Canada — founder
Canada — Canada Start-up Visa
Requirements we check
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2 more requirements for Canada Start-up Visa
- ✓See every requirement this route actually checks
- ✓Find out which ones you already meet
- ✓Get your single highest-impact next action
The full guide
Start-up Visa grants permanent residence (not a temporary visa) to founders who secure a committed letter of support from a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator for a qualifying, innovative business. Important: as of January 1, 2026, IRCC paused the program to new commitment certificates — designated organizations stopped issuing new letters of support after December 31, 2025. The one narrow exception is applicants who already held a valid 2025 letter of support, who had until June 30, 2026 to submit their PR application. IRCC has said it plans a replacement 'high-impact' Start-up Visa pilot aimed at more established, higher-outcome founders, but it hadn't launched as of this research. Confirm current intake status on the official source before treating this as an open route for a new applicant today.
Cost: Roughly CAD $2,385 for the principal applicant (processing fee + Right of Permanent Residence Fee), plus CAD $85–$170 in biometrics — confirm the exact current figures on the official IRCC fee table
The full guide is locked
See exactly what Canada Start-up Visa requires
- ✓Every document you'll need, with what assessors actually look for
- ✓The real stage-by-stage process, with fees and processing times
- ✓Common pitfalls that actually cause refusals for this route
Pasage provides immigration pathway information and preparation help based on official public criteria. We are not immigration lawyers, regulated advisers, or agents, and we do not guarantee any visa outcome. Rules and thresholds change — always confirm against the official source linked above before you apply.