Canada’s immigration department has concluded that the Self-Employed Persons Program (SEPP) is “no longer fit for purpose,” citing major backlogs, high refusal rates and extremely long processing times. The findings come from an official Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) evaluation published on July 28, 2026.
The SEPP was created to provide permanent residence to self-employed individuals with significant experience in areas such as sports, arts and cultural activities. But the program has recorded a 69% average refusal rate over the recent ten-year period examined. Approximately 8,000 applications are in the IRCC inventory. The applications submitted after July 2022 may have a processing time that exceeds 10 years.
IRCC stopped accepting new SEPP applications in April 2024 and extended the suspension indefinitely in December 2025. Despite the challenges of the program, the department’s evaluation says there is still a need for a dedicated pathway because traditional economic programs do not adequately address self-employed global talent.
IRCC now plans to review the program’s objectives, eligibility requirements and delivery to attract and retain top international talent.
For now, Quebec’s Exceptional Talent Stream remains the main provincial option for eligible self-employed talent. Ontario has announced plans for a similar stream.
Read to Know more : Ontario Opens Applications for New Permanent Residence Stream
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