To be eligible for the Federal Self-Employed Program for business immigration to Canada, an applicant must show that they have appropriate artistic or athletic expertise that has enabled them to be self-employed while residing in their home country. To be effective in their application, the applicant must also make a relatively substantial contribution to one of these fields in Canada through their relevant expertise and abilities.
To gain points under the Comprehensive Ranking System, applicants must satisfy the experience criteria and be assessed on a point system called the Comprehensive Ranking System to better evaluate their qualification for a Self-Employed Visa. These scores are then put together to generate a score for your online application profile.
For a total score of 100 points, applicants are given 25 points for education, 35 points for experience, 10 points for age, 24 points for language proficiency, and 6 points for flexibility. This overall score competes with other scores until the selection of applicants is drawn. An Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency in Canada will be sent to these candidates. Keep in mind that your score can be modified at any time during the process as you get additional credentials.
A minimum passing score of 35 will be required for successful candidates. Candidates will be chosen depending on their overall scores, the papers they submit with their application, and if they satisfy the requirements for Federal Self-Employed program in Canada or not.
Eligible Occupations under the Federal Self-Employed Program
| NOC Code | 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 |
| 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 |
Federal Self-Employed Program Requirements
Except for Quebec, which has its self-employed immigration scheme, all applicants to the Federal Self-Employed Program must plan to reside in any Canadian province or territory.
Within the five years prior to their business immigration application, the applicant must have at least two years of relevant work experience in their professional sector. The Federal Immigrant Self-Employed Program is for those who want to work in Canada and have the necessary skills. The following are some criteria for self-employed people:
- Two years as a self-employed professional in their field.
- Two years of participation in their domain at a world-class level
- Be willing and able to be self-employed in Canada
In Canada, the Self Employment Program uses extremely specific parameters to determine your prospects of being accepted for immigration. As previously said, you must earn points, which will be added together to give you a profile rating. The more requirements you meet, the higher your score and the more likely you will be chosen from the pool of applicants. Don’t give up if you don’t presently satisfy the standards.
Your age and your spouse’s age are a factor that is assessed since younger applicants are favored because they can contribute to the economy for a greater length of time. This does not preclude older applicants from applying; it simply means that you will earn less or no points in this area.
The amount of years of experience you bring to the area is critical, and the more years you have, the better. In a field like athletics, becoming a competitive athlete internationally is also counted as experience. This may be used for various types of self-employment when you have accomplished something or received an internationally recognized prize. An additional factor to consider is the kind and length of your professional training, which may involve practical experience obtained while working in that profession.
Your education level is vital to authenticate your qualification in the field you want to embark on. In terms of language skills, you would do well to attain proficiency in French and English, which are the primary languages of Canada.
Adaptability refers to your capability to immerse yourself culturally. It will help if you have an open mindset as Canada is a country made up by the cohesion of several international communities. This requirement has to do with how long you may have already worked in Canada, your spouse or partner’s level of education, and if you have studied in Canada or not.