Canada Visa Wait

Permanent residence · Business and caregivers

Start-up Visa processing time

For entrepreneurs backed by a designated Canadian venture capital fund, angel investor group or business incubator.

Estimated wait for a new application

more than10 years

● About the same as in July

IRCC estimate, update of October 9, 2026. Check IRCC's tool

Already waiting

about 47,500 people

● About the same as in July

If you apply today

A new application sent today would be decided around October 2036, if IRCC's estimate holds.

Already applied?

Choose the month you applied. IRCC estimates how many people are ahead of you and how much time is left.

People ahead of you–
Time left–
See every month in a table
Applied inPeople ahead of youTime left
September 2026about 47,50010 years left
August 2026about 47,50010 years left
July 2026about 47,50010 years left
June 2026about 47,40010 years left
May 2026about 46,60010 years left
April 2026about 46,30010 years left
March 2026about 45,90010 years left
February 2026about 45,60010 years left
January 2026about 45,30010 years left
December 2025about 44,80010 years left
November 2025about 43,90010 years left
October 2025about 43,30010 years left
September 2025about 42,60010 years left
August 2025about 42,20010 years left
July 2025about 41,70010 years left
June 2025about 41,20010 years left
May 2025about 40,10010 years left
April 2025about 39,20010 years left
March 2025about 38,40010 years left
February 2025about 37,60010 years left
January 2025about 36,80010 years left
December 2024about 35,90010 years left
November 2024about 35,00010 years left
October 2024about 34,40010 years left
September 2024about 31,90010 years left
August 2024about 30,60010 years left
July 2024about 29,30010 years left
June 2024about 28,10010 years left
May 2024about 26,90010 years left
April 2024about 25,60010 years left
March 2024about 24,30010 years left
February 2024about 22,90010 years left
January 2024about 21,80010 years left
December 2023about 20,70010 years left
November 2023about 19,70010 years left
October 2023about 19,00010 years left
September 2023about 18,00010 years left
August 2023about 17,10010 years left
July 2023about 16,10010 years left
June 2023about 15,40010 years left
May 2023about 14,50010 years left
April 2023about 13,70010 years left
March 2023about 12,90010 years left
February 2023about 11,90010 years left
January 2023about 11,30010 years left
December 2022about 10,80010 years left
November 2022about 10,10010 years left
October 2022about 9,40010 years left
September 2022about 8,60010 years left
August 2022about 8,00010 years left
July 2022about 7,30010 years left
June 2022about 6,60010 years left
May 2022about 6,10010 years left
April 2022about 5,80010 years left
March 2022about 5,30010 years left
February 2022about 4,900111 months left
January 2022about 4,600103 months left
December 2021about 4,20095 months left
November 2021about 3,80086 months left
October 2021about 3,40078 months left
September 2021about 3,10070 months left
August 2021about 2,70063 months left
July 2021about 2,40054 months left
June 2021about 2,00047 months left
May 2021about 1,70040 months left
April 2021about 1,50036 months left
March 2021about 1,40032 months left
February 2021about 1,10027 months left
January 2021about 1,00024 months left
December 2020about 80021 months left
November 2020about 70018 months left
October 2020about 60015 months left
September 2020about 50013 months left
August 2020about 4009 months left
July 2020about 3007 months left
June 2020about 2005 months left
May 2020about 2004 months left
April 2020about 1003 months left
March 2020about 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2020about 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2020fewer than 1001 month left
December 2019fewer than 1001 month left
November 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2019fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2018fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2017fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
December 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
November 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
October 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
September 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
August 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
July 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
June 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
May 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
April 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
March 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
February 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time
January 2016fewer than 100IRCC says it needs more time

In plain English

  • IRCC estimates a new application would take more than 10 years.
  • About 47,500 people are already waiting for a decision.
  • The estimate is about the same as in July.

How the estimate has changed

Each point is an IRCC update.

More in Business and caregivers

All programs
Self-employed personsmore than 10 yearsabout 8,000 waiting● SteadyCaregiversabout 77 monthsabout 36,400 waiting● Steady

What does this estimate mean?

1

It looks ahead

IRCC estimates how long a new application would take, based on how many people are already waiting and how many decisions it plans to make.

2

“Waiting” is IRCC's own count

The number of people waiting is IRCC's rounded count of applications in the queue.

3

Already applied?

IRCC also estimates how many people are ahead of you and how much time is left, by when you applied.

Common questions

How long does a Start-up Visa application take?

IRCC's latest estimate, from October 9, 2026, is more than 10 years for a new application.

How many people are waiting?

About 47,500 people are waiting, by IRCC's count of October 9, 2026.

I already applied. How long is left for me?

IRCC estimates how many people are ahead of you and how much time is left, by the month you applied. Choose your month in the “Already applied?” box above.

Is this an official government website?

No. Canada Visa Wait is an independent site and is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. The figures are IRCC's own. Before you rely on a date, check IRCC's official processing-times tool.

All published figures

Every published estimate
IRCC updateFigureChange
October 9, 2025more than 10 yearsfirst figure
Every published count of people waiting
IRCC updateFigureChange
September 3, 2026about 47,500−100
August 10, 2026about 47,600+100
July 7, 2026about 47,500+900
May 12, 2026about 46,600+400
April 7, 2026about 46,200+300
March 9, 2026about 45,900+300
February 12, 2026about 45,600+400
January 14, 2026about 45,200+800
December 9, 2025about 44,400+600
November 6, 2025about 43,800+600
October 9, 2025about 43,200–

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