Canada’s flagship Start-Up Visa (SUV) programme is officially on pause as of 00:00 EST, 1 January 2026. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped accepting new permanent-residence applications at 11:59 p.m. on 31 December, with only one carve-out: entrepreneurs holding a valid 2025 commitment certificate may file until 30 June 2026. Optional SUV work-permit intake had already been terminated on 19 December 2025.
IRCC says the freeze is needed to tame a backlog that exceeds 10 years of processing capacity and to align with its 2026-28 Levels Plan, which emphasises transitioning temporary residents already in Canada. In practical terms, founders abroad must now explore alternate routes—Global Skills Strategy, CUSMA professional entries, or waiting for the promised “targeted pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs” later in 2026.
![Start-Up Visa Shut to New Applications After Midnight Cut-Off]()
For entrepreneurs recalibrating their plans, VisaHQ can streamline next steps. Through its Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the service provides up-to-date guidance on work permits, visitor visas for market visits, and other immigration pathways, offering founders clear, fast support while IRCC fine-tunes its programmes.
Entrepreneurs already in Canada with an SUV-specific work permit move to the front of the queue as IRCC introduces new processing priorities. Mobility advisers should therefore reassess relocation timelines for start-up clients and consider bridging strategies such as the C11 significant benefit work permit where appropriate. Designated venture funds, angel groups and incubators must also halt new commitment certificates; their last day to issue support letters was 31 December 2025.
IRCC has released scant detail on the forthcoming pilot, but officials hint at tighter due-diligence on business viability and a smaller annual quota. Companies banking on the SUV should monitor Gazette pre-publication later this year and be prepared for stricter metrics on job creation and investment.
IRCC says the freeze is needed to tame a backlog that exceeds 10 years of processing capacity and to align with its 2026-28 Levels Plan, which emphasises transitioning temporary residents already in Canada. In practical terms, founders abroad must now explore alternate routes—Global Skills Strategy, CUSMA professional entries, or waiting for the promised “targeted pilot for immigrant entrepreneurs” later in 2026.
For entrepreneurs recalibrating their plans, VisaHQ can streamline next steps. Through its Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/), the service provides up-to-date guidance on work permits, visitor visas for market visits, and other immigration pathways, offering founders clear, fast support while IRCC fine-tunes its programmes.
Entrepreneurs already in Canada with an SUV-specific work permit move to the front of the queue as IRCC introduces new processing priorities. Mobility advisers should therefore reassess relocation timelines for start-up clients and consider bridging strategies such as the C11 significant benefit work permit where appropriate. Designated venture funds, angel groups and incubators must also halt new commitment certificates; their last day to issue support letters was 31 December 2025.
IRCC has released scant detail on the forthcoming pilot, but officials hint at tighter due-diligence on business viability and a smaller annual quota. Companies banking on the SUV should monitor Gazette pre-publication later this year and be prepared for stricter metrics on job creation and investment.
