Who is Federal Self-Employed?

Relevant experience for a self-employed person means at least two years of experience.

It must be during the period starting 5 years before the day you apply and ending on the day we make a decision on your application.

You can get more points if you have 3, 4, or 5 years of experience.

At a minimum, your experience must be:

  • for cultural activities:
  • 2 one-year periods being self-employed in cultural activities, or
  • 2 one-year periods participating at a world-class level in cultural activities, or
  • a combination of a one-year period described in (a), and a one-year period described in (b)

 

for athletics:

  • 2 one-year periods being self-employed in athletics, or
  • 2 one-year periods participating at a world class level in athletics, or
  • a combination of a one-year period described in (a) above, and a one-year period described in (b) above

 

How can I qualify to immigrate to Canada as a self-employed person?

  • To qualify as a self-employed person, you must have two years of relevant experience and show that you intend to become self-employed in Canada.
  • You must also score at least 35 points on a selection grid designed to determine whether you will be able to make an economic contribution to Canada.

Self-employed person: Selection criteria

To qualify as a self-employed immigrant, you must:

  • meet the definition of a self-employed person
  • get a minimum of 35 points after we grade you based on our five selection criteria and point system

Your score

Your maximum possible score is 100. The pass mark is currently 35 points, but it may change. Make sure you visit this site regularly if you’re thinking about immigrating to Canada as a self-employed immigrant.

We select candidates based on:

  • the documents that you give us
  • your score under each of the selection criteria
  • you meeting the definition of a self-employed person
  • As part of the immigration process, we may ask to interview you. During the interview, a visa officer will ask you to explain:
  • information that is unclear or inconsistent
  • shortcomings or gaps in the documents that you provide
  • If there’s a difference between your statement of your qualifications and the visa officer’s assessment, we’ll award points based on the officer’s decision.

 

How can you immigrate to Canada as a self-employed worker

Immigrating to Canada is a dream for lots of workers all over the world. But many of these workers don’t know that if they have a previous relevant experience in the cultural/artisanal, athletic (at an international level), they might be eligible to immigrate to Canada in the Federal Self-Employed Program. And since they want to come as self-employed workers, no job offer is required. But among other requirements, candidates must have at least two years of professional experience in these areas. Check the full list below according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

 

NOC   Professional Occupations in Art and Culture

5111    Librarians

5112    Conservators and Curators

5113    Archivists

5121    Authors and Writers

5122    Editors

5123    Journalists

5124    Professional Occupations in Public Relations and Communications

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

 

NOC   Technical and Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport

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                   IRCC website