Programme overview
The Start-Up Visa is Canada’s only direct-to-PR route for entrepreneurs and the sole remaining national investment-linked immigration programme since the permanent closure of the Quebec Investor Programme in January 2024 and the indefinite shelving of the federal Immigrant Investor Programme back in 2014. SUV’s distinctive feature is structural: the IRCC does not adjudicate the business idea itself. Instead, it has delegated that judgment to a roster of designated organisations — venture capital funds, angel investor groups, and business incubators — and the applicant’s qualification turns almost entirely on securing a letter of support from one of them.
The programme has been operating under significant constraint since 2024. To clear backlogs and improve quality, IRCC capped intake to 10 applications per designated organisation per calendar year through end-2026, then suspended commitment- certificate issuance entirely from 19 December 2025 to 19 September 2026. Holders of valid 2025 commitment certificates retain the right to file PR applications through 30 June 2026; new entrants in this window must wait. A successor “entrepreneur pilot” with stricter requirements is being designed and is expected to launch later in 2026.
The programme remains live for principals who can secure a designated-organisation letter today, but the funnel is narrow and the timing window is unusual. We are selectively positive on the SUV for genuine founders with viable business plans and sector expertise; we are sceptical of repackaged-investment products marketed as SUV-equivalents.
Investment routes
The programme offers no direct investment by the applicant — the capital flow, where it exists, is from the designated organisation into the qualifying business.
Designated Venture Capital Fund — CAD 200,000 commitment. A handful of Canadian VC funds hold IRCC designation. They invest CAD 200,000 minimum into the applicant’s business as part of the support arrangement. Diligence is professional VC diligence — track record, market, team, traction, exit thesis. Fewest letters issued per year; highest implicit signal quality.
Designated Angel Investor Group — CAD 75,000 commitment. Angel networks with IRCC designation. Investment minimum CAD 75,000 from the angel group. Diligence varies by group; reputable angels apply professional standards.
Designated Business Incubator — no investment required. The incubator does not contribute capital; it accepts the principal into its accelerator programme on the strength of the business proposal. Historically the largest source of SUV letters, and the most variable in quality — both incubator and applicant.
Qualifying business definition. Each applicant must hold at least 10% of voting rights in the business. Up to five applicants per business may be on a single SUV file. Together, the applicants and the designated organisation must control more than 50% of voting rights. The business must be incorporated and actively conducted in Canada.
Other applicant requirements. Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 5 in English or French (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF, or TCF). Settlement funds: indexed annually, currently ≈ CAD 15,263 for a single applicant rising to ≈ CAD 40,392 for a family of seven. Character / criminal background. Health screening.
Open work permit. While the PR application is processed, applicants may apply for an Open Work Permit valid for up to 3 years, allowing them to begin operating the Canadian business immediately. This is essential given current 52-month PR processing timelines.
Tax architecture
Canada is a worldwide-income jurisdiction for tax residents. There is no non-domiciled regime equivalent to the UK’s, no flat-tax option for new arrivals, and the long-standing immigration trust regime was substantially restricted in 2014. The combined federal-plus-provincial top marginal rate ranges from ≈ 47.5% (Alberta) to ≈ 54% (Quebec, Newfoundland), with provincial choice a meaningful planning lever.
Capital gains taxation has been politically contested through 2024-2025: the Liberal government’s 2024 Budget raised the inclusion rate to 66.67% on annual individual gains above CAD 250,000 (50% below the threshold), and 66.67% on all corporate gains. Implementation has been on-and-off; as of April 2026 the higher inclusion rate is in force but remains a live political question. There is no inheritance tax federally — but there is a deemed disposition at death, triggering capital gains on appreciated assets unless rolled to a spouse.
Foreign-property reporting (Form T1135) is mandatory above CAD 100,000 cost-base. Foreign trusts: complex anti-deferral rules. Pre-immigration realisation of appreciated assets in zero-CGT jurisdictions is the standard planning step; “step-up” basis is automatic on the date of becoming Canadian tax resident, which limits exposure on assets held at arrival.
GST 5% federal, plus provincial sales tax (HST 13-15% in some provinces; PST 6-9.975% in others; nil in Alberta).
What it gets you
Direct permanent residence for the principal, spouse, and dependent children under 22 — no work-permit interim required (though the OWP is available to bridge processing time). PR conferred from grant date; PR card maintenance requires 730 days of physical presence in Canada in any 5-year period.
Canadian citizenship is available after 3 years (1,095 days) of physical presence in Canada within the 5 years preceding application, plus tax filing for 3 of those years and English/French language demonstration. Dual citizenship is permitted. The Canadian passport ranks in the global top 10 (Henley) with visa-free Schengen, UK, US, Japan, and most of the Commonwealth.
Provincial healthcare access from arrival (with brief waiting period in some provinces). Public-school access for children at no cost. University tuition at domestic rates (typically 1/3 of international fees).
Our role on a Canada SUV file
Two distinct workstreams sit at the heart of an SUV file: business plan preparation and designated-organisation matching on one side; the IRCC immigration file on the other. We do not pretend to substitute for venture diligence — we work alongside founders to refine the business thesis, financial model, and team composition into a form that designated VCs / angels will engage with seriously, and we manage the introductions and process. Our judgement on which designated organisations are credible, and which to avoid, is built from years of working with the programme.
The current intake constraints (cap and pause) make timing strategy critical: clients with valid 2025 commitment certificates have a closing PR-filing window through June 2026 that we treat as the immediate priority; clients without commitment certificates today are positioned for the September 2026 reopening or, more often, for the successor entrepreneur pilot expected to launch in parallel. Quebec Investor closed in January 2024 is no longer available; pretender products marketed as a Quebec replacement should be approached with caution.