Come To Canada As A Self-Employed Professional

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Immigrating to Canada as a Self-Employed Professional

For those who have relevant experience in cultural activities or athletics and intend and can make a significant contribution to Canada’s cultural or athletic life, the Self-Employed Stream is a perfect option to immigrate. This program allows creative people and athletes to come to Canada as permanent residents. The self-employed stream aims to attract talented, self-employed individuals to contribute to Canadian cultural or athletic life and enrich Canadian society. This program is not complex as long as one meets the selection factors.

Below is a brief overview of the program. If you think you can satisfy the requirements, please contact us. Our experienced immigration lawyers will be happy to help you.

pottery artisan working in studio writing on a notepad

1. Who Can Apply Under the Self-Employed Stream?

To qualify as a self-employed person, you must show that (i) you intend to work as a self-employed individual in Canada and that (ii) you have at least two years of experience in one of the following professions:

  • Librarians
  • Conservators and curators
  • Archivists
  • Writers, translators and related communications professionals
  • Authors
  • Editors
  • Journalists
  • Translators, terminologists and interpreters
  • Creative and performing artists
  • Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
  • Conductors, composers and arrangers
  • Musicians and singers
  • Dancers
  • Actors and comedians
  • Painters, sculptors and other visual artists
  • Technical occupations in libraries, public archives, museums and art galleries
  • Library and public archive technicians
  • Technical occupations related to museums and art galleries
  • Photographers, graphic arts technicians and technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts
  • Creative designers and crafts-persons
  • Graphic designers and illustrators
  • Interior designers and interior decorators
  • Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
  • Artisans and crafts-persons
  • Patternmakers – textile, leather and fur products
  • Athletes, coaches, referees and related occupations
  • Athletes
  • Coaches
  • Sports officials and referees
  • Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness
  • Film and video camera operators
  • Graphic arts technicians
  • Broadcast technicians
  • Audio and video recording technicians
  • Support occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and the performing arts
  • Announcers and other performers, n.e.c.
  • Announcers and other broadcasters
  • Other performers, n.e.c.

French e-book on reading device

2. Is knowledge of English or French language required?

No, but knowledge of English or French may add points to your application. To be successful in this program, you must earn a minimum of 35 pointsย (out of a possible 100 points) based on the following factors:

Relevant Experience (within 5 years of application)
Maximum 35 Points
Five yearsโ€™ relevant experience35
Four yearsโ€™ relevant experience20
Three yearsโ€™ relevant experience25
Two yearsโ€™ relevant experience20
Age
Maximum 10 Points
21 to 49 years of age at the time of application10
Deduct 2 points for each year of age over 49 or under 21
Education
Maximum 25 Points
(Doctorate OR Masterโ€™s Degree) + 17 yearsโ€™ full-time or full-time equivalent studies25
(3-year Trade Certificate OR LLB or Medical Degree) + 15 yearsโ€™ full-time or full-time equivalent studies22
(Bachelorโ€™s Degree OR 2-year Trade Certificate) + 14 yearsโ€™ full-time or full-time equivalent studies20
(Bachelorโ€™s Degree or 1-year Trade Certificate) + 13 yearsโ€™ full-time or full-time equivalent studies15
1 year post-secondary + 12 yearsโ€™ full-time or full-time equivalent studies12
Secondary school education5
Official Languages
Maximum 24 Points
High Proficiency16 pts for First Language and 8 pts for Second Language
Moderate Proficiency8 pts for First and Second Language
Basic Proficiency2 pts for First and Second Language
Adaptability
Maximum 6 Points
Spouseโ€™s or common-law partnerโ€™s education3-5
Minimum one yearโ€™s full-time authorized work in Canada (applicant or spouse)5
Minimum two yearsโ€™ full-time post-secondary studies in Canada (applicant or spouse)5
Family Member in Canada5
TOTAL
Maximum 100

person sitting on the floor reviewing her finances

3. Are there other factors that are important for this program?

Yes. There is no checklist of factors the visa officer will consider when exercising his or her discretion. You have to put forward facts showing that you can become economically established in Canada. In our experience, the key factor for a positive decision is having a solid financial record and the availability of funds to become economically established in Canada. Thus, the more money you have, the better your chances of becoming economically established in Canada. If you have significant financial assets, be sure to provide as much evidence of these assets as possible, including bank statements, investment statements, tax returns, properties, etc.

4. How long will it take to receive a permanent residence?

While the processing times vary, in our experience, it usually takes from 1 year to 2.5 years to process your application under this stream. However, the good news is that you may apply for a work permit to arrive in Canada earlier to start your business while waiting for the outcome of your permanent residence application.

5. Are there any other conditions I must satisfy once I arrive in Canada?

There are no further requirements for you or your business once you arrive as a permanent resident in Canada.

How We Can Help

We are here to make your application for Canadian immigration simple. We can guide you through the application process and save you time and money by ensuring you are providing the correct information and documents to the Canadian immigration authorities. We understand what it takes to be successful in this program, so we will present your application in the best possible way to ensure a positive outcome.

What Kind of Visa Do You Get At The End?

The Self-Employed program results in a Canadian Permanent Residency for you and your immediate family members. Permanent residency is the equivalent of a US Green Card in the US. As a permanent resident in Canada, you will be protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and able to live and work anywhere you want in Canada. Permanent residency is one step below Canadian citizenship and can lead to citizenship if you live in Canada for 1095 days as a permanent resident.

Now is a great time to get started with your application, and we would be excited to help you on this journey if you qualify for this program.

Bringing You, Your Tech Talent & Your Business To Canada

Get started and make your first step towards Canada. Book your 1-hour strategy meeting with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer.

Immigration to Canada can be very complicated for businesses, business owners, and foreign employees. Hiring business immigration lawyers with the skill, experience, and patience is often crucial to successfully navigating this complex process. The experienced professionals at Sobirovs Law Firm offer tailored legal services in all business and corporate immigration matters. Contact us for more information on how we can help you meet your immigration needs.

We have worked with & represented clients from all walks of life. Always just one call โ€“ or click โ€“ away, weสผre happy to help you begin your & your familyสผs journey to Canada.

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Our Clients Sayโ€ฆ

Yemi Okunbor
Yemi Okunbor
From the initial consultation to the successful acquisition of my permanent resident card, the entire process was seamless and stress free.A big thank you to the entire Sobirovs team, especially Yulia, and Farouk. They demonstrated exceptional expertise and professionalism throughout, guiding me with precision and clarity. Their commitment to providing personalized and thorough assistance made a significant impact on my overall experience. Thank you, Sobirovs law firm for your exceptional service and for making my journey to permanent residency a smooth and gratifying experience.
Kenneth Leong
Kenneth Leong
I must say that SOBIROVS has an excellent team to guide us to getting our work permits approved. I want to personally thank Feruza, Judy, Owen and Medina in getting us "pass the gates". Not to mention the entire team that is behind the scene. My family and I are deeply grateful for their excellent work and professional advice. A special thanks to Ms Judy for her untiring dedication to making this opportunity a reality for my family and I. We have full confidence in Feruza and her team and I will continue to use their services for the next step of our application for PR status later on.
Siarhei Vasilyeu
Siarhei Vasilyeu
My family (5) have chosen Sobirovs for our ICT visa application, and now we confidently recommend them! Right from the start you will be assigned a special team within their firm who will be busy with your plans, needs and documents. The process is organized very efficiently, what is crucial when you run your own business on your side. Once the documents submitted to IRCC, the pre-submission team entrust your case to post-submission group, who monitor the progress and keep you constantly updated what's going on with the case. As a result, our ICT application was approved in just several weeks from submission, just wooow. Thank you and thumbs up for Monique, Mariam, Owen, Madina, and Ms. Feruza who was our lead lawyer. Sobirovs is your smart choice, they know how to do the rest.
Muzammil Habib
Muzammil Habib
I would like to thanks Sobirovs Law Firm team especially Monique, Mariiam Jamal, Owen and Ms. Feroza. They done a great job and help me to get ICT work permit. Their team work was excllent and they worked professionally. Here I would like to present my special thanks for Monique who communicated with me nicely. She respond me quickly whatever I have questions in my mind. She is so nice I like her working style. In the end I can say that all of them are really professional. Thanks for all this. Hope to see you soon.
Rahul C
Rahul C
Exceptional service of the utmost quality and professionalism. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team, with special acknowledgments to Nity, Judy, Feruza, Owen, and Medina, for their invaluable assistance in securing the approval of my application. I am sincerely appreciative of the outstanding service and unwavering support provided. This is by far the best immigration law firms in Canada who work with complete transparency.
Ulugbek Holmatov
Ulugbek Holmatov
Great job ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ Great leader, Rakhmad Sobirov for his leadership skills and great managers: Feruza, Monique, Mariam, Owen, Madina for their respective professionalism ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿ‘Œ Well organized and professional law team for Canadian immigration. I really enjoyed with my Canadian business visa process. I really appreciate Sobirovs Law firm for their great service and experience. P.S.: This law firm was selected by Our company among top 5 law firms for Canadian business immigration process Great successes๐ŸŽ‰
Thomas Bulmer
Thomas Bulmer
Mariam, Monique and the team have been great to work with. Sobirov's has helped a number of our team members identify, apply for and get granted the necessary visas for us to set up our Canadian enterprise. Recommend.
Jason Tsarouhas
Jason Tsarouhas
Mariam and her team have helped us migrate our entire workforce from Australia to Canada. We couldn't have been more prepared by the time we made it to the border. The team were accessible, informative and detail orientated which is exactly what you want when you have stresses of moving your company and life to the other side of the world! A HUGE thank you to the team for their efforts so far and future work we'll be doing together! Jason, Learning Online!
Victor Arakaki
Victor Arakaki
We're incredibly grateful for the fantastic work done by the entire Sobirovs team!. While our work permit application had its share of challenges, Feruza, an outstanding lawyer with extensive expertise in business immigration, played a pivotal role. Her leadership and guidance were so important in getting our Work Permits approval. We must also acknowledge the exceptional contributions of Judy Lee, Nitty, Monique, Rachel and the rest of the team who supported us on this journey. It's clear that we'll continue to entrust Feruza and her team with any of our future legal needs. We have full confidence in Feruza and her team and highly recommend their services.
Hardik Vyas
Hardik Vyas
Rating: โญโญโญโญโญ I cannot express enough how impressed and satisfied I am with Sobirovs Law Firm's immigration services. Their professionalism and extensive knowledge in the field of immigration are truly outstanding. We recently applied for an ICT (Intra-Company Transfer) application, and to our amazement, we received a decision within just two months from the date of application. This prompt and efficient service reflects the exceptional quality of Sobirovs' work. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Feruza, Mariam, Monique, Owen, and the entire post-submission team who guided us through every step of the application process. Their dedication, expertise, and willingness to assist were invaluable throughout the entire journey. We are now filled with excitement as we embark on our new journey, thanks to Sobirovs Law Firm's assistance. Without a doubt, we will be relying on their services for all our future matters related to permanent residency or immigration services. I wholeheartedly recommend Sobirovs Law Firm to anyone seeking top-notch immigration assistance. Their commitment to their clients and their ability to deliver results is truly commendable. Thank you, Sobirovs, for making our dreams a reality!

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