Self-Employed Canada Program
Self-Employed Visa Canada, officially known as the Self-Employed Persons Program, is available to individuals who are self-employed, or in the arts and culture industries, and who can prove that they have enough experience and potential to apply for the Self-Employed Visa in Canada.
A successful self-employed applicant is required to provide evidence supporting their claims of experience within their industry as well as evidence supporting their claim that they have been successfully self-employed.
The five main factors which determine the eligibility for this program are:
1. Relevant Experience
2. Age
3. Education
4. Language Proficiency
5. Adaptability Factors
Relevant Experience
A self-employed person should have a minimum of 2 years of directly related self-employment experience in the past five years of submitting the application. The obtainable points can range from 20 to 35 under this category, starting from 2 to 5 years of experience.
The cultural and athletic occupations which qualify under the Canada Self Employed program are mentioned below:
Cultural Occupations
OCCUPATIONS
Writers
Authors
Musicians
Painters
Visual Artists and Sculptors
Occupations in motion pictures
Crafts People
Creative Designers
Coaches
Athletes
Referees and Sports Officials
Instructors and Leaders in Sports, Fitness and Recreation
Age
A maximum of 10 points is available in this category, which can be scored by applicants of 21 to 49 years of age. Ages ’16 or under’ and ’54 or above’ score 0 points in this category.
Education
Points obtainable under this category can range from 5 to 25. Ranging from high school education to a Ph.D., the table below mentions the attainable points.
Level of Education
Points
Masters/Ph.D. + a minimum of 17 Years of full time education
25
2 or more University degrees (Bachelor’s Level) with a minimum of 15 Years of full time education
22
3 years of Trade Certification or Diploma or Apprenticeship with a minimum of 15 Years of full time education
22
2 years or more of a University degree (Bachelor’s Level) with a minimum of 14 Years of full time education
20
1 year of Trade Certification or Diploma or Apprenticeship with a minimum of 14 Years of full time education
20
1 year University degree (Bachelor’s Level) with a minimum of 13 Years of full time education
15
1 year of Trade Certification or Diploma or Apprenticeship with a minimum of 13 Years of full time education
15
1 year of Trade Certification or Diploma or Apprenticeship with a minimum of 12 Years of full time education
12
High School
5
Language Proficiency
You must take a minimum of one of the approved language tests, i.e. IELTS, CELPIP-G for English and TEF Canada or TCF Canada for French, to judge your language ability. These tests will determine if your language proficiency level is:
- Basic,
- Moderate or,
- High
A maximum of 24 points is available under this category, judged on your ability to listen, speak, read and write your chosen test language.
Adaptability
A highest of 6 points can be earned through this program, even if some elements are combined. The aspects with earnable attributes under this program are given below:
Element
Points
Spouse’s/Common Law Partner’s Level of Education
3 to 5
Previous Canadian Work Experience
5
Previous Canadian Education
5
Close Relatives in Canada who are either Citizens or Permanent Residents
5
Suppose you can score a minimum of 35 points by combining all these five factors mentioned above and meet the relevant occupation element. In that case, you may qualify under the Self-employed Immigration Canada.
