To immigrate as a self-employed person, you must:
- have relevant experience
- be willing and able to be self-employed in Canada
- meet the program’s selection criteria and
- meet medical, security and other conditions
Relevant experience
Your experience is relevant if you have:
- Taken part in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level or
- Been a self-employed person in cultural activities or athletics
Definitions
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
Selection criteria
We assess you on selection criteria that include your:
- experience
- education
- age
- language abilities
- adaptability
The following list offers a sample of occupations that could fall under the umbrella of cultural activities. Of course, the numbers next to the classifications refer to the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes.
- 5111 – Librarians
- 5112 – Conservators and curators
- 5113 – Archivists
- 5211 – Library and public archive technicians
- 5212 – Technical occupations related to museums and art galleries
- 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
- 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 coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
- 5227 – Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts
- 5231 – Announcers and other broadcasters
- 5232 – Other performers, n.e.c.
- 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
What activities are valid for athletes’ immigration?
NOC stands for National Occupational Classification. It is a classification system for jobs in Canada. Each classification has its 4-digit code. Athletic activities fall under one of the following NOC categories.
- 5251 Athletes
- 5252 Coaches
- 5253 Sports officials and referees
- 5254 Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness
If you need assistance in preparing an application for Canadian permanent residence through Self-employed Program, view our Book Consultation and or complete our Assessment Form, we can assess you in your goals.