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You’re here probably because you’re an entrepreneur interested in immigrating to Canada and want to find the best pathway to get there.
Do you have an innovative business idea you’d like to invest in the country? If so, you’re one step closer to accessing the only pathway for becoming an immigrant entrepreneur that offers a direct PR, the Canada Startup Visa.
Let the experts help you. We can support you through the process of the Startup Visa! Get a FREE assessment with one of our licensed immigration consultants; click here.
Suppose you are a highly-skilled entrepreneur with an innovative business concept that can generate jobs for Canadians and compete globally. In that case, the Startup Visa Canada Program invites you to relocate to Canada. The program affords eligible applicants these main advantages:
Wondering about the Start-up Visa Canada Program success rate? The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) granted permanent resident status to most applicants under this program for an overall success rating of 76.3% as of 2021.
Before applying for a visa, ensure:
1. You have a qualifying business
You hold 10% of all outstanding shares in the company when you get the commitment of a designated organization. You and the designated organization jointly hold more than 50% of the company’s outstanding shares.
Upon being granted permanent residence, you must incorporate the business in Canada if you haven’t done it yet, ensure that at least one essential aspect of business operations is conducted in Canada, and actively manage the business activities from within the country.
2. You have a letter of support from a designated organization
Designated organizations are business groups, like angel investors, incubators, and venture capital funds, authorized by the government to invest in or support promising startup businesses.
You need the support of one, and a Canada startup visa incubator would be the ideal organization to approach.
If the group approves your business plan, they will send you a letter of support.
The organization will submit a commitment certificate to the visa office. The visa office will use the certificate and letter of support to evaluate your application.
Our company specializes in advising on how to obtain support letters for immigrant entrepreneurs. Our Canada Startup Visa consultants will assist you in applying for the Canada Startup Visa. Get a FREE assessment with us! Click here.
3. You have to pass the language requirements
Ensure you can communicate and conduct business in English, French, or both.
Take a language test given by an approved agency. Using your test results, see that you meet the minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in English or French in all of these areas: speaking, reading, listening, and writing.
4. You have adequate funds to settle in Canada
Research on the costs of living in Canada. See that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family when you arrive in the country. Be ready to present substantial proof of this.
Also, there are costs to building a business with a designated organization, such as business incubation fees in Canada. Factor the business incubator service cost of CAD 2100 per month into your budget.
Do you want a personalized consultation about setting up a business in Canada? Get a FREE assessment with one of our licensed immigration consultants; click here.
1. Access the application package for a startup visa online
The Canada Startup Visa requirements are in the application package, including an instruction guide and a document checklist in PDF. Complete and sign all the mandatory application forms required for start-up visa (i.e. Generic Application Form IMM0008)
2.Complete the Documents Checklist
Gather all supporting documents and information in the specified order. Tick each item off to know what you have and what is missing.
The Document Checklist should be the cover page of your application; print it out and sign it.
Compile all the required documents to complete your application to ensure it will be processed.
3. Get the required police certificates
You and any family members, 18 years old and older, must submit police certificates or clearances to the visa office, including clearances from each country or territory where you lived for at least six consecutive months at age 18. You may be denied entry into Canada if you have a criminal record or pose a threat to the country's security.
4. Check your application for completeness and accuracy
Ensure all the information you provided in your application is complete and true before submitting it to the visa office. If you give false information or withhold important details, your application could be denied. Worse, you could be forbidden from applying to come to Canada for five years.
5. Enclose the documents in a sealed envelope
Enclose the documents in a 9" x 12" envelope, seal, and write 'startup visa' on the front side. Mail only to the processing centre or visa office address specified in the instruction guide.
6. Take the medical exams
You and every family member must undergo a medical exam, ensuring you will not put Canada's public health or safety at risk or cause a heavy strain on health and social services.
Upon receiving your application, the visa office will send you a letter with directions on how and where to get the medical exam.
Do you want to know more about the Canada Startup Visa? Watch our YouTube video! Click here
The average Canada Startup Visa processing time is 31 months (including the time you need to give your biometrics), barring any causes for delay.
Let the experts help you. We can support you through the process of the Startup Visa! Get a FREE assessment with one of our licensed immigration consultants; click here.
Visa application fees usually include processing fees for you and everyone else included in your application, biometrics fees, and third-party fees. You might also have to pay for Right of Permanent Residence fees (RPRF).
The Startup Visa Canada cost depends on the size of your family and is updated every year.
Pay the application fees online.
Obtaining a startup visa may seem daunting, but there have been several Startup Visa Canada success stories, like this South Indian.
Rakesh is 53 years old, husband to Bindu, and father to 16-year-old Aadya. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and fourteen years of Corporate and Enterprise experience. His spouse was a Home Health Supervisor for five years in India.
Rakesh presented sufficient proof he had liquid funds of CAD$ 50,000 apart from settlement funds and owned two real properties in South India. He passed the language test with an overall score of 5.5 with no band under 5.0.
Profoundly aware of how climate change impacts people and businesses, Rakesh became passionate about the concept of “sustainable” businesses and dreamed of creating one.
Rakesh submitted a business plan for an eco-friendly farm resort with affordable assisted living facilities for elders for his application. The farm would produce healthy organic food for its residents with enough to sell to the public. The entire complex would be constructed using sustainable materials and run on renewable clean energy.
Three months after, he was approved by a Canada Startup Visa business incubator.
Rakesh and his family received their permanent visas and entry visas. He is now the Sales and Marketing Director of the care farm.
Would you like to follow Rakesh's steps? Our team has successfully helped applicants from +47 countries, and we would be happy to assist you through the Canada Startup Visa application. Get a FREE assessment; click here.
The Canada Startup Visa Program moves through a complex system of streams and mechanisms – sometimes overwhelmingly so. Let us smoothen the way for you. We will help you develop your business plan or tailor it to appeal to Canadian investors, get a letter of support, and obtain a Permanent Residency Card (PR Card) before your arrival.
