The Self-Employed Class 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.

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.

To qualify, the applicant must demonstrate a sufficient financial net worth which, although somewhat less than an entrepreneur and not specified in the regulations, should enable the applicant to be self-employed in Canada and make a significant contribution to specified economic activities in Canada and to meet the initial settlement requirements for the applicant and accompanying dependents.

The Quebec Self-Employed Program

The province of Quebec runs its own business immigration program.  In the province of Quebec, self-employed applicants are primarily differentiated from skilled worker applicants in that they come to Canada to create their own job by practicing a profession or commercial activities.

They must have two years of applicable experience, possess a personal net worth of $100,000 CAD, have sufficient settlement funding and will come to Quebec to create employment for the applicant by practicing a profession defined in the National Occupational Classification.

Like skilled workers, the self-employed applicant is assessed under a selection grid comprised of several factors.