The existing SUV program has been waiting for more than 10 years for new applicants.
Canada will no longer accept applications for the program “Start-up visa (SUV)” program starting Jan. 1, 2026, but federal officials have signaled a new “pilot program” for immigrant entrepreneurs will be coming next year.
Federal authorities have also suspended applications for off-road vehicle operating permits, which were previously available as a temporary measure for applicants awaiting a PR decision.
The SUV offered a direct path to permanent residence (PR) for founders hoping to move to Canada, but by the end of October 2025, wait times had skyrocketed to more than 10 years for new applicants (ministerial “transitional ligamentSome estimate the wait could be as long as 35 years.) announced Ottawa has suspended the program, leaving a number of potential applicants in the lurch as they wait for a “new, targeted pilot program” that the feds also said would come at some point in 2026.
BetaKit has reached out to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for more information about the upcoming pilot program.
To qualify for the SUV, applicants required targeted support from a designated venture capital fund (through a $200,000 investment), a group of angel investors (through a $75,000 investment), or a business incubator (through acceptance into an incubation program). Only a few incubator programs were designated as “priority treatment,” including the Metropolitan University of Toronto DMZ and the Calgary platform.
CONNECTED: Entrepreneurs will have to wait more than ten years to receive a Canadian startup visa
Federal authorities have also suspended applications for off-road vehicle operating permits, which were previously available as a temporary measure for applicants awaiting a PR decision. Founders who have already received commitments from one of designated organizations in 2025 there will be a grace period until June 30 for PR applications. Those who already have an off-road vehicle operating permit can apply for an extension while their PR applications are being processed.
According to Canadian immigration news site immigration.caproposed Bill C-12 may give federal authorities the power to cancel PR applications for those in Canada with a work permit if the organization supporting their application does not meet certain requirements. ministerial instruction guidelines released in 2024. Bill C-12, which would expand the powers of immigration and law enforcement agencies, passed its first reading in the Senate in December and could become law when the Senate reconvenes in February.
SUV wait times and uncertainty have heightened concerns about Canada's ability to attract and retain tech talent, as many young Canadian tech founders do. moving to the USAbecause of higher salariesbetter access to venture funding and lure of technology centers for example, Silicon Valley.
The federal government also recently suspended the immigration program for self-employed individuals to bring it into line with its plans to limit immigration.
Artistic image courtesy of Ziyuan Wang via Unsplash.
