Citizeo
Pathway

Canada Start-up Visa Program

Canada Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

This residence pathway is for founders building a startup or innovative business in Canada. It generally requires an eligible business idea, enough funding or support, and approval through the country's startup process.

Type
Entrepreneur residence
Business fit
Founders building a qualifying business in Canada
Core requirements
Business plan, funding, and official approval where required
What to know
Paused except valid 2025 commitments
Duration
Permanent residence from approval.
Renewal / path
Can support Canadian citizenship after physical-presence rules are met.

Summary

Canada's Start-Up Visa Program is paused and is not accepting new permanent-residence applications. IRCC paused the program on June 30, 2026 and continues to process applications it accepted before that date. A person who did not submit an accepted application by the deadline cannot now enter the program with a new business pitch or letter of support.

The program was designed for founders of innovative businesses supported by an IRCC-designated venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator. The optional Start-Up Visa open work permit also closed to new applicants on December 19, 2025.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The following requirements describe applications already in IRCC's inventory. They do not reopen intake.

For an accepted application, the principal applicant had to meet all of these requirements:

Up to five owners could be supported as a group, but each person filed a separate permanent-residence application. IRCC's group and designated-organization cap rules affected whether the applications were accepted.

There is no education minimum in IRCC's current Start-Up Visa eligibility rules.

Policy watch 1 development we’re tracking
A narrower pilot is planned to replace the paused Start-Up Visa
Announced — not currently law

A narrower pilot is planned to replace the paused Start-Up Visa

Current official stage: Pilot announced; eligibility and launch instructions pending

The Start-Up Visa is closed to new permanent-residence applications while accepted files continue to be processed. Canada says a High Impact Start-up Pilot will replace it and focus on elite entrepreneurs, but no one can apply until IRCC publishes criteria and intake instructions.

Timing: The Start-Up Visa stopped accepting new permanent-residence applications on 30 June 2026, and the Self-Employed pause remains indefinite. IRCC has identified the new pilot as a 2026–27 priority but has not announced when it will open.

Current pathway rules still apply.

Last checked IRCC — update on immigration measures for entrepreneursIRCC — 2026–27 Departmental PlanIRCC — current Start-Up Visa status
Read the full briefing

What This Route Allows

For an application accepted before the pause, approval grants permanent residence to the founder and eligible accompanying family members after the program and admissibility requirements are met.

IRCC continues to process accepted applications. Its dedicated work-permit page says the optional Start-Up Visa open work permit is closed to new applicants, but a person already holding that permit may be able to extend it while the permanent-residence application is processed.

What This Route Is Not

This is not currently open to a new founder. A 2025 commitment certificate had to be used for a permanent-residence application by June 30, 2026. Designated organizations stopped sending new commitment certificates after December 31, 2025.

It is not a passive-investment program, a purchase of permanent residence or approval based on an idea alone. Even for an accepted file, IRCC can verify the business, ownership, designated support, language, funds, admissibility and the genuineness of the arrangement.

The optional work permit is not available as a new application merely because a founder has an older permanent-residence file. Only the extension rules for an existing Start-Up Visa permit remain potentially available.

Next Steps

  1. If IRCC did not accept a Start-Up Visa permanent-residence application by June 30, 2026, do not submit a new one or pay an organization claiming it can bypass the pause.
  2. Monitor the official IRCC status page for a reopening or replacement entrepreneur program. An announcement that a future pilot is planned is not an open application process.
  3. Consider a currently available immigration or work route based on the founder's actual citizenship, job, Canadian business role, province, language and work experience. A Canadian company does not by itself create work authorization.
  4. If an application is already in process, keep contact and family information current and preserve corporate, ownership, operating, support, language and settlement-fund evidence. Respond to IRCC or peer-review requests.
  5. If already holding a Start-Up Visa open work permit, check extension eligibility before it expires. Do not assume an extension is automatic or that another type of work permit is unnecessary.
  6. Get individual advice before changing ownership, designated support, essential group members or the location and management of the business, because those changes can affect a pending application.
Compare your options

Similar entrepreneur / start-up pathways in other destinations.

Sources