- GenesisLink
September 30, 2026
Business Immigration
IRCC ATIP data through August 2025 shows how approved applicants and approval rates moved across the Start-Up Visa, Self-Employed Persons and C11 work permits. A practitioner's comparison for RCICs and immigration lawyers.
By Sajad Bahramian, Marketing and Sales Lead, GenesisLink
Key Takeaways
- Start-Up Visa (SUV) approved applicants rose from 472 in 2022 to 5,366 in 2024, then reached 182 in 2025 (to end of August).
- Self-Employed Persons (SEP) followed the same arc: 2,223 approved applicants in 2024 and 174 in 2025 (to end of August).
- C11 approved applicants were 1,345 in 2023, 695 in 2024 and 540 in 2025 (to end of August). Approval rates eased gradually, from 65% to 46% to 44%.
- Provincial nominee work permits were approved at 62% in 2025 (to end of August), compared with 44% for C11.
- The C11 work permit stayed open while SUV and SEP volumes fell, so business substance carries the file for new clients. IRCC paused the Start-Up Visa Program on 30 June 2026 and continues to process earlier applications.
In this article: 1. Where the data comes from 2. Approved applicants by programme 3. Approval rates by programme 4. C11 against provincial nominee work permits 5. What the pattern means for file strategy 6. Where the business plan carries the weight 7. What Our Files Show 8. Practitioner action plan 9. Frequently asked questions
Where the data comes from
The figures in this article come from IRCC data obtained through an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request, covering 2022 to the end of August 2025. Every 2025 number is a partial year (eight months). Compare 2025 counts with full-year counts with that in mind. Approval rates are less affected by the partial year than raw counts, which makes them the better year-on-year comparison.
GenesisLink is a business consulting firm. We do not give immigration advice or represent clients before IRCC. We read this data as business strategists who build the business plans, financial models and documentation that sit inside your clients’ files. The pattern below is a planning input for advisors, not a prediction about any individual application.
Approved applicants by programme
Approved applicants measure how many people each programme admitted in a given year.
| Programme | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (to Aug) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start-Up Visa (SUV) | 472 | 3,143 | 5,366 | 182 |
| Self-Employed Persons (SEP) | 1,374 | 1,200 | 2,223 | 174 |
| C11 work permit | Not shown | 1,345 | 695 | 540 |
Three observations stand out.
SUV volume peaked in 2024. Approvals grew more than sixfold between 2022 and 2023 and rose again by 2024, to 5,366. The 2025 figure of 182 (to end of August) is a sharp drop. IRCC paused the Start-Up Visa Program on 30 June 2026 and continues to process applications it accepted before that date. That pause came after the period this ATIP release covers, so it cannot explain the 2025 approval count or rate. The ATIP data does not give a reason for the drop, so advisors should treat the cause as open.
SEP moved in the same direction. Approvals rose to 2,223 in 2024 and fell to 174 in 2025. Both federal permanent residence routes show a peak followed by a steep step down.
C11 is the programme with the steadiest line. It ran at 1,345 approved applicants in 2023, 695 in 2024 and 540 in the first eight months of 2025. Volume is lower than in 2023, and it keeps moving while the two federal permanent residence routes sit at low double-digit or low triple-digit counts.
Approval rates by programme
Approval rate tells you how the average file fared once it reached a decision.
| Programme | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (to Aug) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start-Up Visa (SUV) | 79% | 82% | 82% | 23% |
| Self-Employed Persons (SEP) | 55% | 35% | 57% | 22% |
| C11 work permit | Not shown | 65% | 46% | 44% |
SUV held between 79% and 82% from 2022 to 2024, then reached 23% in 2025. SEP was more volatile (55%, 35%, 57%) and ended at 22%.
C11 tells a different story. Its rate eased in two steps, from 65% to 46% and then to 44%. The second step is small. A 2-point move between 2024 and 2025 suggests the rate is settling near the mid-40s rather than continuing to fall, though one partial year is too short to call a trend.
The practical reading: federal permanent residence programmes changed abruptly, and C11 adjusted gradually. Advisors planning business-based files should treat the two groups separately.
C11 against provincial nominee work permits
The ATIP release also reports approval rates for provincial nominee work permits (C60), which lets you compare the two work permit routes directly.
| Work permit route | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (to Aug) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provincial nominee (C60) | 71% | 64% | 62% |
| Federal C11 | 65% | 46% | 44% |
In 2023 the two routes sat 6 points apart. By 2025 the gap was 18 points. Provincial nominee work permits move with a nomination, which means a provincial assessment has already tested the business before the work permit stage. C11 files go to the officer without that earlier endorsement, so the business case in the file carries more weight.
That is the opportunity for advisors. A C11 file that shows a credible business, a clear owner-operator role and a defensible commercial logic addresses exactly what the officer is assessing.
What the pattern means for file strategy
1. The work permit is the entry gate for new clients. SUV intake is paused and SUV and SEP approvals were low in 2025, although IRCC still processes existing SUV applications. For new business immigration clients, many now start with a work permit and build toward permanent residence from inside Canada. C11 is the main federal route for that first step.
2. Business substance decides the file. The C11 rate settled in the mid-40s while volume held at several hundred approvals in eight months. Files that do well pair a real operating plan with a clear significant benefit argument.
3. Plan the pathway, not only the permit. Advisors should map each client’s next step before filing: provincial nomination, Express Entry or a further work permit. The right business plan supports the work permit and the later step together.
4. Read programme data in full years where possible. The 2025 figures cover eight months. Revisit the comparison when IRCC releases a full year.
Where the business plan carries the weight
A C11 decision rests on the officer’s reading of the business and the owner’s role in it. The approval-rate gap against provincial nominee work permits shows why the business plan matters. When a province has already assessed the business, the work permit officer inherits that endorsement. In a C11 file, the plan is the only assessment of the business in front of the officer.
Four parts of the plan do most of the work.
The owner-operator role. The plan should describe what the applicant does each week, which decisions only they make and why the business needs them on site. A role description that matches the org chart, the job descriptions and the financial model reads as one coherent file.
Commercial logic. The officer needs a reason to believe customers will pay. That means named market segments, pricing that reflects the local market and sales assumptions that can be traced to research. A plan built on general industry growth figures carries less weight than one built on local evidence.
Financial coherence. Start-up costs, working capital, revenue ramp and hiring should agree with each other and with the funds the applicant can show. Reviewers notice when a hiring plan needs more payroll than the forecast supports.
Canadian benefit. The plan should state what the business contributes to Canada, such as jobs, supplier relationships or new capability in a local market, and show how that contribution is measured over time.
None of this is new. The ATIP data does not say which plan elements decided which files, so treat this as our business-side reading, not a finding of the data. What the data does show is a C11 approval rate of 44%, with no provincial endorsement behind the file. Advisors who invest in the business plan early give the file its best chance at the work permit stage and build the record they will need for the next step toward permanent residence.
What Our Files Show
GenesisLink has supported 300+ client files alongside 20+ RCIC partners. Across those files, the owner-operator C11 cases that move most smoothly share a few business-side traits:
- A plan built around the owner’s role. The business plan shows what the applicant does day to day and why that role needs them in Canada.
- Financials that match the narrative. Revenue assumptions, staffing and start-up costs line up with the market described in the plan.
- Evidence of the Canadian market. Customer discovery, supplier conversations and location choices appear as documents, not assertions.
These are business-side observations from our own file work. They support your legal and regulatory analysis and do not replace it.
Practitioner action plan
- Review your current C11 caseload against the 44% benchmark. Identify which files have the strongest business evidence and which need work before submission.
- Standardise your business plan checklist. Use one checklist covering owner role, financial logic, market evidence and job creation so every file meets the same standard.
- Separate your client conversations by programme. Explain to clients that federal permanent residence routes and the C11 work permit now move at different speeds.
- Map the onward pathway at intake. For each C11 client, note the provincial or federal permanent residence route the business plan should support.
- Track the next ATIP release. A full year of 2025 data will show whether the C11 rate holds near 44%.
Frequently asked questions
What does ATIP data tell advisors that public IRCC statistics do not? ATIP releases can break out approved applicants and approval rates by programme and year. That level of detail helps advisors compare programmes directly and benchmark their own files.
How many SUV applicants were approved in 2024 and 2025? The ATIP figures show 5,366 approved applicants in 2024 and 182 in 2025 (to end of August).
Is IRCC still processing Start-Up Visa applications? Yes. IRCC paused the programme on 30 June 2026 and continues to process applications it accepted before that date. Eligible applicants can still apply for an open work permit while their application is processed. Advisors with SUV files in the queue should keep them current.
What was the C11 approval rate in 2025? 44% for 2025 through the end of August, down from 46% in 2024 and 65% in 2023.
How do C11 approval rates compare with provincial nominee work permits? In 2025 (to end of August), provincial nominee work permits were approved at 62% and C11 at 44%, an 18-point gap.
Do the 2025 figures cover the full year? No. They run to the end of August 2025. Approval rates are less sensitive to the partial year than raw counts, but both will move when IRCC reports a full year.
Does GenesisLink provide legal or immigration advice on these programmes? No. GenesisLink is a business consulting firm. We build the business plans, financial models and documentation that support files prepared by RCICs and immigration lawyers.
Work with GenesisLink on your next C11 file
If you want a second set of eyes on the business side of a C11 file, our team can help.
- Start an assessment: https://assessment.genesislink.ca/assessment
- Book a call: https://calendar.app.google/ZJHHvvpjbFnWtA7EA
Data source: IRCC data obtained through ATIP, covering 2022 to end of August 2025. 2025 figures are partial-year.
Discussion
Be the first to comment.
Add a comment