Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Category

Saskatchewan Province Nominated Entrepreneur Category (SINP Entrepreneur Category) is mainly to attract entrepreneurial talents. Applicants need to acquire a business in Saskatchewan, or operate a partnership business, actively participate in management of the business, and settle in Saskatchewan. The applicant first checks whether the application conditions are met, and then uses the Saskatchewan scoring system to self-assess whether the score is enough. If both are met, the applicant can submit EOI of Saskatchewan.

Since EOI adopts a scoring system and the principle of high priority, for applicants, a 5-working-day inspection in Saskatchewan and at least 4.5 IELTS scores are very important for ranking. For the areas of investment, Saskatchewan hopes to promote the local economy, such as trade, production, and technology, while restricting investment in profitable enterprises.

Basic Requirements

1. Personal net assets of 500,000 Canadian dollars;

2. Investment in Regina and Saskatoon regions is at least 300,000 Canadian dollars, and investment in other regions is at least 200,000 Canadian dollars;

3. At least three years of entrepreneurial or senior management experience in the past ten years;

4. Satisfy the scoring system of EOI (the score ranges from 80 to 115, and the latest invitation is the minimum score of 115 invited in January 2019;

5. Investment within designated industries;

6. More than 33.3% ownership, unless the investment amount is more than 1 million Canadian dollars;

7. Able to actively manage the company;

8. The new company needs to create at least two jobs for Canadian residents or citizens, and the purchase of an existing company requires that the number of employees at the time of purchase must be maintained.

Investment Enterprise Requirements

Unqualified companies for investment immigration in Saskatchewan, Canada

1. House leasing, investment; real estate construction/development/brokerage, insurance brokerage or business brokerage;

2. Professional services or self-employed persons who need to be licensed or certified;

3. Payday loans, check cashing, currency exchange and ATMs;

4. Credit unions;

5. Home-based businesses, including bed and breakfast businesses;

6. Cooperatives;

7. Invest in companies that have obtained passive investment income as their main business.

Requirements for Buying an Existing Business

1. It must be operated by the same entrepreneur in the past three years;

2. Need to complete the business inspection;

3. It is necessary to prove that the purchase price is in line with market conditions;

4. When purchasing an existing enterprise, the applicant needs to prove that he has enough shares to fully manage the company;

5. Maintain the current number of Canadian citizen employees and salary levels.

If the former owner of the existing enterprise is also a SINP Entrepreneur nominee, two additional requirements

1. It must be operated by the same entrepreneur in the past three years and has generated net profits in at least two years;

2. The former business owner must be a PR or a Canadian citizen (already obtained the status).

Investment in joint ventures for provincial nominee applicants

1. Two applicants should submit their applications at the same time, and they should be reviewed independently;

2. If any one of the investors is not invited, the invited applicant needs to resubmit the business plan;

3. If all applicants are invited, no one needs to sign the Business Performance Agreement alone.

Application Process 

1. Business inspection, the applicant will go to Saskatchewan for a 5-day business inspection accompanied by the applicant, including attending the meeting of the Immigration Bureau, meeting with immigration lawyers, business lawyers, accountants, on-site inspection of possible investment projects, enterprises, and preliminary determination of investment intentions company;

2. Fill in the EOI to the Saskatchewan Immigration Bureau;

3. Invited by the Saskatchewan Immigration Bureau, after receiving the invitation, pay the application fee to Saskatchewan, which must be a bank wire transfer;

4. Edit the business plan, review the immigration history, and submit materials to the Saskatchewan Immigration Bureau within three months of being invited;

5. Pass the third-party audit to prove the assets (real estate, bank deposits, corporate assets, etc.) and legal source audit. The third-party audit must be completed by a designated agency (KPMG and MNP). After the confirmation is passed, the Immigration Bureau will start to review the application, and the review time is about two months;

6. The interview with the immigration officer takes about two weeks to wait for the result;

7. Sign an investment agreement Business Performance Agreement. If you are creating a new company, you need to register the company in Saskatchewan, submit to the Federal Immigration Bureau for filing, register the position, and obtain an A number;

8. A work visa support letter issued by the Saskatchewan Immigration Bureau;

9. Apply for and obtain a work visa;

10. (If necessary) Spouse's open work permit application, children's study visa application;

11. Complete the requirements listed on the Business Performance Agreement of the investment agreement and submit a report to Saskatchewan;

12. The Saskatchewan Immigration Bureau issues a nomination letter;

13. Prepare application materials for the federal stage, including non-criminal certificates, marriage information, academic certificates, etc., and apply for permanent resident status to the Federal Immigration Service;

Timeline: Obtain a work visa about 1 year after submitting the application, land in Canada after getting the work permit and actively manage the company. After 6 months of operating the company, you can submit a report and nomination application to the Saskatchewan Immigration Bureau, and the Saskatchewan nomination is approved It takes about 1 year. After being nominated by Saskatchewan, it takes 12-19 months to submit to the Federal Immigration Service. From the time of submitting the application to getting the PR card, it took about 3 years and 3 and a half years.

Program Advantages

1. No strict language requirements;

2. Asset review is more lenient than other investment immigration projects;

3. Ready-made enterprises can be purchased.