Start-Up Visa, Express Entry, and Investor Residency — Entity and Banking in Sequence

Canada's Start-up Visa (SUV) is a permanent residency pathway for innovative entrepreneurs. To qualify, an applicant must obtain a Letter of Support from an IRCC-designated organization — a venture capital fund (minimum CAD 200,000 investment), an angel investor group (minimum CAD 75,000), or a business incubator. The business must be incorporated in Canada, the applicant must hold 10% or more of voting shares, and must meet language (CLB 5) and settlement funds requirements. Processing times currently range from 16 to 36 months.

Express Entry is Canada's primary skilled worker immigration management system, governing the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP), and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Business owners are not directly targeted by Express Entry, but may qualify through FSWP if they have NOC TEER 0 or 1 managerial experience. Provincial Nominee Programs linked to Express Entry — such as the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program Entrepreneur Stream — specifically target self-employed and investor applicants.

Timelines vary by stream: Start-up Visa currently takes 16–36 months for permanent residence; Intra-Company Transfer (work permit) takes 2–8 weeks; LMIA-based work permits take 3–6 months; Provincial Nominee Programs (entrepreneur streams) take 18–36 months. The Quebec Immigrant Investor Program (QIIP) has been suspended as of 2024. INNOVA CG maps the fastest compliant pathway based on the client's background, source of funds, and intended Canadian business activity.

For the Start-up Visa, the company must be incorporated in Canada before IRCC will issue the permanent residency. For an Intra-Company Transfer work permit, the Canadian entity must already exist and have a qualifying relationship with the foreign employer. For entrepreneur PNP streams, the applicant typically establishes the Canadian company after nomination. INNOVA CG coordinates incorporation and immigration timelines to avoid sequencing errors that could delay or invalidate an application.

The Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a two-week processing track within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for highly skilled technology workers. Category A targets unique talent referred by a designated partner organization; Category B targets occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List (GTOL), including software engineers, AI specialists, and data scientists. The Canadian employer must commit to a Labour Market Benefits Plan. GTS work permits are processed in approximately 2 weeks.