Self-Employed Immigration
Self-Employed Immigration
If you have a look at Canada’s economic immigration programs, you will notice that having qualifying work experience is a key aspect of most immigration pathways. So, what do you do if you’re looking into immigration as self-employed individuals?
The answer is yes. There are pathways for immigration as self-employed individuals to Canada.
The first option is Canada’s Self-employed Persons Program. It allows individuals with relevant experience in athletics or cultural activities to become permanent residents, provided that they are willing and able to make a significant contribution to Canada’s athletics or cultural life.
While the notion of athletics is rather obvious, cultural activities refer to music, literature, creating and performing arts, sculpture, technical support and jobs in motion pictures, creative designers, and crafts people. Check the ESDC website and the corresponding occupation category for the full list of qualifying activities.
You will need to take part in such activities at the world-class level or have at least 2 years of experience as a self-employed individual in athletics or cultural activities within the past 5 years. Your eligibility will also be decided based on your education, age, language skills, and the likelihood of your successfully settling in Canada, i.e. adaptability. You can see the selection grid to calculate your points, and see if you are able to get the minimum necessary points to qualify under this program.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, IRCC will process your application. You will also need to complete a medical exam, and police checks from the countries where you lived for 6 months or longer. You may not be eligible to immigrate to Canada if you have serious medical conditions or a criminal record, this is called being inadmissible to Canada. Contact our team or registered immigration consultants if you think you might be inadmissible and to find out what your options are.
The processing times for the Self-employed Immigration Persons Program are around 2 years, and application costs start at $2,075 CAD.
If you are neither an athlete nor a worker of a cultural sphere, there are still ways you can immigrate as a self-employed person.
If you want to live in Quebec, Canada’s predominantly French-speaking province, you can also review Quebec’s business immigration program that allows eligible self-employed individuals to move to Canada permanently.
Self-Employed Immigration
On top of that, some Express Entry streams recognize self-employed work under their eligibility requirements. For example, Federal Skilled Worker Program and Federal Skilled Trades Program (fstp) will count your self-employed work experience towards your eligibility requirements.
It is important to know that some firms hire individuals on a per project basis, so the line between self-employment and regular employment may not be clear. It is good to refer to the Canadian Revenue Agency to determine if the work you do is considered self-employed. You can use to this guide to find out. So even if you planned to apply for permanent resident under Canadian Experience Class and you realized your work counts as self-employed, you might still have enough points to apply under other Express Entry Streams.
Finally, if you are a creative individual with innovative business ideas, you might be able to immigrate to Canada using the Start-up Visa Program. This program does not focus on your existing work experience, it is more about the innovative ideas you can contribute to the Canadian labour market. Canadian Start-up Visa Program gives you the option of starting your life in Canada as a self-employed individual managing a qualifying business. If you’re interested in this program, have a look at the selection criteria on the government website.
As you can see, Canadian Immigration System offers many options for individuals who pose an interest for the Canadian economy, culture and sports, and it can be difficult to decide which option is the best decision for your situation. Contact our team of registered immigration consultants to find out what program will accommodate your budget, skills and immigration goals.
Regards,
International Experience Club
