Canada Announces Cap on Start-Up Visa

Canada Announces Cap on Start-Up Visa Applications to Reduce Processing Times

Canada's Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, recently unveiled significant changes to the country's Start-Up Visa (SUV) Program aimed at enhancing efficiency and reducing processing times by restricting the number of permanent residence (PR) applications accepted under it. 

📝 What Happened
Each designated organization can now sponsor no more than 10 start-ups per year. IRCC is also going to provide priority processing for the most promising start-ups by focusing on entrepreneurs whose start-up is supported by Canadian capital or by a business incubator that is a member of Canada’s Tech Network, including applications in the inventory and new applications.

⏸️ Pause on Self-Employed Persons Program
To further address the current backlog of SUV applications, IRCC will temporarily halt new applications for the Self-Employed Persons Program, which provides a pathway to permanent residency for individuals contributing to Canada’s cultural scene.

💼 Why It’s Happening
With a combination of a restriction in application intake until the end of 2026 and planned increases in admissions for the federal business category as tabled in the 2024-2026 multi-year levels plan, IRCC plans to reduce the backlog and bring down wait times while continuing to welcome “talented, innovative and entrepreneurial newcomers”.

🚀 Why It Matters
According to Miller, fast processing is critical to the success of entrepreneurs who come to Canada through its federal business programs. The changes, which the minister referred to as “necessary,” are intended to implement faster processing times while Ottawa looks ahead to further reforms to make these programs more “sustainable” and “effective” over the long term.

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