Canada Start-Up Visa: Current Status and Your Options
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How the program closed
No new commitment certificates
Designated organizations stopped issuing commitment certificates after December 31, 2025.
Last filing date
Applicants with a valid 2025 commitment certificate had to file by June 30, 2026.
Program paused
IRCC lists the Start-Up Visa as paused and closed to all other applications. Files received in time continue to be processed.
Status as shown by IRCC in 2026. Check the IRCC website for any change.
What happens to a pending file
If IRCC received your application before the deadline, it continues to process it. Work permit holders in the program can extend their permits while their permanent residence application is processed.
Keep your status valid, answer IRCC requests on time and book a consultation if you are unsure what to do next.
Business routes that remain
Provincial entrepreneur streams
Several provinces select entrepreneurs who start or buy a business. Rules, deposits and net worth tests differ by province. See provincial entrepreneur streams.
Entrepreneur work permit
A federal work permit for owners who show significant benefit to Canada. It does not give PR by itself. See the entrepreneur work permit.
Skilled worker routes
If you have strong skills, Express Entry or a provincial nominee program may be faster than a business route.
Start-Up Visa questions
Is the Start-Up Visa still open?
No. IRCC lists the program as paused and closed to new applications. Only applications received before the June 30, 2026 deadline continue to be processed.
Can I still get a commitment letter from an incubator or angel group?
Commitment certificates stopped after December 31, 2025, so a new letter does not open a Start-Up Visa application today.
Will the program reopen?
IRCC has not announced a reopening date. We update this page if its status changes.
What should an entrepreneur do now?
Compare provincial entrepreneur streams, the entrepreneur work permit and skilled worker routes against your net worth, business plan and family needs in a Strategy Consultation.
More in Canada Immigration
Find the business route that is still open
Book a Strategy Consultation and get an honest answer on which Canadian route fits your business and capital.
Amir Ismail is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC R412319) who has been associated with the immigration consulting industry since 1991.
Last updated: October 2026. Source: IRCC.
