Startup Visa Program Timeline

[Fiat@fifo]

Thanks, Application was filled in July 2023, quickly received the Letter of support, the medical request in March 2024 (not dec 2023), and the PAL was issued in April 2024, in fact we also thought that our file is on some steroids and so we expected the COPR on or before Q4 2025 and planned everything accordingly, afterwards everything went upside down and we are still waiting for the result , only change was second medical request in February 2025 and the refusal of open work permit after more than a years wait.

Your expectation of receiving the COPR by Q4 2025 was actually reasonable based on the situation at that time. Your file was progressing normally and there was no indication that it would be delayed for this long.

The main obstacles now are not your application timeline or the progress of your file, but rather the current priority system and the limited quota allocated for the SUV program. Many applicants with completed steps are simply waiting in the queue until IRCC can process their files within the available numbers.

 

[shinobi]

Hi All,

I am curious to know if anyone recently received an OWP under SUV program. I was given a work permit by the immigration officer at the port of entry with a condition “Not authorized to work for any employer other than stated”, despite the fact that I specifically applied for an OWP before coming to Canada. I reapplied for the “Change of conditions” last year in November and still waiting for the condition to be removed by IRCC. Any feedback?

 

[kenkenk]

Thanks, Application was filled in July 2023, quickly received the Letter of support, the medical request in March 2024 (not dec 2023), and the PAL was issued in April 2024, in fact we also thought that our file is on some steroids and so we expected the COPR on or before Q4 2025 and planned everything accordingly, afterwards everything went upside down and we are still waiting for the result , only change was second medical request in February 2025 and the refusal of open work permit after more than a years wait.

I've seen some immigration consultants' analysis suggesting that processing priority SUV applications will take approximately 5 years, and they recommend that SUV applicants with priority projects consider waiting. I'm not sure whether the consultants' data and information are accurate, but I think waiting five years is still acceptable. After all, your project has already made significant progress. Many people haven't even received their AOR yet.

 

[Fiat@fifo]

I've seen some immigration consultants' analysis suggesting that processing priority SUV applications will take approximately 5 years, and they recommend that SUV applicants with priority projects consider waiting. I'm not sure whether the consultants' data and information are accurate, but I think waiting five years is still acceptable. After all, your project has already made significant progress. Many people haven't even received their AOR yet.

Given the current situation and the quota allocated to the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program, a five-year waiting period, or potentially less, may be credible for applicants in the first-priority tier. However, for applicants in the second and third tiers, such a timeline appears highly unlikely unless IRCC rethinks the allocation in a more practical and logical manner.

IRCC has established a combined annual admissions target ranging from approximately 250 to 1,000 applicants for the Self-Employed Persons Program and the Start-Up Visa. If we assume a 30% allocation for Self-Employed and 70% for SUV, this would translate roughly into 175 to 700 places annually for the SUV program, depending on the actual number selected within the range.

Based on this, applicants in Tiers 2 and 3 can look at the number of applicants ahead of them and use the annual SUV allocation to make a rough estimate of their potential waiting time.

Applicants can also check IRCC's processing-time information here:

IRCC – Check processing times

 

[Fiat@fifo]

Dear forum colleagues,

Yesterday, the Canadian government unveiled its Immigration Levels Plan for 2027–2029, revealing two significant developments for many of us in the Start-Up Visa (SUV) program.

First, the government announced a new, time-limited measure covering up to 200,000 people across two cohorts, building on the one-time initiative introduced in the previous federal budget.

The first cohort will include up to 100,000 workers in Canada who are awaiting decisions on their permanent residence applications under the following programs:

• Start-Up Visa Program
• Self-Employed Persons Program
• Agri-Food Pilot
• Home Care Worker programs

Second, and particularly important for us, the government has substantially increased the 2027 admission target for the Business category, which covers both the Start-Up Visa and Self-Employed Persons programs.

The target has increased from 500 to 1,500 admissions, while the minimum target has risen from 250 to 500, and the maximum target has increased from 1,000 to 5,000.

These two developments are particularly noteworthy for those of us waiting for our permanent residence applications to be processed. They deserve close attention as we assess what the new immigration plan could mean for the SUV backlog.