What is Self-Employed Person Program?

Learn Additional Information about Self-Employed Person Program Here.

The Self-employed Persons Program allows people to immigrate to Canada permanently as a self-employed person. If you’re interested in this program, you must:

• have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics and
• be willing and able to make a significant contribution to the cultural or athletic life of Canada

Fee will cost $2075 CND

This Canadian immigration Self-Employed Program is designed to attract those applicants who intend and are able to become self-employed in Canada. Self-employed persons who intend to live in Quebec are not eligible under this program and should apply under the Quebec Self-Employed Program.

To qualify for business immigration to Canada under the Self-employed Program, an applicant must demonstrate that they have the relevant artistic or athletic experience that has allowed them to be self-employed while living in their country of origin. The candidate must furthermore be able to make a reasonably significant contribution to one of these fields through their relevant experience and skills in Canada in order to be successful in their application. The National Occupation Classification of Canada has a complete list of all the career types that fall under these two categories which, for the most part, there is no exception to.

Are you Qualified?

To be eligible to the self-employed person program, you need to satisfy the following main requirements:

• You intend on and be capable of self-employment in Canada.
• You (and your family members) have to undergo medical tests, and provide police certificates for countries where you lived for more than 6 consecutive months after the age of 18.

• You have relevant experience between (i) five years before your application date and (i) when a decision is made on your application, either in cultural or athletic activities:​
  1. At least two years of self-employment (can be made up of 2 separate periods of 1 consecutive year), or
  2. At least two years of participation in international activities (can be made up of 2 separate periods of 1 consecutive year), or
  3. At least a combo of one year of self-employment (see 1.), and one year of participation in international activities (see 2.).
• You have to meet the selection criteria for self-employed people, which means getting a minimum of 35 points out of a 100. See how much points you should get below.