Canada is Open for Entrepreneurs

Updated: Aug 03, 2017 | Tags: Canada Visa, Canada Entry Requirements

There's good news for entrepreneurs who intend to seek permanent residence in Canada to start up their own company. The Start-up Visa Program, which helps entrepreneurs to achieve permanent residency status, is going to become a more permanent feature in Canada immigration policy from 2018.

The 5-year Start-up Visa Program pilot is now extended

Originally, The Start-up Visa Program was a 5-year pilot scheme that began in 2013 under the Harper government and was due to expire in 2018. However, the program has now been extended, inviting entrepreneurs to apply for permanent residency when they receive a commitment for funding. This funding must come from a venture capitalist, an angel investor group, or entrepreneurs by becoming part of a business incubator program and applying for permanent residency to grow their business. 

The Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, recently said that the Canadian government's innovation and skills plan recognises that promoting certain entrepreneurs and helping them to grow their startups is really vital for the country's economy. The fact that the government intends to make the Start-up Visa Program a permanent feature supports the move towards helping the Canadian economy to grow and prosper.

What critics of the program say

On the other side of the fence, those criticising the program take a more balanced view, stating that, so far, it's only led to a few entrepreneurs taking up Canadian residency and a handful of new companies coming into being. Statistics show that since the program began in 2013, 117 entrepreneurs have been awarded startup visas, which amounts to 68 companies being accepted into the scheme. Mr. Hussen alluded to the fact that three of these companies have become major successes, although two of these three had been taken over by U.S. companies. Critics say, therefore, that the program needs to be significantly more successful and grow in size for the country to really benefit from investing in it.


Another possible stumbling block preventing the program from expanding is the amount of work the private sector needs to take on in terms of vetting and funding entrepreneurs. As already stated, new startups must secure funding from angel investors, venture capitalists and startup incubators. Although these private sources of funding are hard to acquire, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (the IRCC) requires funding to be on the table before they'll consider a Canada Visa application. From then on, processing times for visa applications can vary from just a few weeks to as long as six months in some cases.

The IRCC is undeterred

The IRCC is, however, undeterred. The program benefits them because they don't have to personally vet a deluge of entrepreneurs with business ideas. Individual private investors take on this task when considering applications for funding. This means that wild and impossible business ideas won't slip through the net quite as easily. Now that the program is becoming more permanent, Mr. Hussen has pledged that the government will develop a more comprehensive online vetting process to weed out unqualified or irrelevant applications before they can turn to private investors. Also on the table for discussion to improve the program is the role Canadian consular officials should take when it comes to making contact with startup and accelerator networks, sending appropriate entrepreneurs into the program.

Canada is welcoming entrepreneurs

Minister for Innovation, Science, and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, has said that extending the program alongside the new Global Skills Strategy shows that Canada welcomes talented entrepreneurs from right across the globe. The Global Skills Strategy intends to fast track work visa applications in very technical areas.

Mr. Bains recently said that the government has made it very clear that Canada is absolutely focused and committed to encouraging entrepreneurs, creating opportunities for individuals and their businesses to come to Canada. This will ultimately boost Canadian business and the economy.


Other countries, notably the U.S., may be looking inwards but Canada intends to be an outward-looking country. This is what British Columbia premier Christy Clark said at the BC Tech Summit a few months ago. While the Trump government has adopted a rigid approach to immigration policy, especially concerning the strengthening of restrictions for H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, this has led to new opportunities for Canada immigration. Canada can now start to invest in top talent (especially tech talent), which would otherwise have been destined for Silicon Valley or other parts of the U.S. 

Find out whether you need a Canada eTA or a visa to come to Canada

If you're intending to visit Canada on a temporary basis to find ways to grow your business, you'll need to apply for a Canada eTA or a Canada visa. Whether you need a Canada eTA or visa depends on certain criteria and you can check this out and get more information on the Government of Canada website at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp