Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream is a pathway that enables eligible applicants to begin or own a business in the province of Saskatchewan and settle in the province as a permanent resident. This article will provide detailed information about the eligibility requirements and application process of the Entrepreneur Stream in the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
Table of Contents
- Eligibility Requirements
- SINP EOI Assessment Grid
- Application Process
- Documents Required
- Ineligible businesses
- SINP Entrepreneur Stream Draws
Eligibility requirements for SINP Entrepreneur Pathway
Before submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream, you must ensure that you meet all the eligibility criteria mentioned below.
| Eligibility Criteria | Qualifying requirements |
|---|---|
| EOI points | While submitting an Expression of Interest to the SINP, you will be required to complete an EOI assessment grid. The SINP points calculator for the Entrepreneur pathway is different from the SINP calculator for International Skilled Workers. |
| Minimum Assets’ Value | You must possess at least $500,000 Canadian Dollars as business and personal assets. These assets must be verified. Your assets must have been acquired legally. |
| Business Experience | You must have at least three years of business or entrepreneurial experience within the last ten years before submitting your Expression of Interest. |
| Minimum Investment | If you want to establish your business in Regina or Saskatoon, it is mandatory to make a minimum equity investment of $300,000 CAD. If your business is in any other Saskatchewan community, the mandatory equity investment requirement is $200,000. |
| Business Establish Plan | If you are invited to apply in the SINP Entrepreneur draws, you will be required to submit a detailed Business Establish plan |
| Residence | You and your family members must be living in the province of Saskatchewan |
| Job Creation | If you are establishing a new business through the SINP Entrepreneur pathway, it is mandatory to create and maintain at least two jobs. These jobs should be exclusively for either Canadians or Permanent Residents. |
| Eligible Business | Your proposed business must fulfill the requirements of the Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement, 2005. |
SINP EOI Assessment Grid for Entrepreneur Pathway
Your Expression Of Interest or EOI for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream will be scored based on the following factors:
- Human Capital – 75 points
- Business Experience- 50 points
- Business Establishment Plan- 35 points
The EOI will be scored out of 160 points. The complete EOI assessment grid for the SINP Entrepreneur program is tabulated below.
EOI points for Human Capital factors – 75 points
Human Capital factors include:
- Age – 15 points
- Exploratory Visits – 15 points
- Language Proficiency – 15 points
- Academic proficiency – 15 points
- Assets – 15 points
| EOI Scoring Factors | Points |
|---|---|
| Age <20 years 21-29 years 30-39 years 40- 54 years 55+ | 15 00 10 15 10 00 |
| Exploratory Visit | 15 |
| Language Proficiency No test CLB 4 CLB 5 CLB 6 or higher | 15 00 05 10 15 |
| Academic Proficiency 1-year full-time trade or occupational certification Bachelor’s degree or postgraduate degree or any designation in business, agriculture, or tech field | 15 10 15 |
| Net Assets (in Canadian Dollars) $500,000 – $549,999 CAD $550,000 – $749,999 CAD $750,000 – $999,999 CAD $1,000,000 CAD or more | 15 00 05 10 15 |
EOI Points Business Experience – 50 points
The EOI score for business or entrepreneurial experience is tabulated below.
| EOI Scoring factors | Points |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial or Farming experience 4 to 7 years 8+ years 4 to 7 years with more than 50% business ownership 8+ years with more than 50% business ownership | 20 10 15 15 20 |
| Business Revenue $50,000 – $99,999 CAD $100,000 – $249,999 CAD $250,000 – $499,999 CAD $500,000 CAD+ | 20 05 10 15 20 |
| Innovation Export Trade Registered Patents Gazelle business | 10 10 10 10 |
EOI points for Business Establishment Plan – 35 points
| EOI Scoring Factors | Points |
|---|---|
| Amount of Investment $200,000 – $349,999 CAD $350,000 – $499,999 CAD $500,000 – $749,999 CAD $750,000 – $999,999CAD $1,000,000+ CAD | 20 00 05 10 15 20 |
| Economic Sectors of Investment Science and Technology Manufacturing Export Rural Business succession Rural Business development | 15 |
Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream – Complete Application Process
The application process for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream consists of the following steps:
- Assess your eligibility
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and complete the assessment grid
- Get an Invitation to Apply or ITA in the SINP draws for Entrepreneurs
- Get a SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter and a two-year temporary work permit
- Establish and implement the business plan
- If successful, get the provincial nomination by the SINP and apply for Canada PR
Step 1: Creating an account and Determining SINP Category
The very first step for applying to the SINP Entrepreneur Stream is to register and create an account on SINP OASIS or the Online Application System. Once you have created an account, determine your SINP category as shown in the images below.
Step 2: Eligibility and Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI)
Once you have verified that you are eligible to apply for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). The submission of EOI is the first step in the application process for Entrepreneurs. While completing the Expression of Interest, you will be scored and awarded points. Make sure that you complete and submit your EOI within 30 days of initiating the process. An example of the EOI for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream is displayed in the images below.
Your Expression of interest will be given points according to your answers to the questions as demonstrated in the images.
Step 3: Get an Invitation to Apply
If your EOI is among the highest-scoring candidates, you will get an Invitation to Apply. The SINP will send you an Invitation to Submit an Application or ISA letter. You must complete and submit your application within 90 days of receiving the ISA.
Step 4: Submitting an Application
After getting an Invitation to Submit an Application (ISA) letter, a file number will be assigned to you. Upload all documents that accurately correspond to the Expression of Interest. Any discrepancies might lead to rejection and a 2-year ban on submitting a new EOI. At this stage, you will need to:
- Pay application fee: After getting an ISA letter, you will need to pay a non-refundable processing fee of $2,500 CAD. The deadline for the application fee is within 20 days of getting the application invitation.
- Select your third-party finance service provider: The SINP uses third-party financial service providers to examine applicants’ net worth and its accumulation. There are two finance service providers used by the SINP – KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler) and MNP Ltd. (Meyers Norris Penny). You must select one of these two service providers to prepare your Third-party Verification Report. You must do so within 20 days of receiving the ISA letter.
- Submit Business Establishment Plan: You will also be required to submit a complete and detailed Business Establishment Plan within 90 days of getting an ISA letter.
- Submission of Application: A complete electronic application with all the updated and accurate documents must be submitted within 90 days of getting the ISA letter.
- Submit Third-Party Verification Report: Submit a complete report within 6 months or 180 days of getting an application invitation. Your application will be processed only after you have submitted the third-party verification report.
Step 5: Application Assessment and Business Performance Agreement
Once you have submitted a complete application, the SINP will assess it for completeness and accuracy. A Business Immigration Officer (BIO) might ask for additional information or call you for an interview. Once your application meets all the requirements, and has been completely reviewed, you will be called for a final interview. After the interview is successful, you will get a Business Performance Agreement or BPA for review and signature. A Business Performance Agreement or BPA is:
- A legal agreement with Saskatchewan
- Officially states the amount of business investment and your business sector.
- Additional detailed information about the functioning of your business.
You will have 30 days to sign and submit the BPA to the SINP.
Step 6: Getting the SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter
Once your application is approved and you have submitted a signed Business Performance Agreement to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), you will get a SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter and a Temporary Work Permit Support (TWP) Letter. You must apply for TWP to IRCC within three months or 90 days. If your application for a Temporary Work Permit is rejected by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, the SINP application will also become ineligible.
Step 7: Arriving in Saskatchewan
- After you successfully get a Temporary Work Permit from IRCC, you must arrive in Saskatchewan and attend the arrival meeting within 18 months of getting your SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter.
- Meet a designated business service provider within 3 months or 90 days of arriving in Canada.
- Begin to operate your business as per the Business Performance Agreement within 6 months of arriving in Saskatchewan.
- Submit the Business Establishment Progress Report within a year or 12 months from landing in Canada.
Step 8: Provincial Nomination and Canada PR
To qualify for provincial nomination through the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur stream, you and your immediate family must be living in Saskatchewan. Moreover, you must comply with the Business Performance Agreement successfully for at least 6 months before requesting for nomination.
The SINP will assess your nomination application based on your BPA and other subjective criteria. If successful, you will receive:
- A provincial nomination letter along with additional directions to apply for Canada PR
- The SINP will also send provincial nomination certificate to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
You must apply for Canada PR through the Provincial Nominee Program within 6 months or 180 days from becoming a provincial nominee.
Documents Required for SINP Entrepreneur Pathway
The documentation list for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream is exhaustive and varies with individual application. You will be required to submit documents for the SINP Entrepreneur category as well as for the Third Party Verification Report. The document checklist is linked below:
- SINP Entrepreneur Stream documents checklist
- Documents checklist for their-party finance service providers
All your documents must either be in English or French. If they are in any other language, you will need to submit a translated copy along with the original paperwork.
The translation must have been translated by a certified translator and should not be your spouse, family member or anyone who has prepared your SINP application.
Processing fee and time
The processing time for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream is 5 weeks from a complete application and third-party report submission.
The application processing fee for the SINP Entrepreneur pathway is $2,500 CAD. This application fee is non-refundable.
Ineligible businesses for the SINP Entrepreneur Pathway
You are ineligible to apply for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur category if your business belongs to the following domains:
- Investment, Property rental, and leasing services and activities
- Real Estate construction, development, brokerage, insurance brokerage, business brokerage, etc.
- Businesses related to incubator projects that are dependent on investment, development, or completion from SINP entrepreneurs
- Credit Unions
- Co-operatives
- Home-based businesses such as bed and breakfast lodging homes
- Businesses operating for passive investment income
- Business operators or Professional services that need licensing.
SINP Entrepreneur Stream Draws
The SINP draws in the Entrepreneur stream for the year 2023 are tabulated below. Approximately 209 applicants were invited through this pathway.
| Date | EOI Score | Total selections | Additional criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd November 2023 | Lowest Score: 115 Average Score:130 Highest Score: 155 | 13 | Applicants with a score of 120 or more were invited to Apply. Applicants with a 115 EOI score were invited only if they had CLB 6 or more. |
| September 2023 | Lowest Score: 105 Average Score:115 Highest Score: 140 | 23 | Applicants with a score of 110 or more invited to Apply. Applicants with 105 EOI score were invited only if they had CLB 6 or more. |
| July 2023 | Lowest Score: 105 Average Score:110 Highest Score: 125 | 35 | – |
| May 2023 | Lowest Score: 100 Average Score:105 Highest Score: 125 | 34 | – |
| March 2023 | Lowest Score: 80 Average Score: 95 Highest Score: 135 | 54 | – |
| January 2023 | Lowest Score: 80 Average Score: 90 Highest Score: 130 | 50 | Applicants with a score of 85 or more invited to Apply. Applicants with 80 EOI score were invited only if they had CLB 6 or more. |
The Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Stream attracts applicants with entrepreneurial acumen to the province and assists them to settle and contribute to its economy. If you aim to settle in Saskatchewan as a businessman, this is the best option for you. Talent Connected Worldwide is India’s number one CICC-licensed immigration consultancy firm that holds the highest success rate for Canada PR. Get your profile assessed by our immigration experts and establish your business in Saskatchewan in no time.
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