Immigrate to Canada on a Start-Up Visa
What is Start-up Visa?
Preparation
What Business Incubators Exist?
The Canadian government has approved more than 40 Canadian business incubators that can give you a letter of support.
Each business incubator has its own process for accepting business projects and the criteria used to evaluate them. Each business incubator has the right to choose projects, including in the field of business.
It is very important to choose the right business incubator in order to receive both an invitation and sufficient expertise on their part to successfully receive a letter of support.
Below is the current list of Canadian business incubators:
- Alacrity Canada (Vancouver)
- Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator (Leduc)
- Food Processing Development Centre (Leduc)
- Biomedical Commercialization Canada Inc. (Winnipeg)
- Brilliant Catalyst (Oshawa)
- Creative Destruction Lab (Toronto)
- DMZ Ventures (Toronto)
- Empowered Startups Ltd. (Vancouver)
- Genesis Centre (St. John's)
- Highline BETA Inc. (Toronto)
- Innovation Cluster (Peterborough)
- Innovation Factory (Hamilton)
- Innovate Niagara (St. Catharines)
- Invest Ottawa (Ottawa)
- Knowledge Park (Fredericton)
- L-SPARK (Ottawa)
- LatAm Startups (Toronto)
- Launch Academy (Vancouver)
- LaunchPad PEI Inc. (Charlottetown)
- Millworks Centre for Entrepreneurship (Sault Ste. Marie)
- NEXT Canada (Toronto)
- North Forge East Ltd. (PInawa)
- North Forge Technology Exchange (Winnipeg)
- Pacific Technology Ventures (Vancouver)
- Platform Calgary (Calgary)
- Pycap Venture Partners (Toronto)
- Spark Commercialization and Innovation Centre (Oshawa)
- Spring Activator (Vancouver, Toronto)
- Think8 Global Institute (Montreal)
- Toronto Business Development Centre (Toronto)
- Treefrog (Newmarket)
- University of Toronto Entrepreneurship Hatchery (Toronto)
- VIATEC (Victoria)
- Waterloo Accelerator Centre (Waterloo)
- York Entrepreneurship Development Institute (Toronto)
After the training program is successfully completed, you are to present your business project to the commission of the business institute.
Entrepreneurs successfully completed the course and prepared a business plan for their project become residents of the business incubator and receive a letter of support, which is considered to be part of the Start-Up Visa immigration program.
Services at the First Stage
At the stage of selecting a business incubator and preparing for an interview, we provide the following services:
• We develop recommendations to strengthen the expertise and team
• We give recommendations on the preparation of accompanying documents
• We help in assessing the market conditions of Canada and the USA
• We assist in the preparation of a strategic plan to enter the Canadian market
• We help in preparing an analysis of competitors, including in Canada
• If necessary, we conduct a justification of the innovativeness of the project
• We advise on filling out an application to a business incubator
Result: You and your idea are accepted into a business incubator for training
Services at the Second Stage
At the stage of consulting and preparing you to present a business project to the commission, we provide the following services:
• We advise on completing tasks during training
• We provide recommendations for completing tasks that require additional information retrieval
• We help you choose the right sources to search for information
• We provide support in the development of a task execution plan
• We provide assistance in solving any tasks and problems when performing tasks
• We prepare for the final defense of the business project in front of experts
• We make recommendations to improve the structure of the project presentation
• We help in working out the skills of making a presentation
• We rehearse the defense of your project in front of experts
• Working out answers to difficult questions from experts
As a result: You are successfully completing your training in a business incubator
At this stage, we provide consultations on the preparation of a business plan necessary to receive a letter of support.
• We advise on filling out an application for a letter of support
• We are working on strategies for interacting with customers and partners in Canada
• We give recommendations on writing letters from clients, associations, etc.
• We tell you in detail about the form for confirming the availability of funds
• We advise on the design of the business model of your project
• We compile a list of customers, partners and channels of interaction with them
• We advise on all the subtleties of Canadian market research
• We help to develop a sales strategy
• We advise on the creation of a marketing strategy
• We select strategies in the field of intellectual property protection
• We carry out justification according to the financial forecasts of the business plan
• We check the indicators: Cash Flow, COGS, Cap Ex's, EBIDTA, etc.
As a result: You receive a letter of support
The disciplines studied include:
- entrepreneurship,
- marketing and sales strategy,
- business development and growth,
- vision and scanning of the environment,
- finances and financial planning
- legal context for running business in Canada
Training in a business incubator is necessary for you to understand how to run business in Canada. Each institute has different training programs with an average duration of about 2 weeks.
After graduation, you will need to submit a business plan for the development of your future project in Canada. After evaluating your business plan and business idea, the business incubator will invite you to become a resident and provide you with a letter of support.
Note that a letter of support is a key to applying for immigration documents to obtain Canadian resident status.
Each business incubator has its own process for accepting business projects and the criteria used to evaluate them. For example, you may be asked to personally present your business concept, provide a detailed business plan.
The membership costs vary based on the business incubator and starts at $250 Canadian dollars per month.
This price includes:
- support of your business project by business incubator experts,
- assistance in finding the contacts you need,
- providing a legal address for registering a company,
- coworking space,
- receiving paper mail to your legal address and sending it to you via e-mail.
Moving
Immigration Services
This is an additional service, you can fill out all the documents yourself, but if you want us to fill out the applications for you or check the correctness of their filling, you can choose one of the services offered below.
Service: Checking your documents
The main scope of work is checking the completeness of the application, cross—references to supporting documents and the number of dependents. Providing feedback on missed, incomplete and incorrect application forms, payments, steps and supporting documents.
The scope of services will not include: checking spelling or discrepancies between forms and accompanying documents, checking dates between accompanying documents and application forms, etc.
Service: Preparation of your application "turnkey"
Providing a detailed checklist for all documents. Verification of your documents confirming the right to participate in the Startup Visa program: language exam, letter of support, police certificate, proof of funds, work experience documents, etc.
Review of all your documents for corrections, missing information, inconsistencies, etc. Assistance with applications for dependent family members who are eligible to enter Canada on the basis of work permits and/or study permits.
The final review and legal letter of submission will be prepared prior to submission to the Canadian Immigration Service (IRCC). We will act as your legal representative in case of any correspondence from the Government on your application.
We help you upload the supporting documents of the IRCC "Update Request" after the employee receives your application for PR to make a final decision.
The services are provided by a licensed immigration agent RCIC license: R527681 (Reza Motalebpour).
List of required documents for immigration under the Start-up Visa program:
- application for immigration
- valid foreign passport
- letter of support for the project from a business institute
- language test results
- birth certificates, internal passports, registration information
- marriage certificate (or proof of relationship)
- children's birth certificates
- police certificates
- 2 photos of each entrant
- fee payment receipts
- proof of funds to live in Canada
All documents are submitted electronically.
Please note that, until recently, Canada was one of the countries that did not recognize apostille, i.e. it was sufficient to have your documents translated by a certified translator or a translation agency. On January 11, 2024, the Hague Convention will come into effect for Canada, and an Apostille will be required for legalization of documents.
The status of Permanent Resident can be compared with the status of permanent residence (permanent place of residence). A person in Canada temporarily, such as a student or foreign worker, is not a permanent resident.
As a permanent resident of Canada, you are entitled to: Get most of the social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including health insurance; live, work or study in Canada. You have practically the same rights as Canadian citizens.
What permanent residents are not allowed to do: You can't vote or run for political office, or hold certain positions that require a high-level security clearance.
You can lose permanent resident status if: you voluntarily renounce permanent resident status; a removal order is made against you and comes into force; or if you become a Canadian citizen.
To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days within the last 5 years. These 730 days do not have to be continuous. Some time spent abroad can count towards 730 days.
Even if you do not meet the residence obligation, you are still a PR until an official decision is made on your status.
What Do You Need to Do upon Arrival in Canada?
After arriving in Canada, you need to:
- come to your business incubator
- register your company in Canada
- run this business while in Canada
The Government of Canada does not regulate a minimum number of employees that you need to hire or how many hours they are supposed to work on your project.
To be eligible to become a Canadian citizen, you must:
- be a permanent resident
- live in Canada for 3 out of 5 years (not necessarily continuous)
- pass the citizenship test.
Candidates aged 18 to 54 take the citizenship test and answer questions about the rights and obligations of Canadians and Canadian citizens concerning the history, geography, economy, government, laws and symbols of Canada.
The duration of the test is 30 minutes and it consists of 20 questions with a passing score of 15 correct answers.
Who Is This Program for?
However, to get Permanent Residence, you are supposed to take a language test at a place of your residence/stay at the approved agency (such as IELTS) and attach the results to your application.
You must show that you have reached Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in English or French. The language proficiency level CLB 5 corresponds to the B1 level.
It is worth noting that this program involves the most minimal requirements for demonstrating the language capacities.
English Proficiency Levels
A1. Beginner
At the beginner level, the vocabulary covers about 500 words. Basic English is a level that means you can:
- understand and use expressions and phrases to meet basic needs;
- introduce yourself and get acquainted in English;
- ask simple personal questions (about place of residence, family, and friends) and answer them;
- read short English texts with illustrations (greeting cards, road signs, brief explanations, signs).
A2. Elementary
The conversational (or almost intermediate) level of English starts with a vocabulary of about 1000 words. At this stage, you can:
- understand spoken language (video, dialogue, or monologue on everyday topics);
- speak in simple words about routines, maintain a conversation on familiar topics (movies, appearance, entertainment);
- read medium difficulty texts;
- express your opinion in writing or evaluate a situation, describe events.
B1. Intermediate
The intermediate level of English implies a vocabulary of at least 2000 words. At this level, you will be able to:
- correctly understand the essence of statements on familiar topics (work, school, leisure);
- communicate in English while traveling to an English-speaking country;
- describe impressions, events, dreams, desires, briefly state your opinion and provide arguments;
- watch movies in their original language, sometimes filling in dialogues based on the visuals;
- read simple instructions, advertising brochures, letters, short documents;
- write coherent texts (essays, letters, instructions) in English on familiar topics.
B2. Upper-Intermediate
The upper-intermediate level of English means that you already know at least 4000 words. At this stage, you will be able to:
- comprehend the idea of complex texts on specific topics, engage in conversations in English on professional activities;
- communicate fluently with native speakers;
- formulate sentences with details on various issues;
- express your view on issues, note the advantages and disadvantages of different solutions;
- understand English programs - interviews, reports, talk shows, live broadcasts;
- write coherent texts (essays, letters) on unfamiliar topics.
C1. Advanced
The advanced level of English means that you are almost a pro: vocabulary - at least 8000 words. At this stage, you will be able to:
- comprehend complex and lengthy texts on various topics, reveal hidden meanings (read between the lines);
- speak fluently and spontaneously, without obvious difficulties in choosing words and expressions;
- effectively use the language in social, scientific, and professional activities;
- understand movies in English with slang and idioms without subtitles;
- write detailed texts on various topics introducing complex structure in them;
- maintain effective correspondence in English.
C2. Proficiency
Mastering English language proficiency is a challenging but achievable task. In this case, the vocabulary consists of about 16,000 words. At the highest level, you will be able to effortlessly:
- understand almost everything you hear and read;
- summarize information from oral and written sources, present arguments and opinions in the form of coherent text;
- speak on any topic without preparation, express your thoughts without difficulty, distinguish between shades of meaning even in the most complex situations.
Statement of Account
The amount required is based on the size of your family. It is usually sufficient to provide an account statement or a reference on availability of accounts with balance confirmation.
Now, for example, if someone immigrates without a family, they will need to have $13,310 Canadian dollars on the account. For a family of 3 the sum adds up to $20,371 Canadian dollars. Please note that these amounts are periodically updated.
You do not need to invest your own funds in your company or your business, you can attract investments while in Canada or get a loan from a bank.
What Does Innovative Business Mean?
By innovation people often mean something unique from the category of space flights or new aircraft turbines, but this is not the case here.
Innovation is a significant improvement in an existing product or service. Particularly this improvement contributes to increasing the efficiency of processes or enhancing the quality of products in demand on the market.
Let us outline three ways to understand if your idea is innovative and give examples below:
Novelty: One of the indicators of an innovative idea is its novelty. At the same time, this concept did not necesseraly existed earlier. Even if it did, it would be more complicated and demand more time and money.
For example: You have a confectionery production, you ordered a cake with a picture, previously you had to do it manually, now you can put a piece of chocolate in a special printer and apply the image with food coloring.
You see that the person who came up with this did not create a printer, did not create food coloring, he just suggested trying to combine it.
Potential: Innovative ideas can be ground-breaking (not necessarily, but they can), meaning they can transform the industry or market they target.
Imagine that you have a vehicle fleet you rent out. Previously your customers had to rent it for at least one day and drive across the city to your parking lot. But now you have created a net of parking lots with the cars available around the entire city, provided an access to the vehicles via your app and let the customers rent the transport for any period of time.
It is no longer considered to be an innovation today, however a few years ago it was an innovative business approach that has completely changed the current situation on the market.
Market Demand: Your idea may address a current or future need that is not met to some extent. The main indicator of a market demand is the customers' willingness to pay for a product or service.
Imagine that you have opened a coffee point. It is obvious that people care about the coffee rather than waiting for it to be prepared. Therefore, some coffee chains have created their own apps that allow their customers to make an order on their way to the coffee shop, so that having entered it, they can immediately pick it up without waiting.
Any idea you have that reduces the time or effort of the client can be referred to an innovative one. To make it clear, let us give a couple of more examples:
McDonald's which reduced the waiting time for customers.
Ikea with their furniture you can assemble on your own without waiting for an assembler.
Amazon which let their customers purchase the products staying at home.
The list seems to be endless.
To sum up, an innovative idea can be recognized by three factors: novelty, revolutionary potential, and market demand.
Want to test your business idea? Sign up for a meeting where we will discuss your business or your business idea and help you figure out an innovative component in it.
Key
Benefits
- IELTS language test
- Biometrics
- Medical examination in the clinic
- Immigration Application Processing
- Obtaining the right of permanent residence
The family includes your spouse, minor children, including the children from your previous marriage or one of your wife.
It is worth mentioning that you do not have to be legally married, since Canada recognizes civil marriages. However, you will be obliged to fill out certain forms to confirm your relationship.
Under this immigration program, you will be able to arrive in Canada with the whole family together, unlike immigration programs in other countries where the family of the founder are permitted to enter the country after some time only .
Additional
Benefits
There can be no more than 5 applicants (5 founders) from one business project. It is necessary for each of them to own at least 10% of the project.
This means that upon arrival in Canada, you will need to open a legal entity with the corresponding shares.
The applicant or applicants will be required to set up a company where they own more than 50% of the total voting rights. The situation which implies that a business project is owned by some venture fund by more than 50% is unacceptable.
Each co-founder of a business project who plans to immigrate must pay for the education and be trained in a business incubator.
How Soon Can You Arrive?
- arrive in 3-4 months after the end of the business incubator training program with the status of a work permit and wait for getting resident status in Canada
- arrive in 2 years with resident status of Canada aready issued
www.jobbank.gc.ca
ca.indeed.com
www.angel.co
www.startup.jobs
Before applying for the vacancies, you are recommended to organize your CV in accordance with North American standards of resume writing and carefully check the content for typos and errors.
In Case of Business Closure
Please follow the link below to find the official answer to this question.
How to Write a Resume in Canada?
Chronological resume in Canada should contain (in the following order):
- Contact information
- A summary of your career/professional activities
- A list of work experience
- Academic background
General guidelines for writing a resume:
- the length should not exceed two pages;
- do not write the word "resume" or "CV" at the top of the page, and do not include the date you prepared the document;
- do not mention your date of birth, gender, or marital status;
- do not include your middle name;
- create an e-mail address that looks professional;
- use North American terms ("high school," "GPA" (Grade Point Average));
- do not sign your resume.
Brief overview of our services
First of all, we provide business advice — we help you choose a business institution, apply for admission, pass an interview and defend your business project up to receiving a "letter of support", which is necessary to start the immigration process.
However, if you need immigration services after receiving a "letter of support", we are ready to help you with that as well. We have a valid immigration services license issued by the RCIC under the number R527681 Motalebpour, Reza.
Cost
State fees:
Immigration costs:
Main costs:
Biometrics Collection
To obtain any Canadian visa, you need to give your biometrics. A photograph and fingerprints of all ten fingers are needed.
But still there are some exemptions to biometric collection. Giving biometrics for a visa to Canada is not required if you are applying for:
- children under the age of 14
- applicants over the age of 79
You must ensure to bring the below-mentioned documents for the biometrics appointment:
- valid passport for which the visa application was made
- copy of the biometric instruction letter confirming that you need to give your biometrics
- copy of the check confirming the payment of the biometric fees
When applying for permanent resident status, you will need to go through the process again, even if you have already been fingerprinted for a Canadian tourist visa.
IELTS
In theory, IELTS English language test is intended to show the level of your English language proficiency, but in practice it reflects the level of your preparation for testing.
We strongly recommend that you contact some qualified specialists who prepare for this test, even if you feel confident about your English language skills.
The IELTS exam structure consists of four sections:
- Listening: four audio recordings of varying complexity. While listening, you need to choose the right answer.
- Reading: Based on the three texts given to you, you will need to answer 40 questions in total.
- Writing: you are expected to write a letter of around 150 words and an informal essay on a given topic.
- Speaking: a real-life face-to-face conversation on various topics with the examiner for about 10-15 minutes.
Please note that you do not need to take IELTS for studying at a business institute, it concerns Permanent Residence only.
Some good news for you: this program requires you to meet a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 5 in either English or French, which corresponds to B1 level.
Medical Examination
Undergoing a medical exam is an mandatory requirement when immigrating to Canada.
After you collect and submit the documents and the immigration officer review them, you will receive an invitation for a medical examination. Let us reassure you that after you complete it, you are most likely to receive documents for entering the country soon.
After you receive a referral for an examination, follow this section on the website of the Government of Canada, select the most preferable country for you to undergo an examination and contact the clinic by yourself.
Documents you need to bring with you:
- valid international passport
- eye glasses, contact lenses, hearing aid, etc.
- medical certificates related to your illnesses
- a list of medicines you take
- recent photographs (specify quantity)
- the Medical Report form IMM 1017 (you should adress the Immigration Service for it)
Keep in mind that the results obtained are valid for 12 months. If your spouse is pregnant, then you will most likely not be able to undergo a full examination due to the impossibility to take X-ray images (you will have to address the Immigration Service in this case).
At the same time, there are some in Toronto offering both an intensive educational program and support upon your arrival in Canada which cost from 8,000 &US to 15,000 $US in total.
You will be able to define which business incubator suits you best during our consultation. Certainly, a lot depends on your business idea and the number of founders in your business project, but we will do our best to find the optimal price solution for you.
- We select a business incubator in accordance with the specifics of the project.
- We provide consultations and prepare you for the final defense of a business project in front of experts.
- We provide guidance within the process of working out a business plan necessary to receive a letter of support.
Price:
If you have an active startup with an innovative idea: The maximum is 13,900 $US for a team of 5 founders, the minimum is 4,900 $US. If you have not launched your innovative startup yet, then the cost of our support can reach up to 39,000 $US. The price changes up or down depending on the maturity of your business and the involvement of a business consultant in the preparation of a business project. You will receive the final commercial offer after consultation.
Guarantees:
We give guarantees for our services, in case the business incubator refuses to issue you the relevant documents at one of the stages, we will refund the money paid.
Installment plan:
Payment for services takes place in several stages, the prepayment is only 2900 $US. You pay only for the result, for each completed stage.
Contract:
You enter into a contract with our company in the USA or Canada. Payment can be made in USD, CAD and also in cryptocurrencies: USDT, BTC, EHT.
Experience:
We are professionals in our field, especially when it comes to innovation — 100% of our clients are accepted into acceleration programs in Canada.
Expenses per founder, without family:
- cost of studying in a business incubator from 8,000 $US
- cost of business consultant services from 4,900 $US
- IELTS 190 $US
- biometrics 85 $US
- medical examination at the clinic 270 $US
- immigration application processing 1,395 $US
- obtaining the right of permanent residence 360 $US
Total: 15,200 $US
Result: Canadian citizenship in 3 years
Consultations led by
Cases of our clients
The partnership provided GDkeeper with detailed research and market insights, enabling a deeper understanding of the North American gaming landscape. These insights helped the company refine its strategies, enhance its offerings, and establish a competitive edge in the Canadian market.
Additionally, CBGA supported GDkeeper in launching its startup in Canada, including guidance through the immigration process under the Canadian Start-up Visa program.
CBGA provided comprehensive support throughout the business development process, from selecting contractors for testing and production to identifying the right designated organization for seamless immigration through the Start-up Visa program. Today, V Technologies is flourishing in the Canadian market, with established branches in Vancouver and Toronto, while its products have also expanded into the US and UK markets.
Beyond immigration assistance, CBGA offered expert guidance on internal workflow organization, team management, and tax optimization. These efforts helped V Technologies effectively manage its resources and operations. With its innovative solutions and strategic collaboration with CBGA, the company is well-positioned for continued growth and global expansion in the tech industry.
Related videos
Popular questions
Preparation of your business project for admission takes from 1-2 months, training from 2 weeks, preparation of a business plan from 2 to 4 weeks. A step-by-step plan leading to Canadian citizenship can be found here.
According to our observations, training takes place once a quarter, there is no regular schedule. Usually, business incubators inform about group recruitment 2 months in advance.
The intensity depends on the selected business incubator. Somewhere the program lasts 3 months with classes 2-3 times a week, and somewhere for 2 weeks with daily classes.
To enter the business incubator, you do not need to pass a language exam, an IELTS certificate will be required to process entry documents.
We guarantee your admission to the business incubator, according to the agreement, we will refund you most of the money paid.
There are no entrance exams, you need to properly prepare the documents, fill out an application, collect materials and a presentation.
Our services are paid in stages, according to the result of the work performed.
Legal Information
At the time of publication, the data complies with legal regulations, however, it should be taken into account that regulations and legal provisions may change, so there is always possibility that certain information is outdated over time.
The reliability of all data should be checked on the official websites of the Canadian government.
Disclaimer
The website administration is not responsible for any damage that may be caused in any form due to the use, incompleteness, or incorrectness of the information posted on this website.
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