Self Employed Program

Do you wish to immigrate to Canada and gain Canadian permanent residency? Are you self employed? Are you wishing to move to Canada and permanently reside there as a Canadian citizen? If yes, then you should check out the Self Employed Persons Program by the Canadian government. It is designed to help immigrants with experience in cultural activities and athletics gain permanent residence in Canada and even become a citizen of Canada. So if you think you can make contributions to the cultural and athletics aspect of Canadian society, 

You can apply for this program for permanent residency in Canada if you meet the qualifying criteria. The program requires you to have experience that is relevant in cultural activities or sports. Your presence and permanent residence must contribute to the cultural and athletic life in Canada while you work in Canada. 

Self Employed Program Eligibility Criteria

Listed below are the criteria points to meet the eligibility for this program. Read on to find out if you qualify for this program. 

• You must have relevant work experience.
• You must have the will as well as the ability to live in Canada as a self-employed person.
• You must qualify the selection criteria of the program.
• You must meet the medical and security conditions of this program.
• Your family members and you will be undergoing a medical exam and submit police certificates
• You must also have proof of funds showing you can financially support yourself and your family members once you become permanent residents of Canada

What is relevant work experience?

According to the specifications of this program, your experience will qualify as relevant if it includes the following.

• You must have taken part in a cultural or athletic activity at a world-class level
• You must have been a self-employed person in these areas before.
• You are required to have a minimum work experience of 2 years in cultural or athletic activities.
• This experience must be a min of 2 years within the last five years of the day you apply for the program. 

Selection criteria of your Self employed program application

Your application-form is scored based on a point system, judged on 5 selection criteria. Out of the maximum score of 100, you need 35 to pass. The selection criteria and the maximum points you can score in them are discussed below. 

1. Education (25 points)

You can earn a maximum of 25 points in this criteria. Points are awarded based on your educational qualifications. If you have a Master’s Degree, Ph.D., two or more than two degrees from a university at the bachelor’s level, a three-year diploma, a certification in a particular trade, apprenticeship, a two-year diploma, a one-year university degree of the bachelor’s level, one-year diploma, or completed high school, your application will be awarded points. Keep up-to-date with how many points each qualification carries. 

2. Experience (35 points)

The experience mentioned in your application must have been gained within the last 5 years of your application’s processing. If the number of years of experience are more, more points are awarded. You can score a maximum of  35 points in the category, 35 being awarded for five years of experience, 30 for four years, 25 for three years and 20 for two years of experience. 

3. Age (10 points)

The maximum score or points you can receive in this selection criteria is 10. The age at the time of your application processing is considered to score. 

4. Language skills (24 points)

Your language proficiency can get you a maximum score of 24 in this category. Your proficiency is measured as basic, moderate, or high. Your language ability is tested in the Canadian language of French or English in the areas of speaking, understanding, reading and writing. In adjunct to your application, you will also need to submit your language test results from a recognized and valid testing institution. IELTS test scores for English and TEF Canada for French are the most prominent. 

5. Adaptability (6 points) 

Your adaptability into Canadian society can get you a maximum of 6 points. These are awarded on the basis of the level of education of your spouse or common-law partner, your previous experience working in Canada, if your spouse or common-law partner has completed secondary or post-secondary level of education from a Canadian institution, or if they have previous work experience in Canada or a valid work permit. These can also be awarded to you if you or your spouse or common-law partner has relatives like parents, grandparents, siblings, brothers or sisters who are living in Canada as permanent residents of Canada. 

Application process of Self Employed Persons Program

If you qualify for this program, you have a chance to gain Canadian permanent residency and apply for citizenship of Canada.

1. Get the application package. This package is designed by the authorities of the program and it contains all you need for the application process. It has a document checklist so you do not miss out on important documents and a guide with instructions on the correct methods to fill-out the forms. 

Make photocopies of the required forms and travel documents, sign and date where necessary, gather up all the documents according to the document checklist. These may include forms, language test results and proof of payment of the fee. In case the application is found incomplete, it will be returned to you without processing. 

1. Pay your application fees. The overall fee includes the processing fee, Right of Permanent Residence Fee, fee for biometrics and their party fee if any is required in your case. The fee has to be paid online. 
2. Submit your application. Make sure no fields are left vacant, your application is not incomplete before submitting it. You should have answered all the required questions, signed in all the required places, paid your application processing fee and attached a photocopy of proof of payment. Ensure you have added all the supporting and required documents. If your application is found incomplete, it will be returned to you without processing for the removal of errors. You can resubmit the application but it will prolong the application processing time of your request. 

You must ensure that all the answers in your application for permanent residence are complete and true. If you are found to have submitted wrong information, or false claims, your application can be refused, you can be labelled inadmissible or even barred from moving to Canada for up to five years. To avoid such situations, take help from Immigration consultants in your application. 

The government of Canada has also introduced other programs such as the Express Entry Program and the Provincial Nominee Programs to help those immigrating to Canada gain Canadian residency, permanent resident status and become a Canadian citizen.  Special programs are also available for international students, foreign workers, temporary residents and skilled workers under the Provincial Nominee Program. 

So what are you waiting for? Find out if you are eligible for the Self Employed Persons Program according to the Canadian Immigration Law, and grab the chance to become a permanent resident of Canada and a Canadian citizenship today!!