Canada’s Start-up Visa program is effectively closed to new applicants, but immigrant entrepreneurs with a valid 2025 commitment certificate still have a final window to apply for permanent residence by June 30, 2026.
The deadline applies only to entrepreneurs who received a valid commitment certificate from a designated organization in 2025. This includes eligible business incubators, venture capital funds, and angel investor groups.
Applicants who did not receive a qualifying commitment certificate by December 31, 2025, are not eligible for this final deadline.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stopped accepting new Start-up Visa permanent residence applications on December 31, 2025. The department also stopped accepting new applications for the optional Start-up Visa open work permit on December 19, 2025. Since then, only open work permit extensions have continued to be accepted.
The closure was linked to Canada’s transition toward a new targeted pilot program for immigrant entrepreneurs and to the large business immigration application inventory. At the time of writing, the wait time for a newly submitted Start-up Visa application is more than 10 years, with about 46,600 people waiting for applications to be finalized.
IRCC has not provided further details on the replacement entrepreneur program.
Who can still apply
To apply under the final Start-up Visa deadline, the applicant must have:
- A qualifying business
- A valid 2025 commitment certificate from a designated angel investor group, venture capital fund, or business incubator
- A Letter of Support from the designated organization backing the business
- At least Canadian Language Benchmark level 5 in all four language abilities
- Sufficient settlement funds that are available and unencumbered
- Settlement funds that are separate from investment capital in the company
- An intention to live outside Quebec
Applications may be made individually or as part of a group of up to five owners. The applicants and the designated organization together must hold more than 50% of the voting rights in the qualifying business.
Each business partner must submit their own application. IRCC will not begin processing any partner’s application until all co-applicants in the group have applied.
How to apply
All eligible Start-up Visa permanent residence applications must be submitted by June 30, 2026.
Before applying, applicants should review the Start-up Visa application instruction guide, IMM 5759, confirm eligibility, and gather the required documents.
The required documentation is listed in the Start-up Visa Business Class document checklist, IMM 5760.
Applicants submitting their own application must use the Permanent Residence Portal.
Applicants using a licensed representative must include the Use of Representative form, IMM 5476, and the representative must submit the application through the Representative Portal.
Applications must be submitted online unless the applicant or representative qualifies for an exception.
Entrepreneurs already in Canada on a Start-up Visa work permit may apply for an extension so they can continue working while waiting for their permanent residence application to be processed.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
