Warning to Start-Up Visa Clients: Invest Deeply in Your Project, Don't Leave It to Chance!

I always try to explain to those without experience in innovation projects that a project not only needs a compelling idea but also requires depth and professionalism during the operational phase. This phase is crucial for demonstrating the project's development while awaiting approval. Many people think, "Just do something," but doing something without depth is like gambling with a 50/50 chance of success. A PR application is an opportunity for permanent residency, and you shouldn't leave your future to chance.

A specific example is a recent project whose monthly update report I reviewed. The main content involved sending sales emails to companies in Canada. However, PR work isn't something you can do haphazardly like a student internship report! Below are the weaknesses I noticed in this project's report:

1. Sales emails are sent to public addresses, lacking selectivity and strategy.

   You send emails to public addresses like info@... or customerservice@... and count the number of emails sent to report the data! This is a lazy, superficial approach, lacking specific goals and not targeting the individuals with decision-making power. The chances of getting a response with this method are almost zero. This approach is no different from the reports of interns, and IRCC will certainly see through this lack of professionalism.

   So what's the right approach? Instead of sending emails to public addresses, thoroughly research potential partners, understand their needs, and contact decision-makers within the company directly. A serious project must demonstrate an effort to build strategic relationships, not simply the number of emails sent. This is the depth and professionalism that IRCC expects from a Start-Up Visa project.

2. Lack of differentiation and development in technology products.

   The report and sales letter fail to highlight any unique features of the product or technology. The project is simply an existing product on the market, offering nothing new or outstanding. In today's fiercely competitive environment, a product needs to demonstrate novelty or the potential for improvement to meet market demands. The report provides no information about upgrades or feature development, further diminishing the project's credibility and persuasiveness.

Given the increasingly stringent requirements from immigration authorities, a Start-Up Visa project is not a place to experiment with superficial or careless strategies. To succeed in obtaining PR, a project needs not only a good idea but also to demonstrate professionalism and depth in every updated report. IRCC is not easily fooled, and they will thoroughly evaluate every detail to ensure the project is genuine and has long-term growth potential.

This is just a small but easily understandable example illustrating the importance of in-depth work, not to mention the other complex aspects of the report that the project needs to pay attention to.

For inexperienced clients, I advise always asking yourself: "Does your project have enough depth and persuasiveness?" If you do things superficially and irresponsibly, not only will the project be affected, but your future immigration prospects are also at great risk.

Would you like to discuss the Start-Up Visa project in more detail? Please schedule a meeting with me in Hanoi and Saigon this November.

Jenny Thuy Dang