Self-employed immigration program in Canada
To apply for self-employed immigration program, also known as an artist or athlete visa, you must show that you have the required working experience. This can be proven by having at least 2 years of experience in participating in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level or by being self-employed in the field of cultural or sporting activities for two years. It is also acceptable to have 1 year of experience in participating in cultural activities or athletics at a world-class level or by being self-employed in the field of cultural or sporting activities for one year. Of course, this is the minimum required experience, and the more experience you have, the higher points you will earn. In addition to that, the education, age, language proficiency and the conditions of the spouse are among the influential factors in this process because in this immigration program, like other Canadian immigration methods, runs as a point-based system. Medical examinations, having no criminal records and the ability to support yourself and your family financially are among other requirements for obtaining this type of visa and residence permit in Canada.
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Self-employed immigration program for artists
As mentioned above, Canadian self-employed persons visa is also known as an artist visa, because most of the fields/disciplines that are accepted in this program are related to art. Artists who want to get a residence permit in Canada through this immigration program must show that they are either internationally renowned and famous, or are self-employed in their country and have made money through their art. Participating in international competitions, holding exhibitions and art galleries will strengthen your resumes. Applicants must also demonstrate that they can work as a self-employed artist in Canada. It is also required to have basic knowledge of English.
Qualifying Activities for Self-Employed Persons
According to the Canadian government website, people with experience in athletics or arts and culture who are the owner and manager of their business, can apply for self-employed Persons program. In this program, the applicant must show that he / she is willing and able to start a business in Canada in the field in which he / she has experience.
Here is the list of occupations and specializations that are accepted in the Self-Employed Immigration Program.
| Occupation | NOC code |
| Librarians | 5111 |
| Conservators and curators | 5112 |
| Archivists | 5113 |
| Library and public archive technicians | 5211 |
| Technical occupations related to museums and art galleries | 5212 |
| Authors and writers | 5121 |
| Editors | 5122 |
| Journalists | 5123 |
| Translators, terminologists and interpreters | 5125 |
| Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations | 5131 |
| Conductors, composers and arrangers | 5132 |
| Musicians and singers | 5133 |
| Dancers | 5134 |
| Actors and comedians | 5135 |
| Painters, sculptors and other visual artists | 5136 |
| Photographers | 5221 |
| Film and video camera operators | 5222 |
| Graphic arts technicians | 5223 |
| Broadcast technicians | 5224 |
| Audio and video recording technicians | 5225 |
| Other technical and coordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts | 5226 |
| Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts | 5227 |
| Announcers and other broadcasters | 5231 |
| Other performers, n.e.c. | 5232 |
| Graphic designers and illustrators | 5241 |
| Interior designers and interior decorators | 5242 |
| Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers | 5243 |
| Artisans and craftspersons | 5244 |
| Patternmakers – textile, leather and fur products | 5245 |
Self-Employed immigration program and the point-based system
Like most immigration programs in Canada, the self-employed Immigration program runs as a points-based system and each applicant will receive certain points for each factors. These factors are age (if the applicant is between 21 and 49 years old, he/she receives the maximum points), education, work experience, language proficiency (English or even French), and finally the adaptability which includes the spouse’s age, work experience, educational background and relatives. To be eligible for this program you need to score minimum 35 points. The table below gives more information about this point-based system and the influential factors.
| Factors | Points |
| Education | maximum 25 points |
| Master’s Degree or Ph.D. | 25 |
| have two or more university degrees at the bachelor’s level | 22 |
| have a three-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship | 22 |
| have a university degree of two years or more at the bachelor’s level | 20 |
| ave a two-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship | 20 |
| have a one-year university degree at the bachelor’s level | 15 |
| have a one-year diploma, trade certificate or apprenticeship | 12-15 |
| Diploma | 5 |
| Work experience | maximum 35 points |
| Two years of relevant experience | 20 |
| Three years of relevant experience | 25 |
| Four years of relevant experience | 30 |
| Five years of relevant experience | 35 |
| Age | maximum 10 points |
| 16 or under | 0 |
| 17 | 2 |
| 18 | 4 |
| 19 | 6 |
| 20 | 8 |
| 21-49 | 10 |
| 50 | 8 |
| 51 | 6 |
| 52 | 4 |
| 53 | 2 |
| Or above 54 | 0 |
| language ability | maximum 24 points |
| adaptability | maximum 6 points |
| Spouse’s education | 3-5 |
| Previous work in Canada | 5 |
| Previous study in Canada | 5 |
| Relatives | 5 |
Canadian citizenship through self-employed immigration program
As mentioned, one of the most important benefits of the self-employed immigration program is that the applicant can get a permanent residence permit from the beginning and having a permanent residence permit makes it easier to obtain Canadian citizenship. In addition to that, the applicant must have lived in Canada for at least 3 years in the last 5 years and he/she must have paid for the taxes. Participation in the citizenship test and earning the required is also among the requirements for obtaining Canadian citizenship. You can apply for Canadian citizenship by having Canadian citizenship. The Canadian passport ranks 15th in the world in terms of freedom of movement and travel according to the Passport Index, allowing Canadian passport holders to travel to 67 countries in visa-free travel.
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