To immigrate to Canada through Federal Self Employment, you need to be an athlete on either international or national level or an artist who earns livings on artistic activities. Immigration to Canada through self employment is for the candidates who demonstrate their self employment (that means they have earned livings on artistic, athletic, or agricultural fields for 2 years of past 5 years). After immigration, they are able to participate in self-employment programs as they intend and can afford to do that, they are enough experienced, and proficient at English or French, so that not only they could help with development of art, sport, or agriculture in Canada, but also earn a living on such activities. To apply for this program, it must be noted that only real artists, farmers, or athletes can convince the immigration officer to be able to start a business in Canada.
Who is a self-employed artist?
An artist, according to immigration law, is considered someone who had had at least one of the following criteria for the 5 past years before the application was submitted:
- Two years self-employment in cultural-artistic fields
- Two years international cultural-artistic activities
- One year self-employment in cultural-artistic fields, in addition to one year cultural-artistic activities on national or international levels
In addition to above-mentioned criteria, the candidates need to demonstrate that they intend to start a business as a self-employment activity.
The significant point is that what types of activities are considered cultural-artistic?
Please note that it is not enough for your job to fall in any of the following categories. In order to immigrate to Canada, you need to be either self employed or active on national/international levels. For instance if you are a restore specialist or a painter who works for a private or public company, you are not considered self employed. However, if you restore monuments or antiquities, or do some paintings as a contractor through official contracts with private/ public companies, so as to earn your living through the contract, you are self employed.
Cultural- artistic activities are categorized as follows. All the categories are defined specifically and a number is allocated to every one of them in Canadian labor law. We, at Hoori Soleimani Immigration Organization, need to personally interview with you for the compliance of the criteria with the legal definition.
NOC | Professional Occupations in Art and Culture |
5111 | Librarians |
5112 | Conservators and Curators |
5113 | Archivists |
5121 | Authors and Writers |
5122 | Editors |
5123 | Journalists |
5124 | Professional Occupations in Public Relations and Communications |
5125 | Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters |
5131 | Producers, Directors, Choreographers and Related Occupations |
5132 | Conductors, Composers, and Arrangers |
5133 | Musicians and Singers |
5134 | Dancers |
5135 | Actors and Comedians |
5136 | Painters, Sculptors, and Other Visual Artists |
NOC | Technical and Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation and Sport |
5211 | Library and Archive Technicians and Assistants |
5212 | Technical Occupations Related to Museums and Art Galleries |
5221 | Photographers |
5222 | Film and Video Camera Operators |
5223 | Graphic Arts Technicians |
5224 | Broadcast Technicians |
5225 | Audio and Video Recording Technicians |
5226 | Other Technical and Co-ordinating Occupations in Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts |
5227 | Support Occupations in Motion Pictures, Broadcasting and the Performing Arts |
5231 | Announcers and Other Broadcasters |
5232 | Other Performers |
5241 | Graphic Designers and Illustrators |
5242 | Interior Designers |
5243 | Theatre, Fashion, Exhibit and Other Creative Designers |
5244 | Artisans and Craftspersons |
5245 | Patternmakers – Textile, Leather and Fur Products |
5251 | Athletes |
5252 | Coaches |
5253 | Sports Officials and Referees |
5254 | Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport, and Fitness |