On April 1 Canada launched a new visa program aimed at attracting entrepreneurs into the country by offering something no other countries with similar programs provide: immediate permanent residence status for successful applicants and their families. The Start-Up Visa Program has a group of individuals in its sights—skilled, entrepreneurial people already located in the US but of uncertain long-term legal status there. At a news conference announcing the program in January, Canadian citizen and immigration minister Jason Kenney told journalists, “When this thing gets launched I plan to go down to Silicon Valley with some of the industry associations here and fly the Canadian flag and say to those bright young prospective immigrants, some of whom are going to create massively successful companies in their lifetimes, that they can come to Canada through this program and they can get permanent residency here.” Another unique feature of the program, which can grant 2,750 visas a year, is that applicants will be judged by their ability to attract funding from a Canadian business incubator, an angel investor group or a venture capital fund. In their applications, entrepreneurs must provide proof of significant funding commitment. At that point the traditional immigration process will start to be applied by the Canadian government. Canada requires Start-Up Visa recipients to have.