Start-up Visa (paused)

The Start-up Visa Program was the Canadian route to permanent residence for entrepreneurs with an innovative business idea backed by a designated organization. IRCC now marks it as paused. To apply you needed a valid 2025 commitment certificate and had to apply by 30 June 2026. IRCC says the program is closed to all other applications.

If you are reading old guides that tell you how to apply, they are out of date. Do not pay anyone to submit a new Start-up Visa application. Check the IRCC page for any announcement before you make plans.

IRCC says the start-up work permit is closed to new applicants. If you already hold one, you may be able to extend it while your permanent residence application is being processed.

These were the published rules, and they show what IRCC looked for if the program reopens or is replaced. Applicants needed a commitment from a designated organization, which sent a commitment certificate directly to IRCC.

The ownership rules were:

• Each applicant held 10 percent or more of the total voting rights.
• The applicants and the designated organization together held more than 50 percent of the voting rights.
• Up to 5 owners could apply together.

If approved, the business had to be incorporated in Canada, managed from inside Canada and carry out an essential part of its operations in Canada. Applicants needed CLB 5 in listening, reading, writing and speaking in English or French, from an approved test agency.

Applicants also had to show settlement funds that were their own, not borrowed from another person. The amounts IRCC published on 29 July 2025 were CAD $15,263 for one person, CAD $19,001 for two, CAD $23,360 for three and CAD $28,362 for four. The Government of Canada does not provide financial support to start-up visa immigrants.

The IRCC page does not point to a replacement for entrepreneurs. Two routes are worth reading about, depending on your profile. The Provincial Nominee Program lets provinces and territories nominate people who can help their economy, and each sets its own streams, so check whether any provincial stream suits a founder with your experience. Express Entry is the main system for skilled workers, and our guide explains how it works.

Rules change quickly in this area. Check the IRCC page directly, and speak to a regulated immigration adviser before you spend money on an application.

A verified agent can tell you whether any current route fits your business plans. Use our agent directory to find one whose credentials we have checked.