Self Employed Program | Immigration to Canada

Many actresses, journalists, people in the film and cultural industries, etc,  want to immigrate to Canada. These are just some of the people with jobs who can apply through the Self-Employed Program to immigrate to Canada.

Our experienced immigration lawyers advise that self-employed immigration applications to Canada are some of the best and most efficient. If you have at least 2 years of work experience in the past 5 years as a self-employed in cultural activities or athletics, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residence under the Self-Employed Program. Cultural activities or athletics encompass many jobs so read below to find out more.

What are the requirements for applying for Self-employed program?

To immigrate to Canada, a self-employed person must the have the “relevant experience” and be willing and able to make a “significant contribution” to the cultural or athletic life of Canada.

Let’s see what this means.

What is the relevant Experience for Self-employed Persons Program?

To have the Relevant Experience, you must have at least 2 years of work experience in the past 5 years as a self-employed individual in cultural activities or athletics, or participate at a world-class level in cultural activities or athletics. You can also have a combination of a one-year period being self-employed in cultural activities or athletics, and a one-year period taking part in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level.

What are job examples for qualifying activities for Self-employed Benefit Program?

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 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

How does the point system work for Self-Employed Program?

After you establish that you do relevant experience, you must also earn a minimum of 35 point out of 100 potential points. Below is a breakdown of the Selection criteria and it’s assigned maximum point:

What are the advantages of Self-Employed Program?  

1. The point system is not as competitive as it is in other point-based programs such as Express Entry. If you have the relevant experience, book a consultation with us to do an assessment on the point system. We will advise you on how to raise your points if your assessment result is lower than 35 points.
2. According to CIC website, “Significant contribution” is not necessarily at national level. A contribution to athletics or the cultural may still be significant at the local level.
3. One of the advantages of this program which sets it apart from the Entrepreneur Program is that there is no minimum net-worth or investment requirement. The applicant must still have sufficient funds for immigration purposes according to the usual visa procedure. This includes being able to support yourself and any dependents (spouse or children) that you are intending to bring into the country with you and finance the work on which your selection was based.
4. You can establish yourself and your self-employed business at your pace and based on your preference.

Book a consultation with our experienced immigration lawyers to find out about your eligibility under Self-employed program.