Canada

Self-Employed Persons Program. Permanent residence for people with two years of self-employment in cultural activities or athletics; new applications have been paused since 30 April 2024 and the pause was extended indefinitely in December 2025.

Free, with the law behind every answer

Self-Employed Persons Program

Nothing for new applicants today. When open: permanent residence outright, with no work-permit stage.

Who qualifies

At least 2 years of relevant self-employed or world-class experience in cultural activities or athletics in the five years before applying (the farm-management stream closed in March 2018).
IRCC, Self-Employed Persons Program
The intention and ability to be self-employed in Canada and make a significant contribution to its cultural or athletic life; selection scores experience, education, age, language and adaptability against a 35-point pass mark.
IRCC, Self-Employed Persons Program
IRCC paused intake on 30 April 2024 to clear a backlog that peaked above 11,000 people; about 8,500 were still waiting in late 2025 with processing of 3–5 years, and in December 2025 the pause was extended indefinitely pending a redesigned entrepreneur pathway. The 2026–2028 levels plan gives this program and the Start-up Visa a combined 500 admissions a year.
IRCC, Evaluation of the Self-Employed Persons Program; Fragomen, Canada: two entrepreneurial programs paused

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Not taking new families today.

Nothing to file. Watch IRCC’s Self-Employed Persons page for a reopening or replacement.

There is nothing to file: a paused program, an aging backlog, and only a promise of a targeted entrepreneur pilot sometime in 2026.

Options open to you today →

What it takes.

Time: Paused indefinitely as of December 2025; people already in the queue are seeing 3–5 years, some over 10.
Cost: About $2,500–4,000 in government fees plus $5,000–15,000 in legal fees; moot while paused.
The hard part: There is nothing to file: a paused program, an aging backlog, and only a promise of a targeted entrepreneur pilot sometime in 2026.

Citizens by 2031.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

2027
First residence permit
5 years, renewable for 5 years at a time.
2030
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2031
Citizenship

Language: English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark 4, ages 18–54.
Civics: The citizenship test, ages 18–54: rights and responsibilities of citizens, Canada’s history, geography, government and symbols.
Time away: At least 1,095 days physically in Canada in the 5 years before applying. Each day there as a temporary resident before permanent residence counts as half a day, up to 365 days. Tax returns filed for 3 of those years. Keeping permanent residence itself needs 730 days in Canada in every 5 years.
Two passports: Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Paused to new applications with no reopening date; files already in lead straight to permanent residence (the permit shown is the 5-year PR card).
How long the decision takes isn’t published; we allow a year.

The law behind these dates

Living there.

Time you must spend there: As a permanent resident, 730 days in Canada in every rolling five-year period.
Tax: Permanent residents become Canadian tax residents on worldwide income once they have residential ties in Canada.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Nothing to file. Watch IRCC’s Self-Employed Persons page for a reopening or replacement.Open canada.ca ↗

Not open today.

Self-Employed Persons Program isn’t accepting new applications.

Options open to you today →

ISSUED TO

YOUR FAMILY

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