Citizenship and Immigration Canada
www.cic.gc.ca
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Self-employed persons:
Who can apply
To be eligible as a self-employed person, you must meet the following criteria:
- Have relevant experience
- Meet the selection criteria for self-employed persons and
- Meet medical, security and other requirements
Relevant experience
Relevant experience is defined as:
- participation at a world-class level in cultural activities or athletics
- farm management experience or
- self-employment in cultural activities or athletics. Please consult the Related Links section at the bottom of this page for a list of activities that qualify. You will also find a link to definitions of terms that apply to self-employed persons.
Selection criteria
You will be assessed on selection criteria that include your experience, education, age, language abilities and adaptability. You can find out more about the selection criteria in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Medical, security and other requirements
You and your family members must pass a medical examination and security and criminal checks. You can find more information on both of these topics in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.
You must show that you have enough money to support yourself and your dependants after you arrive in Canada. You can find more information under Proof of funds in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
You must also meet any other requirements of Canadian and provincial or territorial immigration regulations.
Quebec
Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the province of Quebec operates its own business immigration program. If you want to settle in the province of Quebec, contact the nearest Quebec immigration office, or visit the website of the Quebec ministry that handles immigration. You will find more information in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
