Quebec Self-Employed Worker Program

You must practise your profession in Québec, alone or with others, with or without paid help. You cannot practise your profession in the following ineligible sectors: Payday loans, cashing cheques or pledge loans; Production, distribution or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products or services related to the sex industry, such as nude or erotic dancing, escort services or erotic massage; Trading, leasing, brokerage, development or planning in the property sector.

If you have already started working as a self-employed worker in Québec, you can apply to the Programme des travailleurs autonomes (Self-Employed Program). You must nevertheless comply with all the terms and conditions of the program.

You must have at least two years of work experience in your profession, in your own name, in the five years preceding the date of submission of your application; To be considered, your work experience must not have been acquired in an ineligible sector.

If you wish to practise a profession that is regulated in Québec, you must fulfil one of the following conditions: Have authorization to practise this profession in Québec; Have proof of partial or full recognition of equivalence of training or diploma dated no more than five years prior to the date of submission of your permanent selection application.

You must have a net worth of at least CDN$100,000. This amount  excludes donations received in the six months preceding the date of submission of your application. You can share this net worth with your spouse or de facto spouse included in the application. You must demonstrate the legal origin and accumulation of your net worth.

You must make a start-up deposit with a financial institution with an establishment in Québec. The amount of the deposit depends on the area where you plan to practise your profession: Outside the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), the start-up deposit is CDN$25,000. On the territory of the CMM, the start-up deposit is CDN$50,000.

You must sign a financial self-sufficiency contract, in which you commit for three months as of the date of obtaining permanent resident status to meeting your essential needs, those of the members of your family accompanying you and those of dependent children who are Canadian citizens, if applicable.

You must practise your profession in Québec, alone or with others, with or without paid help. You cannot practise your profession in the following ineligible sectors: Payday loans, cashing cheques or pledge loans; Production, distribution or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products or services related to the sex industry, such as nude or erotic dancing, escort services or erotic massage; Trading, leasing, brokerage, development or planning in the property sector.

If you wish to practise a profession that is regulated in Québec, you must fulfil one of the following conditions: Have authorization to practise this profession in Québec; Have proof of partial or full recognition of equivalence of training or diploma dated no more than five years prior to the date of submission of your permanent selection application.

You must obtain your attestation within a maximum of 60 days after receiving this request. Members of your family that are accompanying you will also need to obtain it, including your spouse aged 16 years or older and your dependent children aged 18 years or older.