February 26th 2024 – The Canadian Start-up Visa program has completed 10 full years of existence since being launched as a pilot program in 2013.  With this program, Canada targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to launch businesses in Canada that are innovative, can create jobs and can compete on a global scale.  Successful applicants will receive a direct permanent residence status in Canada.

To qualify, applicants must have an initial intermediate level of English or French (CLB 5) and have enough money to settle in Canada. A designated organization will review the applicant’s start-up business idea and, if it is a qualifying business worth supporting, will issue a letter of support.  The letter of support will then allow the applicant to submit his permanent residence application to the Canadian Government.  Applicants also have the option to request a temporary work permit to get to Canada and start building their business.

The Start-Up Visa program has gained in popularity in recent years, with most applications submitted from Iran, India, China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Nigeria.

According to statistics offered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”), the overall success rate in 2021 was 90% while it was 85% in 2022.

In recent years, IRCC invested money and hired more employees to reduce processing times. While the current processing times are advertised at about 3 years, Mandeville & Associates Ltd. had many approvals in a shorter period of time.  A team of two SUV applicants developing software in the construction & real estate industry recently received the permanent residence status only 7 months after submitting their permanent residence applications in July 2023.  This record processing time was achieved using the business incubator stream.  

With its fast processing times, no fixed required investment and option to request a work permit to develop the start-up during the processing of the immigration application, the Start-up Visa program is quickly becoming the most popular option for business immigration to Canada.

About Mandeville & Associates Ltd. 

Since 1986, Mandeville & Associates – Immigration Group has been offering consulting services intended for international businesspeople of every continent wishing to settle in the United States of America, Canada, and Europe.

With its head office in Hong Kong and professionals permanently based in the United Kingdom and Canada, Mandeville & Associates – Immigration Group offers a wide range of immigration and consultancy services with a team of specialized lawyers and multilingual immigration experts. Business migration programs, such as the immigrant investor program, start-up visa program, and other residency-by-investment programs, allow the successful applicant, spouse, and dependent children to obtain a residency visa and this status may lead to citizenship with certain conditions. Mandeville & Associates – Immigration Group provides specialized services to professionals, business incubators, brokers, and immigration consultants recruiting candidates for immigration to the United States of America, Canada, and Europe through business migration programs.