Do I need to keep the business running after landing?

Permanent residence is not revoked if the business fails, provided the application was genuine. Misrepresentation, however, is grounds for revocation.

All programs

North America · business

Canada Start-Up Visa

Direct permanent residence for founders with designated-organisation backing

Canada's Start-Up Visa grants permanent residence to entrepreneurs whose venture is supported by a designated incubator, angel group, or venture fund. Up to five founders can qualify on a single business.

Program facts and figures reviewed 2026-08-27 by the Savory & Partners advisory desk. Government requirements can change without notice.

Canada at a glance

Timeline

24–40 months

Visa-free access

185 destinations

Residence required

730 days in every 5-year period

Family included

Spouse and dependent children

Programme open to new filingsCurrent processing: 24–40 monthsCosts and rules verified 2026-08-27

Entry investment from

$150k

From CAD 200,000 designated VC support, or incubator acceptance

Single applicant, headline route

Paid to us

Professional fee (payable upfront on engagement)
$35,000
Subtotal$35,000

Paid to government and third parties

Government contribution / state fee: main applicant
$2,385
Legal, agent and processing fees
$24,000
Passport, certificates and document handling
$4,500
Subtotal$30,885

Qualifying investment, Designated venture capital fund

Recoverable asset, capital is retained rather than spent.

$150,000

Total capital required$215,885

Professional fee is payable upfront on engagement and is fixed for the life of the file. Government fees are paid directly to the authority. Figures reviewed 2026-08-27.

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Dual citizenship permitted

Investment routes

Ways to qualify

Designated venture capital fund

$150k

CAD 200,000 investment from a designated Canadian venture capital fund.

Recoverable asset

Angel investor group

$56k

CAD 75,000 investment from a designated angel investor group.

Recoverable asset

Business incubator

Acceptance into a designated Canadian business incubator programme, no capital threshold.

Recoverable asset

Fee terms

How we charge, on every file

Fixed and agreed in writing

Your professional fee is quoted in the engagement letter and payable in full on signature. It is fixed for the life of the file.

Government costs are never marked up

Contributions, due diligence, processing and passport fees are paid directly to the authority or its licensed agent at the published rate.

What is at risk

Due diligence charges are non-refundable once submitted. Contributions on most citizenship programs fall due only after approval in principle. Escrowed or asset-backed investment is recoverable subject to the program hold period.

When an extra fee applies

Only if you add a dependant after filing, switch programs, or a re-application is needed because of information that was not disclosed to us. Each is quoted before any work starts.

How you pay

Bank transfer in USD or AED to our corporate account. No cash, and government fees are never routed through personal accounts.

What the fee includes

A named senior adviser and a named case manager for the life of the file, reachable directly.
Eligibility and risk screening before a single document is collected, so nothing is filed that should not be.
The source of funds narrative drafted to the standard the authority expects, not a checklist handed back to you.
Collection, certification, apostille, legalisation and certified translation of every document, managed by us.
Filing directly with the authority as an authorized agent, with no third-party introducer in the chain.
Interview preparation and attendance where the program requires it.
Post-approval handling: contribution settlement, oath, passport collection and secure courier to your address.
A written status update every fortnight, and a same-day response on working days.

Fixed fee, never revised mid-file

Your professional fee is agreed in writing before any work begins and is fixed for the life of the file. No success fees, no hourly billing, no invoice you did not expect.

Government costs at cost, with receipts

Every contribution, due diligence, processing and passport charge is paid at the authority's published rate and evidenced with the receipt. We never mark up a government fee.

Pre-submission eligibility guarantee

If our screening concludes before submission that you are not fileable, the professional fee is refunded less work already performed, and that amount is stated as a number in your engagement letter.

Refusal cover

If a file we submitted is refused on grounds we assessed and cleared at engagement, we prepare and file an application on an alternative approved program at no further professional fee.

One adviser, start to passport

You are not passed between departments. The adviser who quotes your file is the adviser who signs off the passport delivery.

What we will never guarantee

Approval itself is a sovereign decision and no adviser can promise it. Any firm that guarantees approval is telling you something the authority has not agreed to.

Why it works

Program highlights

Permanent residence, not a temporary permit
Up to five co-founders per qualifying business
Open work permit available while the application is processed
Citizenship eligibility after three years of physical presence

Tax position

Canadian residents are taxed on worldwide income

Do you qualify

Eligibility requirements

Letter of support from a designated Canadian organisation
CLB 5 in English or French
Sufficient settlement funds for family size
10% voting rights for the applicant and 50% jointly with the designated organisation

Questions