Canada’s Self-Employed Persons Program allows eligible self-employed foreign nationals with relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics to establish themselves in Canada as permanent residents.

A foreign national must first meet the Government of Canada’s definition of a self-employed person.

A self-employed person is defined as someone with relevant self-employed experience in a cultural or athletic activity.

Candidates for the Self-Employed Persons Program must have the experience, intention and ability to make a “significant contribution” to Canada’s cultural life or sports in Canada.

Interested candidates must meet both the eligibility requirements and achieve at minimum a passing mark under the program’s selection criteria in order to be considered for immigration as a self-employed person.

There is no regulated minimum net worth requirement for the Self-Employed Persons Program. However, self-employed applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to settle in Canada along with their dependents and finance the work for which their selection is based.

A successful applicant is one who has at least two years of experience in the five years before the date of the application in self-employment in cultural activities or in athletics; participation at a world-class level in cultural activities or athletics; or farm management experience.

This program is geared towards applicants who have relevant self-employment experience as well as the intention and the ability to create their own employment and make a significant contribution to the cultural, artistic or athletic life of Canada, or to create their own employment by purchasing and managing a farm in Canada.