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Startup Visa Program Timeline

Startup_Visa

Star Member
Sep 30, 2019
135
104
Only ~1% of the population makes entrepreneurs. Considering this, the problems we face are also rare. We need faith and patience (a lots and lots of it) at this point. The times will come, slow but for sure.
Any update or progess on the petition we had signed? Last I checked there were 750+ signature, that's almost 50% of the pending SUV applicants. @yasminjll - thank you for spearheading this great iniitiative, please update if you have some news on this.

For the past 2-3 months there has not been any update on the forum about SUV founders getting any progress update. To get better visibility, I have started a new thread with our timelines, so it gives some perspective who is first in the line and unless we see any progress on the oldest files, the new ones will also not move. So request all SUV founders to update and keep track on that thread also.

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/suv-pr-application-status-tracking-thread.758548/

As of now, it seems like IRCC is not processing any SUV applications. So unless we make some noise, we will again be forgotten lot. I forsee Ukraine crisis to result in further backlog. Open to any ideas that fellow SUV might have. Just like our startups we need to hustle to get IRCC to priortize our applications.
 
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Rakap

Star Member
Jul 10, 2019
102
72
Any update or progess on the petition we had signed? Last I checked there were 750+ signature, that's almost 50% of the pending SUV applicants. @yasminjll - thank you for spearheading this great iniitiative, please update if you have some news on this.

For the past 2-3 months there has not been any update on the forum about SUV founders getting any progress update. To get better visibility, I have started a new thread with our timelines, so it gives some perspective who is first in the line and unless we see any progress on the oldest files, the new ones will also not move. So request all SUV founders to update and keep track on that thread also.

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/suv-pr-application-status-tracking-thread.758548/

As of now, it seems like IRCC is not processing any SUV applications. So unless we make some noise, we will again be forgotten lot. I forsee Ukraine crisis to result in further backlog. Open to any ideas that fellow SUV might have. Just like our startups we need to hustle to get IRCC to priortize our applications.

Done
 

mfw

Newbie
Feb 14, 2022
8
2
Any update or progess on the petition we had signed? Last I checked there were 750+ signature, that's almost 50% of the pending SUV applicants. @yasminjll - thank you for spearheading this great iniitiative, please update if you have some news on this.

For the past 2-3 months there has not been any update on the forum about SUV founders getting any progress update. To get better visibility, I have started a new thread with our timelines, so it gives some perspective who is first in the line and unless we see any progress on the oldest files, the new ones will also not move. So request all SUV founders to update and keep track on that thread also.

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/suv-pr-application-status-tracking-thread.758548/

As of now, it seems like IRCC is not processing any SUV applications. So unless we make some noise, we will again be forgotten lot. I forsee Ukraine crisis to result in further backlog. Open to any ideas that fellow SUV might have. Just like our startups we need to hustle to get IRCC to priortize our applications.
Need to have direct channels to Minister of IRCC to bring attention of unreasonable long processing time of SUV, otherwise just being ignored forever
 
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Rakap

Star Member
Jul 10, 2019
102
72
Need to have direct channels to Minister of IRCC to bring attention of unreasonable long processing time of SUV, otherwise just being ignored forever
All of us can contact MP Sean Fraser via the following link.

https://www.seanfrasermp.ca/contact-us

We all can draft a common message with the names of our startups and ask humbly to pay attention to us. if he receives common messages with different senders probably we can hit the cord.
 
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moh122

Star Member
Apr 19, 2021
56
36
Hello guys,

My work permit status is now as follows.

Review of eligibility
  • We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements.
Background check
  • We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
Final decision
  • Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.

How long should it take to completed each of these steps? at least on what you guys have seen for this type of visa.
 

Startup_Visa

Star Member
Sep 30, 2019
135
104
Hello guys,

My work permit status is now as follows.

Review of eligibility
  • We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements.
Background check
  • We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
Final decision
  • Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.

How long should it take to completed each of these steps? at least on what you guys have seen for this type of visa.
These updates are not real-time, so you can't go by them.
 

Rodneys

Member
Nov 24, 2021
18
6
Dubai
Category........
BUSINESS
Hello guys,

My work permit status is now as follows.

Review of eligibility
  • We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements.
Background check
  • We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
Final decision
  • Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.

How long should it take to completed each of these steps? at least on what you guys have seen for this type of visa.
Where are you applying from. WP are reviewed in local Canadian Embassy & will vary from country to country
 

Startup_Visa

Star Member
Sep 30, 2019
135
104
Processing time has increased from 30 to 31 months. lol
It's inevitable as they have not been processing many SUV files for the past 3-4 months and so far only SUV applicants from Feb/Mar 2020 have got a decision. But applicants from April 2020 onwards have not even received ADR (Additional Document Request) so that means no applications since April 2020 have even started processing. This clearly shows SUV applications are on a hold and that reflects on the rising average processing time.

I will strongly suggest that all SUV applicants email the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister and highlight the delays in SUV program. I have already done it and would recommend others to do that also. Not that I expect things to change, but atleast if lot of us email them, they will realize it's a bigger problem.

Happy to hear any other suggestions.
 
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Rakap

Star Member
Jul 10, 2019
102
72
It's inevitable as they have not been processing many SUV files for the past 3-4 months and so far only SUV applicants from Feb/Mar 2020 have got a decision. But applicants from April 2020 onwards have not even received ADR (Additional Document Request) so that means no applications since April 2020 have even started processing. This clearly shows SUV applications are on a hold and that reflects on the rising average processing time.

I will strongly suggest that all SUV applicants email the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister and highlight the delays in SUV program. I have already done it and would recommend others to do that also. Not that I expect things to change, but atleast if lot of us email them, they will realize it's a bigger problem.

Happy to hear any other suggestions.

Agreed. We (along with a couple of other Start-Ups) plan to write to MP Sean Fraser on 15 March 2022, please DM me for details if you wish to participate. We should all write - there is no one for us to lobby our case. Some people in HK have received some responses from some MP. At least in their next meetings, they can discuss the fate of our applications, otherwise, we are an application in a pile of paper waiting for our turn.

In past in this forum only, I had read SOWP applicants had appointed some lawyers to lobby their case - today they are priority applicants and we are waiting
 
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Startup_Visa

Star Member
Sep 30, 2019
135
104
Agreed. We (along with a couple of other Start-Ups) plan to write to MP Sean Fraser on 15 March 2022, please DM me for details if you wish to participate. We should all write - there is no one for us to lobby our case. Some people in HK have received some responses from some MP. At least in their next meetings, they can discuss the fate of our applications, otherwise, we are an application in a pile of paper waiting for our turn.

In past in this forum only, I had read SOWP applicants had appointed some lawyers to lobby their case - today they are priority applicants and we are waiting
But you have to realize SOWP was a priority as they had a person in Canada on WP or PR, who's spouse was not able to join them. And their numbers are very large plus one spouse has most likely voting rights, so the politicians obviously listened to them. For us they have nothing to lose, so we will not be a priority as we are too small a number and not impacting their votes. But I agree, we should try and raise our concerns.
 

SUV_Unicorn_Potential

Star Member
Jun 26, 2020
63
88
Agreed. We (along with a couple of other Start-Ups) plan to write to MP Sean Fraser on 15 March 2022, please DM me for details if you wish to participate. We should all write - there is no one for us to lobby our case. Some people in HK have received some responses from some MP. At least in their next meetings, they can discuss the fate of our applications, otherwise, we are an application in a pile of paper waiting for our turn.

In past in this forum only, I had read SOWP applicants had appointed some lawyers to lobby their case - today they are priority applicants and we are waiting
@Rakap it might also be beneficial to direct the message to the Parliamentary Committee on Immigrations.
Sean Fraser, as an immigration minister receives hundreds of emails daily from all over the world about immigration - a good number about processing times.

However we if highlight our issues with the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, then we can perhaps make it an agenda item for their next meetings
https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/CIMM/Meetings

The MP members of this committee are the ones who put pressure and question the immigration minister. And he answers (responds) to them.

Their contact page is here
https://www.ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/CIMM/Contact


If we are writing a message if should be carefully crafted, reasonable, evidence based, and solutions oriented. These guys (IRCC, MPs, The Standing Committee) receive loads of complaints daily - but not enough propositions.

But if we can brainstorm, we can come up with highlight operational inefficiencies in IRCC, make a case for expediency on our applications, and propose some simple solutions.

Among other things we can highlight:

SUV Work permit application process
-
The official application process for SUV applicants is out of date, doesn't work and there is a lot of confusion for candidates
- The actual application (IMM something I forget) for SUV has confusing/conflicting field selections
- The Come to Canada tool doesn't work for SUV work permit applicants

Proposed solution
- Despite out of date application documentation, SUV applicants have found ways of applying using the Come to Canada tool. We can suggest IRCC either adopt the workarounds we have devised - by simply updating the SUV work permit application process page. We can send them the procedure we used to get the right forms on the online application tools. I think this is a very simple solution.

Or IRCC can fix the online application tool for SUV work permit applicants. (a long term more robust solution)


SUV Stream specific communication
- Since the pandemic, IRCC has communicated to other immigrations categories what they should expect about their application processing during the pandemic. Other immigration categories have had an idea of the approach IRCC is taking towards their immigration streams during the pandemic.

On other hand, for StartUp Business Applicants - there has not been a single program-wide communication from IRCC about how they will responding or handling our applications.

Of all the issues and problems IRCC has encountered during the pandemic - I think this lack of communication is the worst - because uncertainty for businesses/startups is one of worst headaches for founders.

Proposed solution
-
IRCC should issue a SUV wide communication to current and future StartUp Visa business applicants on what they should expect during this pandemic. Whether it is negative or positive news. I think this is a very simple solution.


Long processing times
- Understandably, the pandemic has caused long processing times for all immigration categories. However I think IRCC hasn't paid attention or even acknowledged the devastating effects of long processing times and uncertainty to startup businesses. Uncertainty and long processing times could potentially destroy the SUV immigration program if IRCC continues to ignore this stream.

Proposed solution
- I'm not sure about the internal operational mechanics for IRCC. But based on what I have read online and assumptions about processing capacity:
However if:
* There are about ~1500 SUV applicants every year;
* And the salary one IRCC officer is $70,000;
* And a program dedicated officer can finalize about 10-20 applications a week (2-4 daily, 5 days a week)

Then it is possible for us to raise $70,000 to help IRCC hire a dedicated staff member to potentially finalize 10-20 applications every week, and clear 520 - 1040 applications in the SUV backload​

- Alternatively IRCC can just prioritize our applications.


There are other issues and solutions we can suggest to IRCC about the way it responds to crises (Ukraine etc). Because they seems to always push our applications further back in the queue whenever there is a world crisis.

Let me know what you guys think
 

Startup_Visa

Star Member
Sep 30, 2019
135
104
@SUV_Unicorn_Potential - you have made great suggestions and I agree with most of the things. However, I doubt that an officer processes 2-4 applications a day. If that was the case we would have been done long time back.

Firstly, they have to scan our paper applications and then start evaluating them. If you haven't received ADR that means most likely they haven't even opened your application. Once ADR is sent, you will revert back and then it takes anywhere between 3-6+ months to get to Medical Request, which is the last step. So one IRCC agent won't help much.

The problem seems to be in the way the scrutinize all the applications. Technically, it should't take them long if they had some work experience of working as an Analyst in a VC firm. They can easily understand the business aspect and get to the eligiibility checks. Imagine if any application goes in for Peer Review - then we are looking at 5-6 years of waiting time.

So I would agree that writing to the Standing Committe would help explaining that most startups won't survive 5 years of application process and that this totally defeats the purpose of attracting startups.