Canada Startup Visa to Citizenship: The Pathway for Entrepreneurs

January 20, 2025

According to the U.S. News & World Report Best Countries rankings, Canada has consistently placed among the top 3 countries in the world for nearly a decade, cementing its position as an attractive destination for investors worldwide. It also offers one of the fastest pathways to citizenship of any prosperous nation. Below, we explain the Canada startup visa to citizenship pathway for entrepreneurs and their families.

Canadian citizenship, which comes with one of the world’s most powerful passports and access to some of the world’s leading social welfare systems, is a goal for many families. Canada has one of the most flexible and open immigration policies in the G7, with a range of programs designed to attract talented professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors to live in the country. Notably, immigrants may become eligible for Canadian citizenship after as little as 3 years as permanent residents.

Start-up Visa: a faster pathway to Canadian citizenship

Under Canada’s other investment immigration programs, investors and their families usually begin with temporary resident status. Only after meeting business and residence conditions can they apply for permanent residence, and then for citizenship. The Canada Start-up Visa (SUV) is different: it is one of the few business immigration programs that grant permanent residence directly. As a result, the pathway to Canadian citizenship for you and your family is significantly shorter and simpler, with permanent residence as the only stage before citizenship.

The Start-up Visa pathway to Canadian citizenship is designed for entrepreneurs and investors who come to Canada to launch innovative business ideas with the potential to deliver economic benefits to the country. Program requirements include:

• English proficiency of IELTS 5.0 (General Training) or equivalent.
• A business idea supported by a designated organization (a venture capital fund, an angel investor group, or a business incubator).
• The investor, together with the designated organization, must hold more than 50% of the voting rights in the start-up.
• Sufficient settlement funds to support your family on arrival (for example, C$27,297 for a family of four).

The program is open not only to investors with business and management experience, but also to international students and recent graduates with work or internship experience, or research projects completed during their studies.

At the time of writing, SUV applications took approximately 3 years to process. While the application was under review, however, the investor could apply for a work permit and move to Canada sooner, in about 6 months. The investor’s family, including a spouse or common-law partner and dependent children under 22, could accompany them and may be eligible for publicly funded healthcare and education.

At the time of writing, IMM Group offers Canada SUV advisory packages from approximately US$166,000. Our experienced team in Canada helps you refine and execute your own business idea (if you have one), or connects you with a suitable existing start-up team, so you can secure the support of a designated organization as the program requires. We also help you build a strong application to improve your prospects of approval, and IMM Group and its support team stay with you as you implement your start-up plan, through to permanent residence (PR).

Canadian citizenship requirements

After holding permanent residence and living in Canada for at least 3 years, you and your family members may apply for Canadian citizenship if you meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian permanent resident.
• Have been physically present in Canada for at least 3 of the 5 years before the date of application (equivalent to 1,095 days).
• Have filed Canadian income taxes for at least 3 of the 5 years before the date of application.
• Meet the language requirement: Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) level 4 or higher (roughly equivalent to IELTS 4.0).
• Pass the citizenship test on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and knowledge of Canada.
• Have no criminal record inside or outside Canada.

At the time of writing, citizenship applications took approximately 8 months to process, from submission to the grant of citizenship.

Maintaining Canadian citizenship

Once you become a Canadian citizen, you no longer need to meet any conditions to keep your citizenship. You and your family are free to live, study, and work in any Canadian province, with full access to public healthcare and education. At the time of writing, the Canadian passport offered visa-free travel to 188 destinations worldwide. At the same time, you are required to comply with the obligations that apply to all Canadian citizens.

Another important benefit of Canadian citizenship is the protection of the Government of Canada, both at home and abroad. Even when overseas, Canadian citizens can request consular assistance from the Government of Canada through its embassies, consulates, and other offices around the world.

If you are interested in investment immigration to Canada through the Start-up Visa (SUV) program, contact IMM Group or leave your details below. Our experienced advisors will give you detailed guidance and help assess your application’s prospects of success. We are committed to keeping your personal data confidential and will use the information you provide only to advise on your family’s case.

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We would be glad to assist you. Leave your details below and an IMM Group advisor will contact you to discuss your situation in detail and help assess your application’s prospects. We are committed to keeping your personal data confidential and will use it only to advise on your family’s application.

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IMM Group · International investment migration advisory since 2005 — IMM Group advises only on entrepreneur and investor programs and does not accept overseas labor placement or unskilled worker cases (EB-3 and similar).