To be eligible for a Canadian start-up visa, you must meet four criteria:

Have a qualifying business:

You must own at least 10% of the voting rights tied to all of the company's shares. You and the designated organisation must own at least 50% of the voting rights linked to all of the company's shares.

Have a letter of support from a designated organisation:

You must demonstrate that you have received financial backing from a venture capital fund, angel investor group, or company incubator. To accomplish this, you must propose your company idea to the organisation and convince them that it is worth funding. Each organisation will have its own approach for pitching your company idea. If your pitch is successful, the organisation will provide you with a letter of support, which you must include with your start-up visa application.

Meet the language requirements:

You must take a language exam administered by a recognised organisation and demonstrate that you meet the minimal level of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in either English or French.

Proof of funds:

You must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependents upon arrival in Canada. The quantity required is determined by the size of your family.