IRCC announced on December 19, 2025 that the federal Start-Up Visa (SUV) program is paused: it stopped accepting new commitment certificates after December 31, 2025, and applicants holding a valid 2025 commitment had until June 30, 2026 to file for permanent residence, after which intake closed. The pause responds to a backlog of roughly 42,000 applicants and processing times that had stretched past a decade, and the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan cuts federal business immigration spots by about 50% (to ~500/year). Ottawa says a new, targeted 'high-impact' entrepreneur pilot will replace SUV, with details to be communicated in 2026.
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Canada pauses Start-Up Visa program; final PR applications closed June 30, 2026
Why this matters for founders
Immigrant founders can no longer use the SUV route right now, so those already in Canada should pivot to Provincial Nominee entrepreneur streams or other work-permit pathways, and watch for the forthcoming high-impact pilot that will favor founders already in-country with funded, traction-stage ventures.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (canada.ca)
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