Self-Employed Persons Class

If you are a foreign national who has the capabilities, training and experience, you may be allowed to apply to immigrate to Canada under the self-employed person class. You will be considered eligible if you are able to meet the criteria for education, experience, age, language abilities and adaptability, along with working in one of the following 3 economic classes:

• cultural activities, including freelance journalists, music teachers, coaches, trainers, painters, illustrators, filmmakers, set designers and choreographers
• athletics involving competing or performing on an international basis, at the highest levels in their field
• owning and managing a farm 

You need to stand out in this category and show off all that you can to present yourself as someone who can make a ‘significant contribution’ on some level.  Let the immigration consultants at 123Visa help you show yourself in such a way that is most advantageous.

Relevant Experience

In order to qualify under the ‘self-employed person’ class, you must demonstrate that you are able to meet the criteria for ‘relevant experience’, ‘intent and ability to be self-employed in Canada’ or your ‘intention and ability to make a significant contribution to specific economic activities’. You can check the criteria below to determine your membership within this economic class.

To be considered for the ‘self-employed persons class’ program, you must have at least 2 years’ relevant experience working in cultural activities, athletics or as a farm owner/operator, during the 5 years, immediately prior to filing your application for a permanent residency. You may fulfil the 2-year working period in one of the above-mentioned fields in the following ways:

• have completed 2 one-year periods of experience working as a self-employed person in cultural activities,
• have completed 2 one-year periods of experience in participation at a world-class level in cultural activities, or
• have completed a combination of at least one year’s experience working as a self-employed person in cultural activities and at least one year’s experience participating in cultural activities at a world-class level 
• have completed 2 periods of at least one year’s experience working as a self-employed person in athletics,
• have completed 2 periods of at least one year’s experience participating in athletics at a world-class level, or
• have completed a combination of at least one year’s experience working as a self-employed person in athletics and at least one year’s experience participating in athletics at a world-class level, or
• 2 one-year periods of experience working as a self-employed person owning and operating a farming enterprise

Intent and Ability to be Self-Employed in Canada

In order to demonstrate that your intention and ability to create your own employment in Canada through cultural activities, athletics or the purchase and management of a farm, you must:

• show that you are able to create your own employment
• submit proof of financial assets and that you are able to meet the minimum capital investment required for your particular venture that will be able to support you and your family
• if you have supported you and your family based on your talents, show how
• if your self-employment involves owning and operating a farm, show that you have the funds to do so, or if borrowing funds, show that you have done so with suitable knowledge surrounding the costs of taking out the loan and satisfy the visa officer that the venture will be a successful one based on borrowed capital
• if your self-employment involves owning and operating a farm, show that you have done your ‘due diligence’ and researched farming in the area in which you wish to settle, by completing tasks such as visiting the region, seeking advice from the province to discover local farmers or businessmen, suppliers and other workers to find out about local regulations and requirements, what farming practices are like and what grows best in the area, as well as coming up with a plan that involves a budget, knowing the average price and size of farms in the area, general weather conditions and being able to transfer your skill set and training in farming technology and business, etc.

Helpful sites to help you find out more and prepare to begin farming in Canada can be found at Agriculture Canada or Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

Intention and Ability to Make a Significant Contribution to Specific Economic Activities

The program is designed to help self-employed persons who can contribute one of the 3 areas of culture, sports or farming.

In  order to qualify, you must:

• ensure that your skills and/or talents as a self-employed person will contribute in a positive and effective way as you enhance local and/or national Canadian culture and sports
• those who wish to enter the ‘Self-Employed Persons Class’ as farmers must show their intention to start a farming enterprise by submitting documents to prove they have met the criteria of having the experience, training and ability in their field of farming and have accumulated sufficient funds to be a farm owner and operator
• the officer in charge of reviewing your application may also assess your background to decide if your efforts in one of the 3 fields qualify as a “significant contribution”
• you may need to submit the results of recent medical exams for you and your family

Find out how 123Visa can help with your Canada immigration application as a Self-Employed Person in Canada. Contact us at 778-317-4959 or email info@123visa.ca to book your assessment appointment.