Start-up Visa Program
Unlocking Business Immigration
---Start-Up Visa Program
Exploring options for business immigration in Canada and having access to funds ranging from CAD $200,000 to CAD $450,000? Consider the Canada Start-Up Visa program. It provides an opportunity to kickstart your business in Canada, paving the way for you and your family to reside and work in the country. This guide is your roadmap to understanding and seizing this opportunity, covering program eligibility, current processing time and why choose SUV.
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Who can apply
Have a qualifying business
Get a letter of support from a designated organization
Meet the language requirements
Bring enough money to settle
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Have a qualifying business
Each applicant must hold 10% or more of the total voting rights
Applicants and the designated organization together must hold more than 50% of the total voting rights
If your application is successful, you need to incorporate your business in Canada
Provide active and ongoing management of your business from inside Canada
Make sure an essential part of business operations happens in Canada
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Get a letter of support from a designated organization
Designated organizations are business groups that have been approved to invest in or support possible start-ups.
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Work in Canada while we review your application
While your application for permanent residence is being processed, you can apply for a temporary work permit to get to Canada and start building your business.
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Meet the language requirements
You need to take achieve Canadian Language Benchmark 5 in listening, reading, writing and speaking (English or French) to qualify for an SUV.
Your results need to be from a language test done by an approved agency.
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Bring enough money to settle
When you apply, you’ll need proof that you have the money to support yourself and your dependents after you arrive in Canada.
The amount you need depends on the size of your family.
Number of family members Funds required (in Canadian dollars)
1 $13,757
2 $17,127
3 $21,055
4 $25,564
5 $28,994
6 $32,700
7 $36,407
If more than 7 people, for each additional family member$3,706
Processing Time
Each application varies in process and duration. Processing times can change based on factors like IRCC workload, interviews, and checks. Generally, the wait for a decision on a Startup Visa application is around 37 months.
Why SUV
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Upon receiving the Letter of Support from the designated organization and meeting all eligibility criteria, you can directly apply for permanent residency from outside Canada.
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Unlike Provincial Entrepreneur programs, there is no documented minimum investment amount for the Startup group of co-founders.
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This program uniquely allows up to 5 co-founders to apply together under one business/investment, a feature not found in any other program across Canada.
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The language score requirements are relatively low at CLB 5.
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There are no geographic restrictions in Canada under this program. You can settle and work in any part of Canada except Quebec until your permanent residency is confirmed.
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Applicants are not required to undergo a net worth audit.
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You have the opportunity to access benefits offered by Canadian work visas, including bringing dependent children to Canada, enrolling them in public schools at local tuition rates, and accessing local medical insurance benefits, etc.
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Education is not mandatory according to program requirements, although having zero work experience and zero education may potentially lead to refusal.
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Case Examples
Client A, a 50-year-old female teacher with a basic knowledge of English, aimed to bring her child to Canada to access high-quality education resources and eventually immigrate her entire family to Canada. Through the SUV program, she obtained a work permit within one month, started a business in Canada, sold online teaching products and services, and ultimately successfully immigrated her entire family to Canada.
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Case Examples
Client B, a 45+ male tourism bureau employee fluent in English, aimed to land in Canada quickly to work and ultimately immigrate his entire family there. Through the SUV program, he landed in Canada within a month, started a business creating a tourism app and commemorative products, and successfully immigrated his entire family to Canada.
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Case Examples
Client C, a male software engineer aged 50+, fluent in English, aimed to expand his career in Canada, enroll his child in high school in Canada, and ultimately immigrate his entire family to the country. Through the SUV program, his entire family landed in Canada within a month, embarked on entrepreneurship by creating a local lifestyle service and transaction payment app, and successfully immigrated his entire family to Canada.
