Canada After the Start-Up Visa: What Founders Can Do Now

Updated October 2026.

Canada's federal Start-Up Visa is closed to new applicants. IRCC announced the change on December 19, 2025. The program stopped accepting new applications at 11:59 pm on December 31, 2025. The only exception was for people who already held a valid commitment from a designated organization in 2025 and had not yet applied.

The optional work permit for Start-Up Visa applicants also stopped taking new applications. People already in Canada who are extending a current Start-Up Visa work permit are the exception. The Self-Employed Persons Program is still paused, and IRCC says the pause lasts until further notice.

IRCC has said these measures will lead to a new targeted pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs, with details promised in 2026. We have not seen a final design. Please do not plan around a program that does not exist yet.

What founders can look at today The C11 Significant Benefit Work Permit is now the main federal route for founders who want to operate a business in Canada. There is no fixed investment minimum. You enter Canada and run the business for at least 12 months. Officers look for measurable and documented benefit to Canada instead of projections. That track record can then support a permanent residence application through Express Entry or a provincial nominee stream.

Provincial entrepreneur streams are the second route. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia all run active streams. Each has its own capital rules and business plan standards. Ontario is the exception. Its entrepreneur stream has been suspended since 2023.

How to prepare Keep clean records from day one. Tax returns and payroll and contracts become your proof of benefit. Choose a province early because the provincial streams ask you to commit to one place. A consulting session can help you compare the C11 route with the provincial options for your business.

Sources: IRCC notice "Update on Immigration Measures for Entrepreneurs" dated December 19, 2025 (canada.ca). ORBIZLY program review of September 15, 2026.