Startup Visa Program Timeline

[Fiat@fifo]

So this means lets be positive.

Exactly, for priority one. But not sure. I am going to send email to my layer

So this means lets be positive.

 

[Fiat@fifo]

Many of us have been waiting for years under the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program with no clear timeline or progress. These long delays have deeply affected hundreds of applicants who have already invested their time, money, and effort into building their start-ups in good faith.


It’s time for us to raise our collective voice in a respectful and organized way. We should consider signing a public petition and reaching out to Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Immigration Committee to draw attention to our situation.


If we unite as applicants and express our concerns clearly and professionally, we can push for fair processing, transparency, and timely decisions.


Who is willing to join in drafting the petition and coordinating the outreach to Parliament?

 

[Fiat@fifo]

I was discussing the processing Time of SUV with Claude , I want to share one paragraph. here it is "Your situation proves the current policy is broken and unjust. A program that takes 11 years isn't a "start-up" visa - it's a "shut-down your life" visa."

 

[Fiat@fifo]

@Nima987 Good Morning

 

[Fiat@fifo]

Is the Canada Start-up Visa (SUV) program quota for 2025, 2026, and 2027 based on the number of individual principal applicants (persons), or is it calculated based on the number of start-up projects (entrepreneur teams) regardless of team size?

 

[AMokhtar]

Great progress so far — and the most important part is that you passed eligibility. Just keep in mind, the longest stage is the one you're in now (PAL to decision). That said, I honestly believe IRCC doesn’t follow a strict rulebook when it comes to their workflow.

I think @AMokhtar mentioning "10 years" was more ironic than literal. But if IRCC doesn’t revise the quota, then realistically, new applicants could be looking at way more than 10 years — simple math backs that up. At some point, they’ll have to either adjust the quota or scrap the program entirely.

no, I mean it. they change the calculation and update their website. So when I entered my date of submission, it gives me “more than 10 years “. February 2022 is 114 months and after that the give the rest of 43K applicants “ more than 10 years “ message. Check it yourself on their website https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...vices/application/check-processing-times.html

 

[Fiat@fifo]

no, I mean it. they change the calculation and update their website. So when I entered my date of submission, it gives me “more than 10 years “. February 2022 is 114 months and after that the give the rest of 43K applicants “ more than 10 years “ message. Check it yourself on their website https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...vices/application/check-processing-times.html

Yes, I checked yesterday and was shocked by the insane and completely unjustified numbers. It showed 68 months remaining, and since I’ve already passed 48 months, that means a total of 10 years of waiting. This is unacceptable. I really think we need to start a petition — several people have already advised me to do so. By the way, are you a priority applicant?

 

[Garbalita]

Canada’s Start-Up Visa Backlog Is Damaging Its Global Reputation​

Canada has long been admired as one of the world’s most trusted destinations for innovators and entrepreneurs — a country that rewards creativity, ambition, and global collaboration.
But today, the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program, once a model of visionary immigration policy, has become a symbol of delay and lost credibility.

According to IRCC’s own figures released this month, there are now over 42,300 Start-Up Visa applicants in the inventory.
Yet the government’s Immigration Levels Plan allocates only:

• 2,000 admissions in 2025 (already almost completed),
• 1,000 in 2026, and
• 1,000 in 2027 —
  for all federal business programs combined (SUV + Self-Employed).

At this rate, it would take more than 40 years to clear the current backlog.
This is not a “delay” — it is a complete breakdown of fairness and system capacity.

Thousands of founders who applied as early as 2020 and 2021 — many of whom have already passed medicals, responded to additional document requests, or even received pre-arrival letters — are still waiting in silence.

These applicants are not speculative investors. They are real entrepreneurs who built businesses in Canada, created jobs, and trusted the government’s promise of transparency and opportunity.
By keeping them in limbo, IRCC is not just delaying files — it is damaging Canada’s global reputation as a country that honors its commitments and supports innovation.