Business Class Immigration - Self Employed
Self-employed people can immigrate to Canada in this Immigration Class but the self-employment is restricted to athletics, farm management or cultural activities. Once arriving in Canada you must create employment for yourself and make a significant contribution to athletics or cultural activities in Canada or purchase and manage a farm.
There are no conditions after arrival in Canada for this type of business class immigration although you must have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family in Canada.
To be considered as a self-employed person working in either cultural activities or athletics you must be a foreign national with "relevant experience" and the intention, skills and credentials to be self-employed once arriving in Canada. You must also make a significant contribution to "specified economic activities" in Canada.
This is described by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as:
"relevant experience" in respect of
a) a self-employed person, means a minimum of two years of experience, during the period beginning five years before the date of application for a permanent resident visa and ending on the day a determination is made in respect of the application, consisting of
i) in respect of cultural activities,
A) two one-year periods of experience in self-employment in cultural activities,
B) two one-year periods of experience in participation at a world class level in cultural activities, or
C) a combination of a one-year period of experience described in clause (A) and a one-year period of experience described in clause (B),
ii) in respect of athletics,
A) two one-year periods of experience in self-employment in athletics,
B) two one-year periods of experience in participation at a world class level in athletics, or
C) a combination of a one-year period of experience described in clause (A) and a one-year period of experience described in clause (B), and
iii) in respect of the purchase and management of a farm, two one-year periods of experience in the management of a farm.
"specified economic activities", in respect of
a) a self-employed person, means cultural activities, athletics or the purchase and management of a farm; and
b) a self-employed person selected by a province, has the meaning provided by the laws of the province.
