Jurisdictions

Canada

The Start-up Visa is paused: Canada stopped accepting new applications on 30 June 2026, and the programme page reads “closed to all other applications”. What it offered, and may offer again: 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

Compare it with another jurisdiction

First countrySecond country

—	Malaysia	Colombia
Official minimum	$32 000lower	$45 500
Real total, family of 4 (fees included)	≈ $42 720lower	≈ $60 743
Announced processing	3–6 months	1–3 monthsfaster
Presence required	Applicants must be at least 25.	This is a live-here visa.
Years to citizenship	—	5 yearsfaster
Investment routes	Bank deposit, Real estate	Real estate, Business
A route returns the capital	Yes	No
Open to Russian applicants	YesIdentical on this line	YesIdentical on this line
Region	Asia	Latin America

Open the country page · Malaysia Open the country page · Colombia

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.

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What we do for you

Citizenship or residence, the honest answer often is not the one you arrived with. We take the whole procedure with you — eligibility, the route that fits your situation, the file, the follow-up — with one person on your side throughout.

For Canada specifically, you are talking to someone who already knows the file: who to speak to on the ground, what the unit actually asks for, and the points where applications stall.

One point of contact, from the first call to the certificate
Vetted partners on the ground — law firms, licensed agents, banks — introduced, not listed
It starts with a short qualifying call, and no, it is not a sales call

Prefer to write? Leave us a message and we come back with a slot that suits you.

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