A Guide to the Canada Startup Visa for Russian Citizens in

Many Russian citizens are seeing legitimate ways to secure residency or citizenship abroad in 2025. Fortunately, several programs remain open, including the Canada Startup Visa for Russian citizens.

Russian citizens can apply for the Canada Start-up Visa program (SUV) by meeting several requirements, including creating an innovative, growth-oriented business, obtaining a letter of support from a Canadian-designated organization, demonstrating language proficiency, and showing sufficient settlement funds to support themselves in Canada.

This guide is designed to give you a clear picture of one of the best immigration options in Canada for Russian entrepreneurs and their families. In this guide, you’ll find:

• Benefits of Canada Startup Visa for Russian citizens
• Canada Startup Visa requirements for Russian entrepreneurs
• Canadian Startup Visa investment options for Russian entrepreneurs
• How much does Canada Startup Visa cost?
• Canada Startup Visa timelines
• How Russian citizens can apply for the Canada Startup Visa

The Startup Visa Program is a path to permanent residency in Canada for immigrant entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas who wish to establish a business in Canada.

In 2024, Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program welcomed a record 5,595 new permanent residents, highlighting its growing appeal to global entrepreneurs and high-potential start-ups.

For Russian entrepreneurs, Canada offers an opportunity to build a business in a stable, welcoming environment, with access to global markets, investor networks, and public services. The program is especially attractive due to Canada’s strong Russian-speaking communities, high quality of life, and clear long-term pathway to citizenship.

Below is a brief overview of how the SUV works:

The SUV program has significant economic benefits. It provides opportunities for foreign nationals, including Russian entrepreneurs, to build scalable and innovative businesses across the Canadian market.

Approved Start-up Visa holders also receive mentorship, funding opportunities, and access to business accelerators to grow their ventures in Canada.

The Canada Startup Visa benefits for Russians include:

• Optional open work permit: Allows the applicant to develop their startup business and live in Canada while they wait for permanent residency.
• Permanent residency and family sponsorship: Eligible family members include your spouse and kids up to age 22.
• Quality of life: According to the GCS Global Passport Index, Canada ranks 12th in terms of quality of life (compared to Russia in 134th place).
• Access to welfare and healthcare: A permanent residence status allows foreigners access to public health insurance and welfare coverage.
• Access to Canadian investors: International business opportunities with access to business funding and global networking.
• Path to citizenship: Permanent residents can apply for Canadian citizenship after three years of continuous permanent residence.

To qualify for the Canada Startup Visa Program, Russian entrepreneurs must:

1. Present an innovative business idea
2. Secure a letter of support from a designated organization
3. Meet language requirements
4. Have sufficient funds to settle

Here is a detailed look at the Canada Startup Visa program requirements for Russian founders:

Have a qualifying business

The primary goal of the SUV is to establish a scalable business concept in Canada. The qualifying business must:

• Compete in a global market
• Create jobs for Canadian workers
• Boost economic growth

Russian entrepreneurs can apply as individuals or as a group of up to five owners. To have a qualifying business, each applicant must hold 10 percent or more of the total voting rights. Together, SUV program applicants and the designated organization must hold more than 50 percent of the total voting rights.

If your application is successful, you will need to incorporate your business in Canada, manage it actively from within the country, and ensure an essential part of its operations takes place in the country.

Have support from a designated organization

Designated organizations are business groups authorized to fund or mentor startup businesses through the Canada Entrepreneur Visa.

The main applicant must contact a designated organization – such as a venture capital fund, angel investor group, or business incubator – and convince the organization to support their SUV application and get a letter of support.

The organization will also need to send a commitment certificate directly to the Canadian immigration authorities.

Meet the language requirements for Canada Startup Visa for Russians

The Start-up Visa requires at least level 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in either English or French. The Canadian Government provides a language test to determine your CLB level in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Bring enough funds to settle

Entrepreneurs must demonstrate sufficient funds to settle in the country in order to apply for the Startup Visa program. The amount needed depends on the number of family members. In 2025, the amounts required are as follows:

Other Canada Startup Visa documents required for Russians

Applicants will need to submit the following documents:

• Travel document or passport
• Language proficiency test results
• Letter of support
• Birth certificates
• Identity and civil status documents
• Children’s information
• Police certificates
• Photos of you and each family member in Canada
• Fee payment receipt
• Proof of settlement funds

Read our full guide to Canada’s Startup Visa

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One of the key qualities of the SUV program is that there is no minimum investment from the applicant. Instead, the applicants must pitch their business plan to one of the designated organizations, secure a letter of support, and may also require a commitment to invest a specific amount of money, depending on the type of designated organization.

The minimum investment amounts are as follows:

• Venture capital funds of CAD$ 200,000
• Angel investor group of CAD$ 75,000
• Business incubator: No minimum investment required

The application process for the Canada Startup Visa is relatively straightforward and involves the following steps:

1. Create an account or sign in using the Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) Portal. The start-up visa program is called the Start-Up Business Class on the portal.

2. Get your forms and documents ready. The forms to fill out can be accessed in the portal, and you will need the following supporting documents:

• Travel document or passport
• Language proficiency test results
• Letter of support
• Birth certificates
• Identity and civil status documents
• Children’s information
• Police certificates
• Photos of you and each family member in Canada
• Fee payment receipt
• Proof of settlement funds

3. Pay your application fees. Your application fees may be paid online. These include processing fees, right of permanent residence fee, and a biometrics fee.

4. Submit your online application and wait for it to be processed.

Global Citizen Solutions is an investment migration agency with Russian-speaking consultants who can facilitate a seamless application process for Russian investors.

Canada’s Start-up Visa fees range from $1,810 to $2,385, depending on permanent residency needs and family members included.

You can expect the following additional costs:

• $2,385 for processing and right of permanent residence fee
• $1,810 without right of permanent resident fee
• $1,525 for including a spouse or a partner
• $260 for including a dependent child

These fees (in Canadian dollars) do not include the cost of your business investment. A Canada startup visa lawyer can provide the correct price analysis and help you navigate the application process. They can simplify the immigration laws and regulations so you can make an informed decision.

Most cases for the Start-up Visa get processed in about 40 months. However, every case is different. Non-priority cases for permanent residency can take two to three years or more.

Because of recent changes to the Start-up Visa, the program has experienced significant backlogs of pending applicants. As of August 2025, IRCC’s average processing time for the Start-up Visa is 52 months. While waiting, applicants with a commitment certificate can apply for a temporary work permit to launch their business.

There is no specific data available on success rates for Russian applicants. However, the Canada Start-up Visa has an overall success rate of about 77.2 percent.

Rejection rates are rising due to new caps (only ten group applications allowed per designated organization). To ensure success, it’s best to work with immigration specialists who understand the process.

A clear, viable business plan, strong backing from a designated organization, and meeting all requirements greatly improve your chances of approval.

Global Citizen Solutions is a boutique migration consultancy firm that helps individuals find the right residency or citizenship by investment program to achieve their goals of becoming global citizens.

With offices worldwide and an experienced, multilingual team, we have supported hundreds of clients in securing citizenship, residence visas, and property investments, while helping them diversify their portfolios.

For Russian nationals, we offer dedicated support through our Russian-speaking consultants, ensuring clear communication and guidance every step of the way. We understand the unique challenges Russian citizens face in today’s landscape, and our team provides personalized guidance in line with international compliance practices, prioritizing programs with dual citizenship opportunities and simplified banking requirements.

At Global Citizen Solutions, we go beyond application assistance, offering comprehensive, localized support to help you achieve your long-term residency, citizenship, and investment goals with confidence.

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