Are you an ambitious entrepreneur with dreams of expanding your startup into Canada and North America? Look no further! The Canadian Startup Visa Program is your gateway to realizing those dreams. BHive is dedicated to helping you navigate this innovative program and make your entrepreneurial journey a smooth and successful one.
The GEIP is a BHive-run program designed to help innovative startups from around the world launch and scale in Canada and North America. We help founders through structured programming, office space, mentorship, and $500K in tech credits to ensure they have the support they need to scale up quickly.
BHive is looking for businesses that will make a difference in the Canadian and North American marketplace. Companies that apply to the GEIP should have some technology-bolstered service and/or IP that they can commercialize here.
Is your business set up in a way that you can teach others... Through technologies and your team, can your business double? Tripple? Or even Quadruple?
When it is time for you to grow your team, will you hire key team members from the amazing Canadian talent pool?
We want to ensure BHive startups are ready to succeed in Canada and the North American Market. This means that your business will have a solid MVP, and maybe your founders have a background in senior business management or running past startups.
What will help you stand out is your pitch deck, which you will be asked to submit with your application. Want some tips to ensure your pitch deck will impress us? Check out this blog.
To help us understand that you have a product that will be successful in North America, show us that you have done some Canadian Market Research. Can you prove there is a gap in the market you are trying to address in Canada? How about globally?
BHive's Global Entrepreneur Incubation Program provides founders with skill development opportunities, mentorship, and essential insight into the Canadian Market. To do this, you must attend BHive's structured programming sessions. Startups who are accepted into the program agree to complete over 100 hours of programming over the course of 9 months.
The Canadian Startup Visa Program is a government-run initiative designed to attract talented entrepreneurs from around the world to establish and grow their startup ventures in Canada. This program offers a pathway to permanent residency for eligible entrepreneurs with the vision, skills, and potential to contribute to Canada’s economy.
You must have at least 10% ownership in the Startup. This ensures that you have a genuine interest and commitment to the success of your venture. All founders listed on the Visa Application must cumulatively hold 51% of the Canadian Startup.
Proficiency in English or French is essential for successfully integrating into the Canadian business landscape. You will need to provide language test results as part of your application.
Demonstrating that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family upon arrival in Canada is a requirement of the program. The specific amount required will depend on the size of your family.
To qualify for the Canadian Startup Visa Program, you will need to incorporate your business in Canada within the first 20 months of acceptance, but we recommend you do it before applying to showcase your commitment to the Canadian Market.
To be eligible to apply for a Work Permit and PR under the Startup Visa Program, you must secure a Letter of Support from a Designated Organization. The Canadian Government approves these organizations. The letter of support demonstrates that your startup has the potential for significant economic growth and job creation in Canada. Each Designated Organization has its own admissions process.
