Start-Up Visa Program Assistance

Start-Up Visa Program Assistance

Canada Start-Up Visa Program: Paused for New Applicants

The Canada Start-Up Visa Program is paused, and IRCC is not accepting new applications. If you’re a founder hoping to apply, that is the most important fact on this page. If you already filed, IRCC says it is continuing to process the applications it accepted before the pause.

This page explains what happened, what the deadline was for people holding a valid 2025 commitment certificate, what the program’s requirements were, and what options entrepreneurs have now. We’re Richmond, BC immigration consultants, and we won’t sell you a place in a program that isn’t open.

Start-Up Visa status at a glance

•         Status: paused. IRCC’s program pages say it isn’t accepting new applications and that the program was paused on June 30, 2026.
•         2025 commitment certificates: the deadline to apply was June 30, 2026. That date has passed.
•         Applications already accepted: IRCC says it continues to process them.
•         Optional Start-Up Visa work permit: closed to new applicants since December 19, 2025. People who already hold one may be able to extend it.
•         Replacement program: IRCC has said a new targeted pilot for entrepreneurs is coming, with details to be communicated in 2026. We haven’t found published eligibility rules or a start date.
•         Self-Employed Persons Program: IRCC extended its pause until further notice.

Is the Canada Start-Up Visa Program open?

No. IRCC’s program pages show the status as “Paused” and say new applications aren’t being accepted. The change happened in stages:

The 2025 commitment certificate deadline

Under the program’s rules, a designated organization sent IRCC a commitment certificate directly, and the founder then had six months to apply. For certificates IRCC received before January 1, 2026, IRCC set June 30, 2026 as the final date to file.

That deadline has passed. IRCC’s guidance doesn’t offer an exception for filing late, and it isn’t accepting new applications.

•         If you filed by June 30, 2026, your application is among those IRCC is processing. See the existing-applicant section below.
•         If you hold a 2025 certificate but didn’t file, don’t assume it can still be used. Check your IRCC account, and speak to a regulated immigration representative.
•         If someone offers to issue a new certificate or guarantee a place in the program, walk away. IRCC isn’t accepting new applications.

Canada Start-Up Visa eligibility: what applicants had to meet

These are the rules IRCC applied. They matter if you already applied, but they don’t reopen the program.

A qualifying business

You could apply alone or as part of a group of up to five owners. Each applicant had to hold at least 10% of the voting rights, and the applicants and the designated organization together had to hold more than 50%. If the application succeeded, the business had to be incorporated in Canada, actively and continuously managed from inside Canada, with an essential part of its operations in Canada.

Support from a designated organization

You needed a letter of support from a designated organization. The organization also sent a commitment certificate directly to IRCC.

Language

You needed Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in listening, reading, writing and speaking, in English or French, with results from an IRCC-approved test.

Settlement funds

You had to show you could support yourself and your dependants. You couldn’t borrow the money. IRCC’s published amounts (updated July 29, 2025, and revised annually) were:

Application requirements and supporting documents

Applications were submitted online through IRCC’s Permanent Residence Portal, where the program appears as the Start-Up Business Class. Applicants completed IMM 0008, IMM 5669, IMM 5406 and IMM 5562 online, and uploaded the IMM 5760 document checklist and Schedule 13 (Start-Up Business). Supporting documents included:

•         passport or travel document
•         language test results
•         the letter of support
•         birth certificates, identity and civil status documents
•         children’s information
•         police certificates
•         photos of you and each family member
•         your fee receipt
•         proof of funds

Documents not in English or French need a translation stamped by a certified translator, or one accompanied by an affidavit if a certified translator isn’t available. Family members and immigration representatives can’t translate your documents. Each business partner submitted a separate application, and IRCC didn’t process any of them until it had received them all. The applicant personally types their name to sign. A representative can’t sign for you.

Start-Up Visa fees

Medical exams, police certificates and language tests cost extra. Fees change, so confirm on IRCC’s fee list.

Already applied? What existing applicants should do

IRCC says it will keep processing applications accepted before June 30, 2026. A pause doesn’t mean your application was refused, so your own file status is what counts.

•         Follow IRCC’s requests closely. Give biometrics within 30 days of the date on IRCC’s letter. Book your medical exam when IRCC sends instructions. Get police certificates for every country where you lived six or more months in a row since age 18.
•         Keep IRCC updated. Tell IRCC about changes to your address, phone, email or family, such as a new child. Avoid contacting IRCC more than once about the same issue.
•         Check your status. Use IRCC’s application status tool once processing has started. IRCC’s processing-times tool shows its current estimate. We don’t quote a figure here because it changes.
•         Watch your work permit. If you hold a Start-Up Visa work permit, IRCC says you may be able to extend it while your PR application is processed. Check the expiry date early.
•         Team members: if a partner won’t submit a PR application, tell IRCC promptly, because IRCC waits for the whole team.
•         Your designated organization matters. If it is suspended or de-designated, IRCC can put your application on hold or refuse it. Contact a regulated representative if that happens.
•         When you’re approved, use your confirmation of permanent residence before it expires. IRCC won’t extend it.

Other business immigration options for entrepreneurs

With the Start-Up Visa closed, entrepreneurs have fewer federal routes:

•         Self-Employed Persons Program: IRCC extended its pause until further notice.
•         New federal pilot: IRCC said it will launch a new targeted pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs and share details in 2026. We haven’t found published criteria, caps or a launch date. Treat anyone promising a guaranteed spot with caution.
•         BC Provincial Nominee Program, Entrepreneur Immigration: a provincial route for entrepreneurs who want to start or buy a business in BC. Invitations are issued periodically and in small numbers. On October 20, 2026, BC invited 10 Base candidates and fewer than five Regional candidates, with a minimum score of 118. Meeting the minimum requirements doesn’t guarantee an invitation, and a provincial nomination is followed by a separate PR application to IRCC.
•         Other provinces run their own entrepreneur streams, each with different rules and status.

Every option is competitive and none is guaranteed. A candid assessment is the best first step.

Canada immigration consultant for Pakistan applicants

IRCC applies the same rules to everyone, whatever their nationality. If you’re a Pakistani founder with an existing application, or you’re exploring business immigration in Canada, plan for these points:

•         Urdu or other non-English documents: they need a translation by a certified translator, or one with an affidavit. Family members and your immigration representative can’t translate them.
•         Police certificate from Pakistan: required if you lived there for six or more months in a row since turning 18. Request it early.
•         Proof of funds: settlement funds can’t be borrowed, so keep clear, consistent records of where the money came from.
•         Language test: CLB 5 from an IRCC-approved test.
•         Agents selling guarantees: be wary of anyone who claims they can sell a commitment certificate or a guaranteed place in a paused program.

Our team can discuss your case in [languages offered: confirm, for example English, Urdu, Punjabi].

Working with a Canada business immigration consultant in Richmond, BC

IRCC’s own guidance says you don’t need a representative, and that using one doesn’t draw special attention to your application or mean it will be approved. Here’s what we can do:

•         Review your file: confirm what you filed, what IRCC has asked for and what is outstanding.
•         Prepare documents: translations, police certificates and proof of funds.
•         Plan around your status: work permit extension timing and what happens if circumstances change.
•         Assess entrepreneur options: the BC Provincial Nominee Program, the federal pilot once details are published, and anything else that fits.
•         Refer you to a lawyer when a matter needs one.

You open your own IRCC portal account and personally sign. We can act as your authorized representative (IMM 5476). We don’t sell commitment certificates or designations, we don’t promise placements, and we can’t guarantee approval or processing times.

Book a confidential entrepreneur immigration assessment

Already applied, or weighing your options as a founder? Start with a confidential assessment and a candid view of what is realistic.

Book an initial consultation or submit your details for an assessment.

Please bring: your IRCC application number and latest IRCC letters, any commitment certificate or letter of support, your passport and permits (with expiry dates), business details (ownership and incorporation), language results, and a summary of your funds and family.

📞 +1 778 772 7865 · 📧 info@wsic.ca · 📍 [confirmed address], Richmond, BC

FAQs

Is the Canada Start-Up Visa Program still open?

No. IRCC’s program pages show the status as paused and say it isn’t accepting new applications. IRCC says it was paused on June 30, 2026.

What was the deadline for a 2025 commitment certificate, and can I still apply?

The deadline to apply with a valid 2025 commitment certificate was June 30, 2026. It has passed, and IRCC’s guidance offers no exception for late filing.

What were the Start-Up Visa eligibility requirements?

You needed a qualifying business, a letter of support and commitment certificate from a designated organization, CLB 5 in all four language abilities, and enough settlement funds that weren’t borrowed. Each applicant had to hold at least 10% of voting rights, and applicants and the designated organization together more than 50%.

What happens to applications already submitted?

IRCC says it will continue to process applications it accepted before June 30, 2026. Follow IRCC’s requests, keep your details current and check your status online.

Can I still get a Start-Up Visa work permit?

Not as a new applicant. IRCC stopped accepting new applications for the optional work permit on December 19, 2025. People who already hold one may be able to extend it while their PR application is processed.

Will there be a new Canadian program for entrepreneurs?

IRCC has said it will launch a new targeted pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs and share details in 2026. We haven’t found published eligibility rules, caps or a launch date, so nothing can be applied for yet.

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