Skip to content
Canada Immigration

Canada PR For Self-Employed Persons – All You Need To Know 

Last Updated On 24 October 2022, 9:10 AM EDT (Toronto Time)


If you are self-employed and looking for options to immigrate to Canada, you may be interested in the Self-employed Persons Program. 

Canada’s Self-employed Persons Program enables eligible foreign nationals who are self-employed and have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics to settle permanently in Canada. 

Overview of the process 

To be considered for immigration as a self-employed person, you must satisfy the eligibility requirements and receive at least a passing mark under the program’s selection criteria.

As an interested candidate, you must:

  • Have significant experience in cultural activities or athletics 
  • Make a substantial contribution to Canada’s cultural or athletic life

Moreover, the Self-Employed Persons Program has no set minimum net worth requirement. You must, however, show that you have enough funds to settle in Canada with your dependent family and be able to finance the work that led to your selection in the program. 

Who can apply?

For immigrating as a self-employed person, you must meet all the following requirements: 

  • Possess relevant experience 
  • Be able to be self-employed in Canada 
  • Satisfy the program’s selection criteria 
  • Meet security, medical and other conditions. 

What is relevant experience? 

A self-employed person must have at least two years of relevant experience. However, you can get additional points if you have 3, 4, or 5 years of experience.

Having relevant experience means you have participated in world-class athletics or cultural activities. Or, you have been a self-employed person in athletics or cultural activities. 

For cultural activities, the minimum experience must be: 

  • Either two one-year periods of being self-employed in cultural activities; or
  • Two one-year periods as a participant at a world-class level in cultural activities; or
  • Have a combination of one year of experience as a self-employed and a world-class participant in cultural activities. 

For athletics, the minimum experience must be: 

  • Having two one-year periods as a self-employed in athletics; or 
  • Two one-year periods as a world-class participant in athletics; or 
  • A combined one-year period of being self-employed and a world-class participant in athletics. 

Selection-Criteria for Self-Employed Persons Program 

You should get a minimum of 35 points based on the five selection criteria below. The five selection criteria are: 

The selection criteria are based on the following factors: 

  • experience
  • education
  • age
  • language abilities
  • adaptability

However, you can get a maximum of 100 points. The table below explains how points are distributed.

Selection criteriaMaximum points
Education25
Experience35
Age10
Ability in English and/or French24
Adaptability6
TOTAL100

How can you maximize your points? 

Considering the selection factors, you can maximize your points within each criterion if you meet the following. However, remember that to be eligible, you only need 35 points. 

Education:  

If you hold a Master’s or Ph.D. and have completed at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study, you will earn 25 points. While if you have two or more bachelor’s level university degrees with at least 15 years of full-time or full-time equivalent study, you will get 20 points. 

Experience: 

Having five years of relevant experience will earn you 35 points. At the same time, four years of experience will get you 30 points, three years 25 points and two years 20 points. 

Age:

You will earn 10 points if you are within the 21-49 age group. 

Language abilities:

For having high to moderate English or French language proficiency, you will earn 24 points. These points will be based on your listening, speaking, reading and writing abilities. 

Moreover, if you have proficiency in both languages, you may select the one you are most comfortable with as your official language and the other as your second language. 

To prove your language proficiency, you may choose to appear for IELTS or CELPIP for English and TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French. 

Adaptability:

You can earn a maximum of 6 points for any of the following combinations. 

  • Level of education of spouse or common-law partner
    • One year diploma, certificate, university degree and at least 12 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 3 points
    • Two-year diploma, certificate, university degree and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 4 points
    • Have a master’s degree or Ph.D. and at least 17 years of full-time or full-time equivalent studies: 5 points
  • One year of Canadian work experience: 5 point
    • You, your spouse, or your common-law partner have at least one year of full-time experience in Canada on a valid permit. 
  • Canadian education: 5 points
    • A full-time study program of at least two years at a Canadian post-secondary institution completed by you, your spouse, or your common-law partner will award you 5 points. 
  • Have relatives in Canada: 5 points
    • If you have a Canadian citizen or permanent resident relative who resides in Canada, you will earn 5 points.

Source: IRCC

Loading…

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.