On Friday December 19, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced new measures to address lengthening wait times in the SUV program. These measures include:

• A commitment to complete the processing of pending applications (including yours)
• A pause on the receipt of new SUV permanent resident applications effective January 1, 2026 (exceptions apply for an extra 6 months),
• A stop to any new Open SUV Work Permit application,
• A new layer of priority process, giving extra priority to teams where at least one member is already in Canada on an Open SUV Work Permit

You can find the announcement here. 

The measures are a major step in the history of the SUV program and will not be well received by entrepreneurs who plan to submit applications because very few spots are still available. However, stopping the receipt of new applications is necessary to address the inventory of applications that has led to long processing times. Prompt processing was an important feature of the program for many years after it launched in 2013 but wait times have increased and, as of fall 2025, had reached more than 10 years for many clients.

Below you will find an overview of the changes that will affect you and your families the most.

Stopping new application intake (also referred to as a pause)

Effective January 1, 2026, IRCC will not accept new applications for permanent residence in the SUV program, with one exception (see below).

Exception to the January 1^st date

An application for permanent residence under the SUV program can be made after January 1, 2026 and no later than June 2026, only if the application is linked to a startup that was submitted to IRCC in December 2025. On July 1, 2026, the PR Portal will close to new SUV applications.

Prioritization of certain applications

The prioritization criteria announced in April 2024 have been updated. Effective January 1, 2026, pending SUV applications will be prioritized for processing if they meet the following conditions:

1. At least one member of the business team holds a valid work permit that is available only to applicants in the Start-Up Business Class; and,
2. The commitment was made by:

   a. A designated venture capital fund (minimum of $200,000); or

   b. A designated angel investor group (minimum of $75,000); or

   c. A designated business incubator, where the authorized business incubator is either a member of Canada’s Tech Network (CTN) or has committed a minimum of $75,000 to the applicant or applicants’ start-up proposal.

What this means in practice is that IRCC will now, as annual levels space allows, prioritize the processing of SUV applications if they meet the criteria set in the past Ministerial instructions (one of items a), b), orc) above) and if a member of the entrepreneurial team is holding a work permit that was issued for the purpose of advancing their business venture linked to their SUV application.

Open Work Permit for SUV applicants

As of December 19, 2025, IRCC is no longer accepting applications for an SUV Open Work Permit, although will continue to accept applications from foreign nationals who wish to extend it as a means of remaining in Canada to continue to advance their SUV venture.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, your file will continue to be processed because your file was submitted in time, and basically the SUV door is closing behind you as there is no more residency by investment program in Canada now.

Book your last SUV spot or contact us to discuss an alternative program that fits to your immigration plan! The appointment will be available from January 5th, 2026!

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