Start-up Visa Program
Make yourself at home and make something of yourself at home.
The Start-up Visa Program was created to target foreign entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build innovative businesses in Canada that can create jobs and compete on a global scale.
Of the three streams of Start-up Visas, Genesis offers the Business Accelerator/Incubator stream to those who are successfully admitted into the portfolio of companies.
Entrepreneurs interested in the program must meet the following requirements:
- Be willing to live and work in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Be a start-up technology company with high growth potential
- Register for and complete the Evolution program and/or the Entrepreneurs Training Program and/or B6049 (Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Students)
- Pitch to and be accepted by the Genesis Centre Selection Board
If accepted by the Selection Board, the entrepreneurs receive a letter of support from Genesis and can apply for a start-up visa directly from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. To be eligible, applicants must:
- Receive a letter of support from a designated organization (i.e. Genesis)
- Meet ownership requirements where each entrepreneur holds at least 10% of the voting rights in the business
- Meet the minimum language requirements via a test from an approved agency
- Be able to financially support you and your family for one year
Details on the criteria and FAQs can be found at the Start-up Visa website here.
