Client Spotlight: Joe Chen, Co-Founder of SuperVisas

Canada is a nation shaped by its immigrants. But navigating the ever-changing immigration process, whether it is for a student visa or applying to become a permanent resident, is a challenge for many of the people and families looking to call Canada home. It’s a story that SuperVisa’s co-founder Joe Chen knows well. When Chen arrived in Canada to study pharmacology and biomedical toxicology, he never imagined his journey would lead to becoming a startup co-founder.

“I didn’t plan on going to the tech world and immigration, but I personally experienced a lot of barriers and difficulties trying to stay in the country and become a part of it,” he says.

During his studies, Chen made a few friends who worked in the immigration industry. They shared stories of their challenges and came up with the idea of using technology to help solve challenges in the immigration process.

“SuperVisas is a software people can use to apply for visas and get assistance on their immigration journey. We incorporate a proprietary algorithm and AI to simplify the various steps of the immigration pathway,” Chen says.

Solving immigration challenges

The immigration processes and requirements in Canada and the United States are constantly changing. Adding the challenge of not being a native English or French speaker can make the process seem even more daunting.

“It's very difficult for somebody that that's doing this for the first time A lot of is very unconventional and complicated. It's not like you're applying for a job. There are multiple layers to becoming an immigrant for a specific country,” he says.

For example, international students looking to settle in Canada can choose the Express Entry system or apply for a visa with an employer sponsor. The challenge can be choosing the right path, especially if the individual hopes to bring family members with them.

SuperVisas simplifies immigration by offering a clear, efficient, cost-effective solution for individuals and their families. The platform enables users to confidently complete visa applications without the need for expensive immigration lawyers. Unlike traditional immigration services, which can be costly and opaque, SuperVisas offers affordability and transparency, helping users avoid common pitfalls that can delay or damage their immigration applications.

“I think the the digitalization of the immigration application is helping our clients in terms of making everything faster and affordable. We are able to offer the same level of services, the same kind of sophistication in their application, at 50% or lower cost compated to going to a lawyer,” Chen says.

Getting help from the Accelerator Centre

SuperVisas first launched in Canada and expanded into the U.S. after raising a pre-seed round in 2020. Chen says that while the U.S. market is considerably larger, the recent changes in Canada’s immigration policy have increased the demand for a solution to simplify the immigration process.

“I think Canada's policy has been become stricter over the last two years. It's not very easy, and there are so many different programs,” Chen says.

As first-time founders, Chen says the SuperVisas team knew they needed help with sales, marketing, and product development. Although the team was building SuperVisas on the side from their full-time jobs, they knew it was time to become full-time founders after a successful pitch competition at the University of Waterloo’s Velocity program.

“That where our initial money came from, but it was the resources from the Accelerator Centre that really helped us advance and integrate more with the Waterloo tech ecosystem, “ he says.

Chen and his co-founders have a technical background, and he says they were not as familiar with the legal, PR, and sales functions they needed to scale the business.

“The Accelerator Centre was critical in helping us with this. Kevin Hood specifically helped us understand our sales channels and build out our sales and marketing playbook,” Chen says.

Being an Accelerator Centre graduate has also helped SuperVisas in another unique way.

“Being part of the Accelerator Centre and the tech community in Waterloo has helped us build trust with out customers, The Accelerator Centre is unique in terms of the amount of support and guidance available through seminars, programs, and mentors. I would highly recommend that to any first time founders,” he says.