Introducing A New Visa Stream To Lure Immigrant Entrepreneurs – The Start Up "Business Incubator" Class

In an effort to attract promising foreign entrepreneurs to Canada and to stay ahead of competitors, the federal government created an innovative visa program called the Start-up Business Class, which was launched in April of 2013. The program aims to link immigrant entrepreneurs with government approved Canadian private sector organizations that have expertise in working with start-up companies. The Start-up visa program fast-tracks permanent residency applications for immigrant entrepreneurs who are able to secure funding or support from a designated angel investor group or venture capital fund.

Purpose of the start-up visa

The Start-up visa program is especially useful for foreign entrepreneurs who are completely unfamiliar with Canadian business laws and networks and who lack credit history and real access to the resources necessary to grow a start-up company into a sustainable and profitable business. In addition to addressing the many challenges historically