open Government Licence — Canada.

Verify on canada.ca

SUV intake caps, designated organization lists, and processing times change. Verify on canada.ca: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa.html.

IRCC.com is an independent news and information aggregator. We are not affiliated with the Government of Canada and do not provide immigration services or advice. For personalized help, contact a CICC-licensed RCIC or a Canadian immigration lawyer.

IRCC.com is independent and not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Verify all details on canada.ca/immigration.