E-7158: Petition to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship — Canadian Petition Tracker
Canonical URL: https://petitiontracker.ca/petition/e-7158
Track petition E-7158 — "Petition to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship" sponsored by Dominique O'Rourke. 1,571 signatures and counting. See signature growth trends and provincial breakdown on PetitionTracker.ca.
Petition Text
Petition to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Whereas:
• In recent years, Start-Up Visa applicants have faced extensive and unpredictable processing delays, often spanning multiple years despite rigorous vetting by designated organizations, undermining the purpose of the SUV Program by preventing founders from accessing Canadian markets, building their companies, hiring employees, accessing non-dilutive funding and contributing to Canada’s economy;
• Canada’s 2026–2028 immigration levels plan allocates a limited number of annual permanent residence admissions to the Start-Up Visa (SUV) Program, despite Canada’s broader economic immigration strategy to attract top global talent;
• Start-ups play a critical role in strengthening economic resilience and boosting productivity by driving innovation and expanding Canada’s competitiveness in emerging sectors.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to
1. Increase annual permanent residence admissions under the Start-Up Visa Program to reflect Canada’s goal in immigration to attract the best talent and to capitalize on the high-growth potential of immigrant-founded start-ups.
2. Allocate additional resources and staffing to IRCC offices processing SUV applications to reduce backlogs.
3. Adopt a risk-based triage system to fast-track low-risk applicants, including those who:
a. have demonstrable business traction,
b. reside in Canada on valid work permits, have invested capital in growing their businesses or undertaken measurable investment preparation, and demonstrated business traction.
4. Resume issuing a limited number of work permits to essential founders, enabling them to build early business traction.