In a December 19, 2025 notice, IRCC announced it stopped accepting Start-Up Visa (SUV) applications at 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2025, with a narrow exception for applicants holding a valid commitment certificate from a designated organization issued in 2025. IRCC also stopped accepting optional work permit applications for SUV applicants (except those already in Canada extending a current SUV work permit), and the Self-Employed Persons Program pause continues until further notice. IRCC says a new pilot program for immigrant entrepreneurs will be communicated in 2026.
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Canada pauses Start-Up Visa; new applications closed as of Dec 31, 2025
Why this matters for founders
Foreign founders who wanted to move to Canada via the Start-Up Visa can no longer file unless they secured a designated-organization commitment in 2025; anyone planning entry should hold off and watch for the 2026 high-impact entrepreneur pilot details rather than start the old SUV route.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (canada.ca)
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