Canada Start-up Visa paused

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is pausing several business programmes to lay the foundation for a new pilot programme for immigrant entrepreneurs.

Detailed bulletin at here.

Canada Start-up Visa paused

On 19 December, the department announced it will no longer accept optional work permit applications for candidates Start-Up Visa (SUV), except for those already in Canada applying for an extension of their current SUV work permit.

Furthermore, effective from 23:59 on 31 December, IRCC will also stop accepting new SUV applications.

Exceptions will apply to candidates who received a valid commitment certificate from a designated organisation in 2025 but have not yet submitted an application. Candidates with a valid 2025 commitment certificate must submit their application before 30 June 2026.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will also extend the pause on accepting applications via Self-Employed Persons Programme until further notice. This programme has been paused since 30 April 2024.

Launch of the new pilot programme

The federal government stated these changes are intended to “transition to a new pilot programme, targeted at immigrant entrepreneurs”.

Details regarding this new pilot programme will be announced in 2026.

The Canada SUV programme was criticised in 2025 for long processing times.

According to the processing time tool launched earlier this year, entrepreneurs face a 10-year wait to become a Canadian permanent resident through the SUV programme.

According to the government, the measures announced today are partly intended to “help address the large backlog of Canadian business programmes”.

The government also announced that these measures support the nation’s Talent Attraction Strategy, announced in the Immigration Levels Plan latest.