Destinations
Canada
Canada’s Start-up Visa grants permanent residence directly — and a path to citizenship in three years — to entrepreneurs who build an innovative business backed by a designated organization. The thing to be clear about: this is not a pay-for-residence scheme but a genuine entrepreneurial route with slow processing, and Canada taxes residents on worldwide income at combined rates reaching about 53%.
Key facts
- From
- $55 000≈ $73 425 — estimated total, family of four, fees included
- Processing time
- 24–40 months
- Physical presence
- Permanent residents must meet a residency obligation of at least 730 days in every five-year period. Citizenship becomes possible after three years of physical presence within five.
Tax at a glance
- Residents are taxed on worldwide income; combined top rates reach roughly 53%
- No net-wealth tax and no federal inheritance tax (though death can trigger deemed capital gains)
- GST/HST sales tax ranges by province, commonly 5% to 15%
- The Start-up Visa grants permanent residence, with citizenship possible after three years
- It is an entrepreneurial route, not a passive investment
Frequently asked questions
Is the Start-up Visa a passive investment programme?
No. It is an entrepreneurial route: you must build a genuine, innovative business backed by a designated organization. The committed capital (from CAD 75,000 for an angel group, CAD 200,000 for a venture fund, none for an incubator) comes from the organization, and you must actively run the company.
Does it grant permanent residence or just a permit?
Permanent residence directly, for you and your family. A work permit is often used to arrive earlier while the PR application is processed, which currently commonly takes two to three years.
How soon can I become a citizen?
Citizenship is possible after three years of physical presence within a five-year period, subject to the permanent-residence obligation of 730 days in five years. Canadian tax residence does not remove obligations to a country that taxes on citizenship, such as the United States.