The SINP Entrepreneur Program offers you and your family the opportunity to establish, acquire or partner in a business in Saskatchewan and be actively involved in its management. The updated Entrepreneur Category is open to new candidates. Candidates interested in owning and actively operating a business are now invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) using the new online EOI system. Only online submissions will be accepted.

Immigration Services will be selecting candidates from the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool to submit a complete application to the SINP. Submitting an EOI does not guarantee acceptance to the program or nomination

• Candidates who have submitted a complete EOI profile to the pool will be eligible for selection based on highest total points score.
• Candidates who have started their EOI profile online but not have yet submitted, are encouraged to do so if they wish to be considered with the first candidates.
• Candidates who are not selected in the first draw from the EOI pool will continue to remain in the pool either until they are selected based on their points score, or their application is withdrawn.

There are three steps to the nomination process:

1. Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the SINP
2. Invitation to Apply
3. Nomination

Candidates are eligible for points on the basis of the candidate’s age at the time of submission of Expression of Interest.

Candidates are awarded fifteen (15) points if they have participated in an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan of no less than five (5) working days over the previous 12 month period prior to issuing an Expression of Interest. During this visit the person must have conducted meetings with local stakeholders and service providers relevant to the candidate’s Business Establishment Plan including, but not limited to suppliers, commercial realtors, lawyers, accountants, business brokers/consultants, financial institutions, and economic development agencies.

The exploratory visit is mandatory for persons purchasing an existing business or a business succession opportunity in all Saskatchewan communities including Regina and Saskatoon, as well as for applicants purchasing and actively managing a rural business opportunity.

Acceptable language tests are:

1. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training.
2. Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-General).
3. Test d’évaluation de français (to test proficiency in French).

No other evidence of language proficiency will be accepted. A language test from the principle candidate is not mandatory; however points for language will not be awarded without submission of eligible language test results.

Points are awarded if the candidate has met the requirements for a trade or occupational certification that required at least one (1) year full time post-secondary training or apprenticeship equivalent. One year Diploma or certificate programs from other educational institutions are also acceptable if the SINP is satisfied the qualification is relevant to the proposed Business Establishment Plan. Candidates are awarded fifteen (15) points if they have met the requirements for the award of a bachelor or post-graduate degree in business, agriculture or science/technology by a UK NAIRC recognized educational institution. Bachelor degrees or professional certifications in other areas of study from recognized educational institutions are also acceptable if the SINP is satisfied the qualification is relevant to the proposed Business Establishment Plan.

Candidates are awarded points if they have a history of entrepreneurship experience for a specified amount of time. Entrepreneurship experience is individual experience directly associated with the ownership and active management of a business operation, where the applicant assumed the risks associated with operation and benefited from the rewards or success of the business. Points are awarded for years of entrepreneurship experience gained in the ten years immediately before the time of EOI submission. Candidates must have a minimum of three years of Entrepreneurship within the ten years preceding submission of an EOI. The experience must be relevant to the proposed Business Establishment Plan.

Net business and personal assets are mandatory threshold criteria that all candidates must meet. Entrepreneur category candidates must have unencumbered net business and personal assets of no less than CAD $500,000 that are readily available for transfer to Canada. Applicants must have unencumbered net business and personal assets of no less than CAD $550,000 that are readily available for transfer to Canada to be eligible for points. Assets belonging to a candidates spouse will also be included in the calculation and must also pass verification.

Candidates are awarded points if they have had an ownership interest and ongoing active management responsibilities in one or more businesses' that have a specified amount of business revenue in at least one (1) of the ten (10) fiscal years immediately before the time of application.

Points may be awarded when the candidate has committed to make an investment to establish or to purchase and operate an eligible business in Saskatchewan from the candidate’s personal equity. Investment amounts derived from loans or other forms of financing are not eligible.

To be considered eligible, investments must be relevant and directly related to the candidate’s Business Establishment Plan, with evidence to demonstrate that the investment has been made within the first two (2) years of arriving in Canada.

Candidates may only claim points for one item under the innovation category of the point’s assessment, to a maximum of fifteen (15) total points. This component of the point’s assessment gives points for the following attributes.

1. Export trade. Candidates will receive points if they have had an ownership interest in one (1) or more main businesses that derive not less than 50 per cent of their annual turnover from export trade for at least one (1) of the three (3) fiscal years immediately before EOI submission.
2. Registered patents. Candidates will receive points if they have had one or more patents registered at least one year before the application was submitted. The patent must have been used in the day–to–day activities of the main business.
3. Gazelle businesses. Candidates will receive points if a past, main business was registered for no more than five years at the time of EOI submission and the average annualized growth in revenue has been greater than 20 per cent each year for three continuous fiscal years. The business must also have seven (7) or more full time employees for at least one (1) fiscal year in the same consecutive three (3) year period claimed for growth in revenue.

Science and Technology Businesses

Points may be awarded if the candidate has committed to invest, develop and actively manage a science and technology related business, where the candidate can demonstrate they own a patent, or an innovative IT idea that they intend to commercialize through an active investment in Saskatchewan.

Manufacturing Businesses

Points may be awarded when the candidate has committed to invest and actively manage a manufacturing production business where the candidate’s business will create and assemble Saskatchewan-made components and finished “make-to-stock”, “make-to-sell” and “make-to- order” products for sale.

Export Business

Points may be awarded when the candidate had committed to invest and actively manage an export business where the candidates business will create, produce or manufacture Saskatchewan-made or assembled goods to be shipped and sold internationally for the purpose of direct selling to end- users, regional distributors, or international retailers. Indirect selling of exports, where the candidate is acting as a Saskatchewan-based intermediary between third parties who are responsible for product creation or direct sale to end users is not eligible for points.

Rural Business Succession Opportunity

Points may be awarded when the candidate has committed to invest at least $200,000 to purchase and operate an eligible business anywhere in SK outside of the City of Regina or the City of Saskatoon. To be eligible for points, candidates must complete an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan that includes a visit to the community where the proposed business is located.

The Saskatchewan-based business must have been in continuous operation by the same owner for the previous two (2) years. If the previous business owner is a SINP Entrepreneur nominee, the business must have been in continuous operation by the previous owner for at least three (3) years and demonstrate a net profit for at least two (2) of the previous three (3) years.

Rural Business Opportunity

Points may be awarded when the candidate has committed to invest at least $200,000 to establish a new eligible business anywhere in Saskatchewan outside of the City of Regina or the City of Saskatoon. To be eligible for points, candidates must complete an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan that includes a visit to the community where the proposed business is located.

Applicants that establish or purchase and operate an eligible business in Regina or Saskatoon must create or maintain at least two jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. All positions created or maintained must be over and above any position filled by the approved applicant and jobs created for family members of the applicant are not eligible.

To be considered eligible, job maintenance and/or creation commitments must be relevant and directly related to the applicant’s Business Establishment Plan, with evidence to demonstrate that the job maintenance/creation has been made within the first two (2) years of arriving in Canada. Evidence may include, but is not limited to business purchase agreements, payroll documents, and job advertisements.

The SINP utilizes two professional third party financial service providers who will assess the net worth and legal accumulation of net worth criteria of applicants to the Entrepreneur category: KPMG and MNP Ltd. Applications to the Entrepreneur category received after May 1, 2012 must include an evaluation report conducted by a professional third party identified by the SINP to be eligible for nomination.

Applicants to the Entrepreneur category must submit a complete application to the SINP according to the updated Entrepreneur Document Checklist and obtain an SINP file number before submitting their supporting financial documents to a third party for review. Only applicants that have received a SINP file number will be accepted for review by a third party.

In order to ensure a speedy process by the third party of your choice, please ensure that all financial statements, bank account information, and property evaluations are up to date and accurate.

The SINP Farm Owner/Operator category offers Applicants and their families the opportunity to purchase and operate a farm in Saskatchewan.

Nominations are granted at the sole discretion of the Province of Saskatchewan. If an Applicant is nominated by the SINP, he or she is eligible to apply for Permanent Residence with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as a Provincial Nominee. CIC then reviews health, security and criminality and issues visas to the Nominee and the Nominee’s dependent family members.

In order to be nominated under the SINP, applicants are required to meet Farm Owner/Operator category’s four criteria, including:

1. A minimum net worth of $500,000 CAD
2. Accumulation of claimed net worth through legal means
3. Relevant Farm operation knowledge and experience; and
4. A viable, considered proposal for a commercial Saskatchewan farming opportunity

Young Farmer Stream

Applicants who are under 40 years of age are eligible to meet the SINP Farm category’s amended criteria to be considered for nomination under the Young Farmer Stream, including:

1. A minimum net worth of $300,000 CAD
2. Accumulation of claimed net worth through legal means
3. Relevant Farm operation knowledge and experience; and
4. A viable, considered proposal for a commercial Saskatchewan farming opportunity
5. The applicant or the applicant’s accompanying spouse / common law partner must have marketable employment skills

Net worth refers to the value of an Applicant’s total assets, less the value of his or her total liabilities. For Applicants to meet this criterion of the Farm category:

1. The third party will assess an Applicant’s net worth based on the information supplied on federal form: Economic Classes – Provincial Nominees – Business Nominees and the supporting documentation provided by the Applicant.
2. The third party will also consider the value of assets and liabilities owned by the Applicant’s spouse.

Accumulation of net worth refers to the means by which an Applicant obtained his or her entire claimed net worth. For Applicants to meet this criterion of the Farm category:

• The Applicant must demonstrate, through documentation, that his or her claimed net worth was accumulated legally
• The third party must substantiate that Applicant’s claimed net worth has been obtained by legal means

The third party will assess the accumulation of the Applicant’s net worth based on the information supplied on the Accumulation of Funds form and the supporting documentation provided by the Applicant.

Relevant farm operation knowledge and experience refers to an Applicant’s prior experience with owning and/or operating a farm using agricultural practices similar to those utilized in Saskatchewan-based farming. Such farming experience must reflect at least one of the variations of farming identified by the Ministry of Agriculture, including:

• Crops (Cereals, Oilseeds, Pulse Crops, Specialty Crops, Forage, Horticulture)
• Livestock (Cattle, Monogastric, Other Livestock, Forage)

The SINP will assess the Applicant’s claimed farm knowledge and experience based on the Résumé, Farm Establishment Plan, and the supporting documentation provided by the Applicant.

The SINP will assess an Applicant’s Farm proposal’s viability based on the information provided his or her Farm Establishment Plan as well as the supporting documentation provided by the Applicant. This information must be verified by SINP officials to merit eligibility.