29-11-2013
Startup Canada Day on the Hill graced Ottawa this month as part of an initiative by Startup Canada. The group represents over 250 volunteers, 400 partner organizations and 55, 000 entrepreneurs, and seeks to help emerging businesses at a grassroots level.
Immigration .Minister, Chris Alexander, was present to address industry and community leaders, following up on the government’s Start-Up Visa initiative (SUV) advertised earlier in the year.
Innovation and entrepreneurship drives economic growth and helps to secure future prosperity for all Canadians,” he said. “Immigration is vital to innovation and to meeting Canada’s economic and labour market needs.”
Citizen and Immigration Canada launched the SUV Program in the hope that it might provide entrepreneurs with permanent residency easy access to business opportunities in Canada. The SUV is a pilot program with a limit of 2,750 applicants and is set to last 5 years. It is designed as an incentive for high quality business innovators and entrepreneurs to enter the Canadian economy. Admissibility to the program follows regular immigration and program specific eligibility criteria.
In October the program was expanded to attract high-growth businesses and venture capital through the “Business Incubator” stream – a further effort by the government to emphasize a climate of economic innovation.
“Government plays an important role in supporting and empowering entrepreneurs, who are the backbone of Canada’s prosperity,” said Alexander. “Our government will continue our efforts to attract the best and brightest immigrant entrepreneurs, who have the potential to build innovative companies that can create jobs for Canadians and compete on a global scale.”
For more information on the start-up visa click here.
