Federal Self-Employed Persons Program

The Self-Employed Persons Program allows people to permanently immigrate to Canada as self-employed persons. Those interested in this program must have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics. They should be willing and able to contribute to the cultural or athletic landscape in Canada.

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Start Your Online Assessment

Or Call Us: 1-(888)-509-1987

Do you want to know your eligibility for Canada's Self-Employed Persons Program?

Call us toll-free or take less than a minute to fill our Online Assessment for Your Visa Options.

Candidates for the Self-Employed Persons Program must have the experience, intention and ability to make a "significant contribution" to Canada's cultural life or sports in Canada.

Interested candidates must meet both the eligibility requirements and achieve at minimum a passing mark under the program's selection criteria in order to be considered for immigration as a self-employed person.

There is no regulated minimum net worth requirement for the Self-Employed Persons Program. However, self-employed applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to settle in Canada along with their dependents and finance the work for which their selection is based.

A foreign national must first meet the Government of Canada's definition of a self-employed person in order to be considered eligible for assessment.

A self-employed person is defined as someone with relevant self-employed experience in a cultural or athletic activity.

Relevant experience consists of at least two years of experience either self-employed in or participating at a world-class level in cultural activities or athletics as defined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Under the Self-Employed Persons Program, eligible occupations within Canada’s artistic, cultural and athletic fields include:

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

Technical and Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport
5211	Library and Public Archive Technicians
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 and Interior Decorators
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

Applications from interested candidates are assessed against the points assessment for self-employed business immigration to Canada. The pass mark for the self-employed persons program is 35 points out of 100.

Selection Factors	Points
Experience	Maximum 35 points
Age	Maximum 10 points
Education	Maximum 25 points
Ability in English or French	Maximum 24 points
Adaptability	Maximum 6 points
Total	Maximum 100 points
Pass Mark	35 points

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Factor 1: Experience

Relevant experience must have been obtained within the five-year period before an application is signed and ends when a decision is made on an application. Applicants may obtain up to 35 points under the experience factor.

Years of 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

Factor 2: Age

Applicants will be awarded selection points based on their age at the time of application.

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

Factor 3: Education

Self-employed applicants can be awarded up to 25 points under the education factor.

Education	Points
Master’s Degree or Ph.D. and at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	25
Two or more university degrees at the bachelor’s level and at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	22
Three-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	22
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
Two-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	20
One-year university degree at the bachelor’s level and at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	15
One-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 13 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	15
One-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship and at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study	12
High school diploma	5

Factor 4: Language Ability

Self-employed persons may be awarded up to 24 points depending on their proficiency in English or French.

Proficiency Level	Speaking	Listening	Reading	Writing
HIGH: Individual can communicate effectively in most social and work situations.	Speaking: High	Listening: High	Reading: High	Writing: High
MODERATE: Individual can communicate comfortably in familiar social and work situations.	Speaking: Moderate	Listening: Moderate	Reading: Moderate	Writing: Moderate
BASIC: Individual can communicate in predictable contexts and on familiar topics, but with some difficulty.	Speaking: Basic	Listening: Basic	Reading: Basic	Writing: Basic
NO: Individual does not meet the above criteria for basic proficiency.	Does not meet Basic Level	Does not meet Basic Level	Does not meet Basic Level	Does not meet Basic Level

Factor 5: Adaptability

Self-employed individuals may obtain up to six (6) points for adaptability based on the following:

Adaptability	Points
Spouse 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 Applicant or the accompanying spouse or common-law partner has completed a minimum of one year of full-time work in Canada on a valid work permit.	5
Previous study in Canada Applicant or the accompanying spouse or common-law partner has completed a program of full-time study of at least two years’ duration at a post-secondary institution in Canada. Applicant must have done this after 17 years of age and with a valid study permit. Note: There’s no need to have obtained a degree or diploma for these two years of study to earn these points.	5
Relatives in Canada Applicant or the accompanying spouse or common-law partner has 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

Individuals interested in immigrating to Quebec should note that the province has a separate selection system for self-employed persons.

Federal Self-Employed Persons Program FAQs

A foreign national must meet the Government of Canada's definition of a self-employed person in order to be considered eligible for assessment.

A self-employed person is defined as someone with relevant self-employed experience in a cultural or athletic activity.

Eligible arts and cultures professions include librarians, conservators and curators, archivists, authors/writers, editors, journalists, public relations and communications, translators and Interpreters, people in the film industry, conductors and composers, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, comedians, and visual artists.

Eligible technical and skilled arts occupations include public archive technicians, museum and art gallery technical occupations, photographers, camera operators, graphic arts technicians, broadcast technicians, audio and video recording technicians, announcers, broadcasters, graphic designers, illustrators, interior designers and decorators, creative designers in various fields, technicians in various art fields, artisans, craftpersons, patternmakers, athletes, coaches, sports officials, referees, and program leaders in sports and fitness.

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Federal Self-Employed Persons Program