Entrepreneur

Program Status

The SINP Entrepreneur, Farm Owner/Operator and International Graduate Entrepreneur pathways permanently closed on 27 March 2025.
No new EOIs, applications or invitations will be accepted, but in-process files will continue to completion.

If you submitted before closure, the steps, criteria and documents below still govern processing.

1. Category Overview

Through the Entrepreneur Program you could settle in Saskatchewan by starting, purchasing, or partnering in a for-profit business that delivers economic benefit to the province.

The legacy four-step pathway is retained for existing files:

1. Expression of Interest (EOI)
2. Invitation to Apply - highest-scoring EOIs per draw are invited and queued in received order.
3. Business Establishment - arrive on a Temporary Work Permit (TWP) and operate the enterprise.
4. Nomination - after meeting your Business Performance Agreement (BPA), apply for SINP nomination and then permanent residence.

Note - The SINP offers no preferential treatment, endorsements or guaranteed quotas. All applicants must satisfy 100 % of requirements.

2. Application Assessment Workflow

2.1 Pre-assessment

Upload a complete electronic application, including:

• CAD $2,500 non-refundable processing fee
• Third-party Net-Worth Verification Report (KPMG or MNP)
• All supporting documents per the check-lists

Incomplete files are closed; you must re-enter the EOI pool to restart.

2.2 Integrity Checks

Misrepresentation or omission leads to rejection and a 24-month ban on future EOIs/applications.

2.3 Interview & BPA

If eligible, attend a final interview (in-person / video). Upon approval you receive and must return a signed BPA within 20 days.

2.4 Temporary Work Permit

• SINP issues an Approval Letter + TWP Support Letter (LMIA-exempt code C11).
• Apply to IRCC for the TWP within 3 months; arrive in Saskatchewan within 18 months.

Failure to obtain the TWP renders the SINP file ineligible.

3. Expression of Interest (EOI) System

• EOIs are scored/ranked via the Entrepreneur Points Grid; only top profiles receive an Invitation to Submit an Application (ISA).
• Minimum entry criteria before an EOI may be filed:
  - Net business + personal assets ≥ CAD $500k
  - ≥ 3 years entrepreneurial/management experience in last 10 years
  - Investment plan: ≥ CAD $300k in Regina/Saskatoon or ≥ CAD $200k elsewhere.

Invited applicants must include a detailed Business Establishment Plan (BEP) covering ownership (≥ 33 1/3 % unless investing ≥ $1 million), day-to-day management, sector, location and - within Regina/Saskatoon - creation of two non-family Canadian/permanent-resident jobs.

4. Eligible & Ineligible Businesses

4.1 Core Eligibility

A business must:

• Operate for profit as a sole-proprietorship, partnership or corporation
• Hold a permanent establishment in Saskatchewan per ITA §400(2)
• Satisfy all municipal/legal requirements and deliver clear economic benefit.

4.2 Purchasing an Existing Business

Additional points apply if buying a business that:

• Has had continuous operation ≥ 3 years under the same owner
• Transfers 100 % ownership to the applicant(s) at fair-market value
• Retains all staff, wages and terms of employment.

Extra conditions exist where the seller was a SINP Entrepreneur Nominee (≥ 5 years in operation post-PR, 2 of 3 recent years profitable, etc.)

4.3 Joint Ventures

Joint EOIs must be filed simultaneously; each partner is assessed individually and must sign a separate BPA. Failure by one partner to comply requires BPA revisions by the rest.

4.4 Business Types Not Eligible

Seasonal operations, wholesale trading, passive real-estate, pay-day lending, home-based B&Bs, co-ops, professional practices requiring licensure, and ventures centred in multi-business incubator condos reliant on SINP investment are ineligible.

5. Minimum Eligible Investment

Wages/salaries to the applicant or family are never eligible.

6. Net-Worth Verification

After an ISA, engage KPMG or MNP Ltd. to produce a Third-Party Verification Report following the SINP checklist; upload the final report by the stated deadline.

7. Business Performance Agreement (BPA) Changes

• Arrival meeting must occur within 90 days; mid-term Business Establishment Report lodged.
• Change requests require evidence of genuine efforts and will be judged case-by-case - approval not guaranteed.
• Moves between Regina/Saskatoon CMAs and rural communities are prohibited.

8. Nomination & Permanent Residence

To request nomination you must:

1. Have resided in Saskatchewan and operated the business ≥ 6 months (meeting all BPA terms for ≥ 12 months).
2. Maintain legal status (ensure ≥ 12 months remain on your TWP when applying).
3. Submit the Nomination - Required Documents** package via the online portal.

Once nominated, IRCC conducts health, security and criminality checks before issuing permanent-resident visas.

9. Forms & Check-lists

Provincial (initial stage)

• Application Guide for the Entrepreneur Category
• SINP Entrepreneur Category Document Checklist
• Third-Party Entrepreneur Category Document Checklist
• SINP-EF-002 Accumulation of Funds
• Translator Affidavit
• Ethical Conduct Disclosure & Consent

Provincial (nomination stage)

• Application for Nomination for Permanent Residence

Federal (IRCC)

• IMM 0008, 5669, 5406, 5476, etc. (standard economic-class set)
• Schedule 4 & 4A (Entrepreneurs / Self-Employed)
• Employer Portal – TWP User Guide

10. Using Representatives & Designated Individuals

Representation is optional. Lawyers must be in good standing with a Canadian law society; consultants must be licensed by Saskatchewan. Use IMM 5476 to appoint (or cancel) a representative; use IMM 5475 to authorise another individual to receive information.