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MN Group

Saskatchewan Entrepreneur and Farm Category

Have a minimum of $500,000 (CAD) in Net Business and Personal Assets.

Have at least three years of relevant business management or entrepreneurial experience gained in the past ten years.

Plan to invest a minimum of $300,000 (CAD) in Regina and Saskatoon, or a minimum of $200,000 (CAD) in all other Saskatchewan communities.

Your ownership of at least one-third (33 1/3 per cent) of the equity of a business in Saskatchewan, unless your total investment is $1 million CAD or higher.

Your commitment to the day-to-day management of the business.

The creation of two employment opportunities in Saskatchewan for Canadians or permanent residents who are not related to you*.

You will need to obtain a TWP to run your business in Saskatchewan. You must submit your SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter with your application for a TWP to the federal government within three months of receiving it.

To apply for a TWP:

  • First register in IRCC’s Employer Portalas the employer of your business (as a self-employed person).
    • You will need to pay an employer compliance fee of $230 but are exempt from the LMIA fee.
    • If you do not have a Canada Revenue Agency number, you can contact the Employer Portal mailbox CIC.EmployerPortal-Portaildelemployeur.CIC@cic.gc.ca for more help.
  • Visit the Employer Portal Welcome page and find the “What would you like to do today?” section. Click “Access the offer of employment queue.”
  • Enter your personal information in the section for “Your online offer of employment” and send your work permit application to IRCC – showing that you have an “Exemption from Labour Market Impact Assessment” as the type of work permit in the “Details of Intended Work in Canada” section. The Entrepreneurs’ LMIA Exemption code is C11. See the Employer Portal user guide if you have questions.

There are four steps of Application:

  1. Expression of Interest (EOI) submission to the SINP
  2. EOI Selection and Invitation to Submit an Application
    • A candidate’s EOI is selected based on points. Those with the highest points are selected during each draw. The number selected depends on program requirements.
    • After candidates are invited to apply, applications are processed in the order they are received.
  3. Business Establishment
  4. Nomination

Your SINP Application Assessment

  • Before your application will be assessed, you must submit:
    • Application processing fee.
    • Third party verification report.
    • Electronic application including all supporting documents.
  • Only complete applications will be accepted.
    • Incomplete applications will be closed.
    • If your application has been closed and you wish to reapply, you must submit a new EOI.
  • Your application will be assessed using the Entrepreneur Eligibility Criteria and your EOI Points Assessment will be confirmed.
    • A Business Immigration Officer may contact you for more information or for an in-person interview.
  • If you do not meet the program’s Eligibility Criteria, your application will be ineligible.
    • If your application is found ineligible, all submitted information will be removed. You can submit a new EOI once you meet program criteria.
  • If the SINP finds your score on the Points Assessment Grid to be different from what you claimed (due to intentional misrepresentation), or that you or any person associated with your application did not include relevant information or gave misleading information:
    • Your application will be rejected.
    • You will not be permitted to submit an EOI or application to the SINP for two years.
  • If you meet the criteria, you will be contacted for a final interview. This could be in-person or through video conferencing.
  • Upon completion of your final interview, you will be sent a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) to review and sign.
    • Your BPA is your legal agreement with the Government of Saskatchewan.
    • It will state the amount you will invest in your business and the business sector you will operate your business under. The BPA will also list other information based upon your Business Establishment Plan.
    • You must email your BPA to the SINP within 20 days.
    • Once we get your signed and dated BPA, we will issue a SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter that includes instructions on how to apply to IRCC for a Temporary Work Permit (TWP), along with a Temporary Work Permit Support Letter. The letter is issued for your application to IRCC for a TWP. A TWP allows you to settle and run your business in Saskatchewan.
    • You must apply to IRCC for your TWP within three months of the date on the SINP Approval letter.
    • You must arrive within 18 months of being issued the original Temporary Work Permit Support Letter.
    • If IRCC refuses your TWP application, your SINP application will be ineligible.

To qualify for nomination, you and your immediate family must be residing in Saskatchewan and you must meet the terms of your BPA, including:

  • Transferring your funds to Canada.
  • Maintaining legal status in Canada.
  • Running your business in accordance with your BPA for at least six months before requesting nomination.

To ensure you maintain legal status in Canada, you are encouraged to have at least six months remaining on your TWP when you apply for nomination. You are responsible for maintaining your legal status in Canada in line with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

  • Once you have fulfilled your BPA and operated your business for at least six months, you will be eligible to apply to the SINP for nomination.
  • The SINP will assess your application for nomination on your compliance with your BPA and other criteria.
  • Send your application for nomination using the SINP online system. See Nomination Request – Required Documents for the list of documents you must give.
  • If approved for nomination the SINP will:
    • Send a nomination certificate to IRCC.
    • Send a nomination letter to you explaining how to send your permanent residency application to the IRCC Centralized Intake Office (CIO).

PR Application

Once you’ve successfully completed the steps above, you may apply for permanent residency. To gain permanent residence status, you must apply to IRCC with your SINP nomination.

  • Ensure you maintain your legal status in Canada.
  • Have a valid TWP while you are waiting for IRCC to process your permanent residence application.

IRCC is responsible for assessing each nominee’s eligibility for Permanent Residence. It completes health, security and criminality reviews. It may also ask for any other information it thinks is needed. If approved, IRCC will issue visas to you and your family members, as applicable.

  • The SINP is not responsible for IRCC’s decision to grant or deny Permanent Residence status.

Eligible Businesses

To be eligible your businesses must:

  • Create economic benefit for Saskatchewan.
  • Be an existing business or a new business meeting economic needs in Saskatchewan.

Eligible businesses should also include the following:

  • Be sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations.
  • Meet the legal requirements of the community they operate in.
  • Be a for-profit entity
  • Be a “permanent establishment” as defined under subsection 400(2) of the Canadian Income Tax Regulations, 1985.

Additional points are available if you are buying an existing business.

  • The business must have been in ongoing operation in Saskatchewan by the same owner for the past three years (before purchase).
  • You must complete an exploratory visit to meet the previous owners.
  • You must establish a fair market value for the business.
  • There must be a complete change in ownership to you.
  • You must maintain employment for existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
  • You must keep the existing wages and employment terms.

If the previous owner of the business you want to buy is a SINP Entrepreneur nominee:

  • The business must have been in ongoing operation by the previous owner for at least three years and show a net profit for at least two years. (This should be found in the business registration and licence documents, or financial statements.)
  • The previous owner must be either a Permanent Resident or a Canadian Citizen.
  • You must complete an exploratory visit to meet the current owners.
  • You must establish a fair market value for the business.
  • There must be a complete change in ownership to you.
  • You must maintain employment for existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
  • You must keep the existing wages and employment terms.
  • If you are proposing a joint venture with another SINP applicant in:
  • The operation of a new business;
  • The purchase of an existing business; or
  • A partnership with a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen:
    • The business must have been in ongoing operation in Saskatchewan by the same owner for the past three years (before purchase).
    • All applicants must complete an exploratory visit to meet the previous owners or business partners.
    • All applicants must establish a fair market value for the business.
    • There must be a complete change in ownership to you and your business partner(s).
    • You must maintain employment for existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
    • All applicants must clearly indicate on their application forms that they are proposing a joint venture with a program applicant or a permanent resident or Canadian citizen.
    • Each partner must send their individual EOI at the same time.
    • Each partner will be evaluated separately. They will be selected if they meet the eligibility criteria and earn points separately.
    • If any partner is not selected from the EOI pool, other applicants must update their business proposal.
    • If all partners are selected from the EOI pool and approved, each partner must sign a separate Business Performance Agreement.
    • If the SINP finds that a partner failed to meet their individual Business Performance Agreement, remaining partners must update their agreement to continue to meet program criteria. This includes changes to the investment amount.

Ineligible Businesses

The following are business types that do not qualify for the SINP Entrepreneur category:

  • Property rental, investment, and leasing activities.
  • Real estate construction, development, brokerage
  • Insurance brokerage or business brokerage.
  • Professional services or self-employed business operators requiring licensing or accreditation.
  • Pay day loan, cheque cashing, money changing and cash machines.
  • Credit unions.
  • Home-based businesses, including bed-and-breakfasts and lodging houses.
  • Co-operatives.
  • Businesses operated primarily for passive investment income.
  • Any business located in a multi-business retail condo or business incubator project that is targeted to and/or dependent on investment from SINP entrepreneurs for the development, completion or ongoing operation of the project.

Investment Requirements

Investments are assessed based on whether or not they are vital to:

  • Starting and operating a new business.
  • Purchasing, improving and operating an existing business.

Not all investments will be eligible, while others will be eligible within limitations.

Minimum investment requirements are:

  • The purchase of real estate (new businesses only).
    • You must show that the real estate is vital to the business. SINP will only consider up to 50 per cent of this total.
  • The purchase of existing business assets or equity (including inventory).
  • Operating expenses and start-up costs. (Up to the first six months for new businesses and the first three months for existing businesses or new franchise locations.)
    • The cost of goods sold (COGS): Up to three times the average monthly COGS over a six-month period for new businesses. Up one times the average monthly COGS over a six-month period for existing businesses.
    • Operating expenses and start-up costs: Operating expenses refers to monthly expenses like rent, wages and utilities. Start-up costs refer to expenses of starting a business, like marketing, insurance or supplies.
  • Cash and receivables are based on industry standards and the size and scope of the business. SINP will only consider up to 15 per cent of this total.

Wages or salaries paid to you or your family members are not considered eligible expenses.