Last Updated: 04 August 2026

Canada Start-up Visa: Eligibility and Requirements

As of 1 January 2026, IRCC has paused the Start-up Visa Program to new applicants. The department stopped accepting new commitment certificates from designated organisations after 31 December 2025, and applicants who held a valid 2025 certificate had until 30 June 2026 to submit their permanent residence application, a deadline that has now passed. IRCC has said details of a new entrepreneur pilot program will be announced later in 2026. If you're exploring business immigration to Canada right now, talk to a Y-Axis consultant about current alternatives such as the Provincial Nominee Program entrepreneur streams.

Canada's Start-up Visa Program was designed to attract entrepreneurs from around the world and help them build businesses that create jobs in Canada. Successful applicants partner with a Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator, who provide funding and guidance in exchange for a stake in the business. While the program is paused to new applicants, understanding how it works still helps if you're planning ahead for when the new entrepreneur pathway IRCC has promised for 2026 becomes available.

The entrepreneur wanting to immigrate must have the support or sponsorship of a specified Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor or business incubator to qualify for permanent residence.

The IRCC has designated specific venture capital funds, investor groups and business incubators to be part of this program. Under this program, candidates can come to Canada on a work permit which is sponsored by their Canada based investor and then apply for permanent residence once their business is established in the country.

However, this program has clear rules on the ownership and shareholding requirements for a start-up to be eligible for the permit.

Eligibility requirements to apply for a Canada investment visa:

To be eligible you must:

• Meet the language requirement: Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in English or French, across reading, writing, speaking, and listening
• Have a Commitment Certificate and Letter of Support from a designated venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator
• Hold at least 10% of the voting rights in the business, with you and the designated organisation together holding more than 50%
• Have enough settlement funds to support yourself and any family members after arriving in Canada (the exact amount depends on family size and is updated annually by IRCC)
• Pass the medical exam and security/background checks
• Have a qualifying, innovative business that isn't already substantially operating in Canada

Start-ups accepted into this program must secure a minimum investment from their designated organisation. A venture capital fund must invest at least CAD $200,000. An angel investor group must invest at least CAD $75,000. If the designated organisation is a business incubator instead, no minimum dollar investment is required, but you must be formally accepted into their program.

Applicants need not invest their own money in the business. Individuals who are granted permanent residence through this program will retain their permanent residence even if their start-up is unsuccessful.

Qualifying for a work permit and later permanent residence under the Start-up Visa Program

After acquiring the Commitment certificate from a designated entity, the candidate can apply for a work permit.

To be eligible for permanent residency, the applicant must be actively involved in the management of a business in Canada that must be incorporated there. At the very least, the core company operations must take place in Canada.

Processing time for work permit and PR visa

This program is currently paused, so the processing times below only apply to the small number of applicants who submitted their application before the cutoff.

Getting a Letter of Support from a designated organisation used to take anywhere from a few months to over a year, depending on how quickly the entrepreneur found a viable business match. Once an application for permanent residence was submitted, IRCC's own data showed wait times stretching well beyond a year for recent applicants. Because these numbers keep changing, check IRCC's official processing time page directly rather than relying on any figure quoted here.

Why choose Y-Axis?

• Y-Axis is one of the most experienced immigration teams in the world.
• It has a global presence with 40+ offices in 4 countries.
• The company has the highest ratio of successful migration applications.
• Y-Axis offer guidance and support for assimilating records of information, contributing to the processing stage, filing successful applications, and preparing to face interview for immgiration.

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