August 14, 2014 — Kitchener, ON — Canada's Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, met with Kitchener-Waterloo-based business incubator Communitech and other business leaders to discuss the Start-up Visa and its potential for attracting entrepreneurs to Canada who have the vision and ability to build innovative companies that can create jobs and long-term prosperity.
The roundtable aimed to build on the momentum of Alexander's visit to GrowLab Ventures in Vancouver last month, where he welcomed the first two successful applicants under Canada's Start-up Visa Program. Alexander discussed the importance of the program with a number of local business leaders and encouraged organizations to continue their efforts in identifying exciting start-up opportunities, as well as the dynamic entrepreneurs behind them, with the help of the Start-up Visa.
Launched last year, the Start-up Visa Program brings together Canadian venture capital funds, angel investor groups and business incubators with entrepreneurs from abroad.
The Start-up Visa Program is an important part of the government's plan to build a fast and flexible economic immigration system, with a primary focus on meeting the new and emerging needs of the Canadian economy.
Alexis Pavlich
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Kayleigh Platz
Manager, Community Relations
Communitech
226-929-5829
kayleigh.platz@communitech.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
