Self-Employed Persons Program

Immigrate to become self-employed in Canada (athlete, author, writer etc.)

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Depending on your nationality, you may need to give your biometrics:

• Starting July 31, 2018 – applicants from Europe, Middle East and Africa.
• Starting December 31, 2018 – applicants from Asia, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

​The Self-Employed Persons Program targets people who will become self-employed in Canada.

​They must have a relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics, and intend to make a significant contribution to Canada.

Cultural activities, Athletics, and Significant Contribution

There is no formal definition of “significant contribution.” A contribution to athletics or the arts, even at less than a national standard, may still be significant at the local level. You can still contribute to some activities outside of Canada.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) provides a full list of qualifying activities for self-employed persons, namely:

Full-list of National Occupation Classification Codes and Occupations

	NOC Code		Occupation
	5111		Librarians
	5112		Conservators and Curators
	5113		Archivists
	5121		Authors and Writers
	5122		Editors
	5123		Journalists
	5125		Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters
	5131		Producers, Directors, Choreographers and Related Occupations
	5132		Conductors, Composers and Arrangers
	5133		Musicians and Singers
	5134		Dancers
	5135		Actors and Comedians
	5136		Painters, Sculptors and Other Visual Artists
	5211		Library and Archive Technicians and Assistants
	5212		Technical Occupations Related to Museums and Art Galleries
	5221		Photographers
	5222		Film and Video Camera Operators
	5223		Graphic Arts Technicians
	5224		Broadcast Technicians
	5225		Audio and Video Recording Technicians
	5226		Other Technical and Co-ordinating Occupations in Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts
	5227		Support Occupations in Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts
	5231		Announcers and Other Broadcasters
	5232		Other Performers
	5241		Graphic Designers and Illustrators
	5242		Interior Designers
	5243		Theatre, Fashion, Exhibit and Other Creative Designers
	5244		Artisans and Craftspersons
	5245		Patternmakers - Textile, Leather and Fur Products
	5251		Athletes
	5252		Coaches
	5253		Sports Officials and Referees
	5254		Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness

 

Eligibility

To be eligible as a self-employed person, you must satisfy to the four following main requirements:

• intend and be able to be self-employed in Canada, 
• meet medical, security and other conditions,

• have relevant experience in the period starting five years before the day you apply and ending on the day a decision is made:
  • for cultural activities: 
    1. two 'one-year periods' being self-employed in cultural activities, or
    2. two 'one-year periods' participating at a world-class level in cultural activities, or
    3. a combination of a one-year period described in 1. above, and a one-year period described in 2. above.
  • for athletics: 
    1. two 'one-year periods' being self-employed in athletics, or
    2. two 'one-year periods' participating at a world class level in athletics, or
    3. a combination of a one-year period described in 1. above, and a one-year period described in 2. above.
• 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. 

Education (Max 25 points)

	Education		Maximum Points
	You have a Master’s Degree or Ph.D. and at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		25
	You have two or more university degrees at the bachelor’s level and at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		22
	You have a three-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		22
	You have a university degree of two years or more at the bachelor’s level and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		20
	You have a two-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		20
	You have a one-year university degree at the bachelor’s level and at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		15
	You have a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		15
	You have a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study.		12
	You completed high school.		5

 

 

Experience (Max 35 points)

	Experience		Points
	Two years of relevant experience		20
	Three years of relevant experience		25
	Four years of relevant experience		30
	Five years of relevant experience		35

 

Age (Max 10 points)

	Age		Points
	16 or under		0
	17		2
	18		4
	19		6
	20		8
	21–49		10
	50		8
	51		6
	52		4
	53		2
	54+		0

 

Language ability (Max 24 points)

Points for language proficiency will only be awarded where you have had your proficiency assessed by an agency designated by Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC). You can find more about language tests and Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) here.
​​

	First Official Language		Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing	Maximum
	Proficiency: CLB8 or more		4 points	4 points	4 points	4 points	16 points
	Proficiency: CLB6 or CLB7		2 points	2 points	2 points	2 points	8 points
	Proficiency: CLB4 or CLB5		1 point	1 point	1 point	1 point	2 points
	Proficiency: CLB3 or less		0 point	0 point	0 point	0 point	0 point

 

 

	Second Official Language		Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing	Maximum
	Proficiency: CLB8 or more		2 points	2 points	2 points	2 points	8 points
	Proficiency: CLB6 or CLB7		2 points	2 points	2 points	2 points	8 points
	Proficiency: CLB4 or CLB5		1 point	1 point	1 point	1 point	2 points
	Proficiency: CLB3 or less		0 point	0 point	0 point	0 point	0 point

 

Adaptability (Max 6 points)

	Adaptability		Points
	Spouse’s or common-law partner’s level of education Secondary school (high school) diploma or less: 0 points A one-year diploma, trade certificate, apprenticeship, or university degree and at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 3 points A two or three-year diploma, trade certificate, apprenticeship, or university degree and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 4 points A master’s degree or PhD and at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 5 points		3-5
	Previous work in Canada You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner have completed a minimum of one year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit.		5
	Previous study in Canada You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner have completed a program of full-time study of at least two years’ duration at a post-secondary institution in Canada. You must have done this after you were 17 years old and with a valid study permit. There is no need to have obtained a degree or diploma for these two years of study to earn these points.		5
	Relatives in Canada You, or your accompanying spouse or common-law partner, have a relative (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, child of a parent, sibling, child of a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or grandchild of a parent, niece or nephew) who is residing in Canada and is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.		5

 

Application Process and Supporting Documents

You can only apply on paper. After filling and signing the required forms, gathering your supporting documents, and paying your fees, you will need to mail your application package to this address.

In regards to forms to fill and supporting documents to provide, we invite you to check our dedicated guide on the matter.

Application Fees

When applying to the Self-Employed Persons Program, you must pay a $1,050 Business Immigration Application fee in addition to the $490 Right of Permanent Residence fee. You can pay your fees ($1,540) online here. 

For your spouse or common-law partner, you also need to pay a $550 Application fee and a $490 Right of Permanent Residence fee. For each dependent child, you need to add $150.

The $1,050 is not refundable if the application processing started. The Right of Permanent Residence fee is refundable if the application is rejected, or cancel your application, or decide not to come to Canada.

Medical Exam

You will need to pass a Medical Exam with an IRCC approved doctor. Find out more in our medical exams article.

Quebec Self-Employed Worker Program

Quebec has its own Businesspeople Immigration Programs. The Quebec equivalent of the Self-Employed Persons Program is the Self-Employed Workers Program.

It is quite different from the Federal program as you will need a minimum net worth of $100,000 and deposit at a financial institution a minimum of $25,000 if outsidee the Montréal region, or $50,000 if inside.

The processing times are very slow, you might need to wait up to 5 years to get your "Certificate de Selection du Québec" (CSQ) after paying a little more than a $1000 fee for the CSQ application. And you will need then to apply to the federal government for your permanent residence, which can take a few months.

You can learn more about this program and how to apply here.

Processing Times

A Self-Employed Persons Program application is processed approximatively within 24 months. 

You can check the processing times here. You need to select "Economic Class", then "Self-Employed Persons (Federal)".

What's next?

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​Check out our Ultimate Express Entry Guide to answer all questions you might have! 

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