Canada has announced a major overhaul of its business immigration framework. Specifically, it is pausing critical components of its Start-Up Visa (SUV) programme. This comes as it prepares to launch a new, more targeted entrepreneur pilot in 2026.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) confirmed that it will stop accepting new Start-Up Visa commitment certificates after December 31, 2025. In addition, the agency has halted new applications for SUV-linked work permits, effectively closing the pathway to most new entrants under the programme.
Why Canada Is Pausing the Start-Up Visa Programme
According to IRCC, the decision is aimed at managing growing application backlogs and easing pressure on Canada’s immigration system. Officials say the pause will allow the government to process existing applications more efficiently while designing a new entrepreneur pilot that targets founders with stronger business models, clearer funding structures, and greater long-term economic impact.
The move aligns with Canada’s broader effort to rebalance temporary and permanent immigration streams.
What the New Policy Rules Mean
Under the new rules, only individuals already in Canada holding SUV-specific work permits will be eligible to apply for extensions. These applicants will also receive higher processing priority. This is provided they fall within Canada’s annual immigration targets.
Canada will stop accepting new Start-Up Visa applications after December 31, 2025. There is one narrow exception. Entrepreneurs who receive a commitment certificate from a designated organisation before the end of 2025 but have not yet submitted their application will still be allowed to apply.
For all other prospective founders, the Start-Up Visa programme will effectively be closed.
IRCC has also maintained its suspension of the Self-Employed Persons Programme. This means no new applications are being accepted under that stream.
Shift Toward a New Entrepreneur Pilot
The changes align with Canada’s 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, which aims to create more predictable and sustainable pathways to permanent residency while reducing the overall number of temporary residents.
Officials have acknowledged that the existing Start-Up Visa programme had become difficult to manage. It suffered from long processing times and inconsistent outcomes for applicants.
Alternative Immigration Pathways for Entrepreneurs
Despite the pause, foreign entrepreneurs still have several alternative routes to enter Canada:
- Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) entrepreneur streams, which remain open in several provinces and typically require founders to invest in or operate local businesses.
- Intra-company transfer routes for business owners expanding existing companies into Canada.
- Employer-linked work permits, including the Global Talent Stream.
- Study-to-immigration pathways, where education serves as a bridge to permanent residency.
Broader Immigration Tightening in Canada
The pause of the Start-Up Visa programme comes amid a wider tightening of Canada’s immigration controls. Ottawa has already announced reduced study permit allocations for 2026, introducing provincial and territorial quotas to manage application volumes.
The international student cap, first introduced in 2024, has reduced the number of study permit holders. Numbers fell from over one million in January 2024 to approximately 725,000 by September 2025, according to IRCC.
In a related move, Canada has also increased financial requirements for skilled migrants. Applicants under the Express Entry Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programmes must now show at least CAD 15,263 in settlement funds as of July 7, 2025. This signals a continued shift toward more selective immigration pathways.
