Direct permanent residency for innovative founders in North America.
The Canada Start-Up Visa grants — not a temporary visa. If your venture fails after landing, your permanent residency stands. Build in one of the world's most business-friendly economies from day one.
Core Program Requirements
Qualifying Business Structure
Up to 5 co-founders can apply under one venture. Each must hold at least 10% voting rights. Together with their designated organization, they must jointly control more than 50% of total corporate voting rights. Business operations and active management must take place inside Canada.
Letter of Support from a Designated Organization
A formal endorsement letter from an IRCC-approved Venture Capital fund, Angel Investor Group, or Business Incubator is mandatory. The capital floor and structure vary fundamentally by organization type. No Letter of Support means no application.
Language Proficiency — CLB 5
A minimum score of CLB 5 across all four competencies (Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking) is mandatory. Accepted tests: IELTS General Training, CELPIP General, TEF, or TCF. Results must be less than 2 years old at submission. Zero waivers exist for this rule.
Corporate Ownership & Filing Rules
Beyond the Letter of Support, your corporate structure and group filing must satisfy strict statutory thresholds enforced by IRCC at the time of PR application submission.
Individual Voting Rights Minimum
Every individual applicant on the team must personally hold a minimum of 10% of the total voting rights in the corporation at the time of application.
Unified Control Threshold
The applicants and their designated supporting organization must jointly hold more than 50% of the total corporate voting rights. Control must be demonstrable at filing.
Simultaneous Group Submission
If the business is launched by a team, every co-founder must upload and submit their PR file simultaneously. IRCC will not begin processing any individual file until all members of the group have submitted. A delay by a single co-founder risks the entire corporate submission.
Onshore Active Management Required
The essential parts of business operations must take place within Canada, and founders must provide active, ongoing management from inside Canadian territory to secure final PR approval.
Geographic Restriction — Quebec Excluded
The federal Start-Up Visa allows corporate setup anywhere in Canada except Quebec, which administers its own distinct business immigration programs.
What PR status grants you
- Direct permanent residency — not a temporary visa
- PR status survives startup failure — no clawback
- Up to 5 co-founders under one venture
- Full family included with PR status
- Citizenship eligible after 3 years physical presence
- Dual citizenship fully recognized by Canada
Program currently paused. New applications are closed as of January 1, 2026. Only founders with a valid 2025 Commitment Certificate can file — with a hard deadline of June 30, 2026.
Settlement Funds & Personal Maintenance
Minimum personal funds for a solo applicant in CAD — unencumbered, liquid, and cannot come from lines of credit or third parties.
2026 Application Workflow
"Nexa structures your deployment pipeline into clear chronological checkpoints, aligned to the strict June 2026 regulatory timeline."
The current intake window is open exclusively to founders holding a valid 2025 Commitment Certificate. Every step must be completed before the hard June 30, 2026 deadline.
Venture Architecture & Support Letter Issuance
The startup was pitched to a designated organization (VC, Angel, or Incubator). The entity issued an official Letter of Support and transmitted the matching Commitment Certificate directly to IRCC.
PR Portal Compilation & Complete Group Submission
All co-founders compile civil documents, police clearances, CLB 5 language transcripts, and settlement fund statements. Every team member submits their PR file simultaneously via the online Permanent Residence Portal. One missing submission invalidates the entire group file.
Triage, Backlog Management & Biometrics
IRCC assesses for completeness. Priority processing is applied to founders holding active SUV work permits onshore in Canada. Applicants complete biometric screening and mandatory medical examinations upon notice.
PR Confirmation & Canadian Settlement
Upon successful vetting, IRCC issues the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). Founders land in Canada as full permanent residents and immediately begin scaling their ventures within the North American market.
The window was open.
But only until June 30.
IRCC enacted a full program pause effective January 1, 2026. New applications are completely closed — only 2025 Commitment Certificate holders remain eligible. Miss the deadline and your certificate lapses permanently.
2026
If you hold a 2025 Commitment Certificate, your PR filing must be complete and submitted before this date — no extensions are available.
Talk to Nexa Now →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit a brand new application for the SUV right now?
What happens if my startup goes bankrupt after landing?
What is a "complete group application" under the SUV rules?
Can I bypass the CLB 5 requirement with an advanced degree?
Can I apply for an SUV work permit right now?
Can we change team composition or add new co-founders in 2026?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit a brand new application for the SUV right now?
What happens if my startup goes bankrupt after landing?
What is a "complete group application" under the SUV rules?
Can I bypass the CLB 5 requirement with an advanced degree?
Can I apply for an SUV work permit right now?
Can we change team composition or add new co-founders in 2026?
Are there geographic limits on where I can set up my business?
What are the main processing priority criteria used by IRCC?
What happens if I miss the June 30, 2026 deadline?
When will Canada announce the new entrepreneur pilot program?