Federal court rejects SUV application from four individuals, deeming the project a "fake PR stunt."

Ottawa, March 18, 2025 - The Canadian Federal Court has ruled against the review of the Start-Up Visa (SUV) application of four Vietnamese and Indian citizens, concluding that the startup project they proposed showed no signs of actual operation in Canada and was primarily aimed at obtaining permanent residency.

An artificial intelligence software project to aid cancer treatment is suspected of being "set up for settlement."

Four applicants, including LTTH (Chief Marketing Officer), LHN (Chief Medical Officer), SP (CEO), and RPVD (Founding Chairman), applied for permanent residency through the SUV program with the idea of ​​developing software to assist in cancer diagnosis using artificial intelligence technology.

The submitted documents include a commitment letter from the designated organization Canadian International Angel Investors Ltd, a business plan, and letters of support from entities in the US and Europe.

However, immigration officials rejected the application, deeming it a " fictitious transaction " with no real business objective in Canada.

IRCC points out 6 irregularities.

In the rejection decision, the IRCC immigration agency listed the main reasons:

1. The reason for choosing Canada is unconvincing : The application states that Canada has a lower cancer rate than other countries, but it doesn't explain why Canada was chosen as the implementation location.
2. Lack of connection with the Canadian healthcare system : There is no evidence of collaboration with hospitals, universities, or doctors in Canada.
3. Main overseas operations : Software development in India, research in France and Portugal, no operations in Canada.
4. The parent company lacks transparency : The American company holds 49% of the shares but has no actual operations and its source of funding is unclear.
5. Non-executive members : All of them are still working elsewhere and there is no evidence of their actual contribution.
6. Unsubstantiated financial forecasts : Revenue and fundraising expectations are not supported by actual evidence.

The court upheld the IRCC's decision.

Judge Cecily Y. Strickland ruled that the IRCC officer had reasonable grounds to dismiss the case. The ruling emphasized that:

"Having all the required documents does not exempt you from the responsibility to prove that this is a legitimate business with the purpose of doing business in Canada."

The court also agreed that the activities did not take place in Canada and the absence of domestic connections rendered the project inauthentic .

Legal consequences

The court rejected the appeal for review, did not reimburse the costs, and did not consider the case to have sufficient legal elements to warrant appeal to a higher court.

Expert's perspective: A costly lesson for SUV candidates.

According to immigration experts, this ruling sends a clear message: Startups applying under the SUV stream cannot simply "fabricate" applications but must prove they are real businesses, operating, connected to the Canadian market, and have genuine contributing members.

What do KeyApply and Ontario Startup Studio have to say?

Although the group of applicants in this case were not KeyApply customers , the lesson from this ruling once again highlights the need to build a truly valuable and operational project in Canada.

KeyApply and Ontario Startup Studio are proud to be SUV consultants with:

✅ Genuine startup – no fake profiles
✅ Physical office in Ontario with a dedicated team for ongoing technology, legal, and financial support.
✅ Clear, practical, and systematic guidance in accordance with IRCC standards.

If you are considering immigrating to Canada under the SUV program, choose a partner who will not only handle your application but also build a business with you .