Immigration program for start-up founders

Immigration program for start-up founders

If you have an innovative business idea and have received support from a Canadian investor, you can immigrate to Canada through the Start-Up Visa program.

The Start-Up Visa program offers permanent residency in Canada to immigrant entrepreneurs. The focus is on professionals with experience in creating innovative and competitive businesses that can guarantee jobs for Canadians.

This program applies to all Canadian provinces and territories except Quebec, which has its own immigration system. Therefore, persons intending to live in Quebec are not eligible to apply for the Start-Up Visa.

Candidate eligibility

Up to 5 people can apply as business owners for the Start-Up Visa program. To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • have a suitable business and get support from a designated Canadian investor (see below);
  • have knowledge of English or French at least at level 5 on the CLB scale;
  • have enough money to settle in Canada (see below).

Business eligibility

A business designed to operate in Canada must:

  • be innovative;
  • create jobs for Canadians;
  • be globally competitive.

Under the Start-Up Visa program, the applicant must receive a letter of support from one of the designated organizations that invest in or support start-ups. This can be a business angel group, a venture capital fund, or a business incubator. Applicants need to contact the organization to find out how to get support and convince it that the business idea is worth supporting. Each organization has different requirements. The applicant may be asked to submit a detailed business plan or present a business concept in person.

At the time the applicant receives a letter of support from the organization, the applicant must own at least 10% of the voting rights attached to all shares of the corporation. In addition, the applicant and the designated organization together must own more than 50% of the total voting rights.

Once the permanent residency is granted, the applicant must register a business in Canada and actively manage it from Canada.

Settlement funds

Number of family members Required amount in Canadian dollars
1 $13,310
2 $16,570
3 $20,371
4 $24,733
5 $28,052
6 $31,638
7 $34,224
Each additional family member $3,586

How to apply

The candidate must gather the package of documents listed on the official Canadian government site and send it to the email stated there.

Let us help

If you need help coming up with a project to apply for a Startup Visa, writing a business plan and preparing for an interview, the cost could be $100,000-250,000 CAD.

Our immigration company has successful cases of receiving letters of support from incubators. Book a consultation with an immigration consultant to assess your chances of obtaining a permanent residency on a Start-Up visa.

Start-Up Visa

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