SINP Farm Owner or Operator

The Farm Owner and Operator sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) offers applicants and their families the opportunity to immigrate to Saskatchewan in order to buy and operate a farm in the province.

This sub-category is designed to attract prospective immigrants with proven experience in agriculture, substantial capital to invest in a farming operation, and a genuine intention to settle in Saskatchewan.

Under this sub-category, applicants must make an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan before applying to the SINP. The visit must last at least five business days, during which the applicant meets a representative of the SINP.

Minimum requirements

Requirements for candidates

To qualify as a farm owner/operator, an applicant must:

• Have a minimum net worth of $500,000 CAD, verified by a professional third party approved by the Ministry;
• Demonstrate through documentation that the declared net worth was accumulated by legal means, verified by a professional third party approved by the Ministry;
  • The third party must also verify that the declared net worth of the applicant’s spouse was accumulated by legal means.
• Have relevant farm operation knowledge and experience, evidenced by documentation;
  • This refers to active ownership of a farming operation using agricultural methods similar to those used in Saskatchewan-based agriculture.
  • Applicants must demonstrate how this knowledge and experience relates to actively owning and operating a farm in Saskatchewan through submission of a Résumé and a Farm Establishment Plan (FEP).
  • The Résumé must clearly identify the applicant’s other work experience (if any), including job titles, places of work, responsibilities and business skills.
• Have a viable, carefully considered proposal for a commercial farming opportunity in Saskatchewan.
  • The viability of the farming proposal refers to the feasibility of establishing the proposed farming operation in Saskatchewan.
  • The proposal must clearly demonstrate the applicant’s intention to settle in the province.

Minimum requirements for the Young Farmer stream

Applicants under 40 years of age who meet the modified criteria of the farm sub-category may be considered for nomination under the Young Farmer Stream. To qualify under this stream, an applicant must:

• Have a minimum net worth of $300,000 CAD, verified by a professional third party approved by the Ministry;
• Demonstrate through documentation that the declared net worth was accumulated by legal means, verified by a professional third party approved by the Ministry;
• Have relevant farm operation knowledge and experience, evidenced by documentation;
• Have at least 3 (three) years of experience in:
  • Farm ownership;
  • Farm management; or
  • Practical farming experience;
• Have a viable, carefully considered proposal for a commercial farming opportunity in Saskatchewan;
• Have the potential to supplement their farm income with the marketable employment skills of a spouse or common-law partner, based on their education and experience.

Exploratory visit

To be considered under the SINP Farm Owner and Operator sub-category, an applicant must make an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan. The visit must take place before applying to the SINP and last a minimum of 5 (five) business days. During the trip, the applicant is expected to carry out comprehensive research into the Saskatchewan agricultural industry and community through meetings with service professionals. Finally, the applicant is expected to meet a representative of the SINP to discuss the proposed farming operation while in Saskatchewan.

Business performance agreement and refundable deposit

If the application is approved for nomination, the applicant receives a Nomination Approval and Deposit Request Letter, together with a Business Performance Agreement. The Business Performance Agreement must be signed by the applicant, thereby committing them to purchase and actively operate a farming business in Saskatchewan. The letter provides instructions on how to make the required $75,000 CAD Good Faith Deposit, which is tied to the requirements of the performance agreement.

Refund of the deposit

To have the deposit refunded, the candidate must submit a Deposit Refund Request to the SINP. This may be done:

• Within two (2) years of arriving in Saskatchewan;
• Once all terms of the Business Performance Agreement have been met; and
• Once the candidate can demonstrate that they have actively invested in the Saskatchewan farm for no less than six (6) months.

The SINP assesses this application against the criteria set out in the Business Performance Agreement.

• If the SINP determines that all conditions for refunding the deposit have been met, the full CAD 75,000 deposit is refunded together with any accrued interest.
• If the SINP determines that the conditions for a refund have not been met, the candidate is advised of the criteria they must meet before the deposit can be refunded.
• If the SINP determines that the candidate does not intend to become a permanent resident, settle in Saskatchewan, or meet the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement, the deposit and any accrued interest are forfeited to the province.
• If the SINP determines that the candidate has deliberately made a false statement and/or committed fraud in order to obtain permanent residence status, it will retain the deposit and any accrued interest.
• If the candidate is approved for nomination but is unable to accept it on compassionate grounds, the full deposit is refunded together with any accrued interest.

Farm establishment plan

The Farm Establishment Plan (FEP) must be a coherent and carefully considered plan for settling successfully and developing a business in Saskatchewan. The FEP should show that the candidate has carried out extensive research into the economic and market factors relevant to the proposed farming operation. The candidate must also consider their own management strengths and weaknesses.

A third party may help the candidate develop the FEP; it is essential, however, that the candidate has full knowledge and understanding of their own plan. Where a candidate does not know the contents of the FEP, they will be assessed accordingly and may be deemed ineligible.

The FEP must cover the following:

• The proposed industry/sector (NAICS code);
• The proposed investment amount;
• The number of jobs to be created for Saskatchewan residents;
• The management contribution the nominee will make to the proposed farming operation;
• Start-up funds and forecast costs;
• Information on business ownership;
• The proposed location of the farming operation;
• Preparation and training for farming in Saskatchewan (including course titles and institution names, where applicable);
• A list of visits made and/or planned to Saskatchewan, where applicable (including: dates, purpose, agenda, inviting organisation, etc.);
• The plan for establishing residence in Saskatchewan;
• The names, organisations, mailing addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of the contracted professional business service providers the applicant has contacted and/or with whom they have established an active working relationship or a paid contractual agreement;
• The name, organisation name, postal address, email and telephone number of the person who prepared the FEP;
• A summary of those contracted or consulted during preparation of the FEP.

When not to apply

A candidate is deemed ineligible under this sub-category if they:

• Do not meet one or more of the eligibility criteria listed above;
• (or any dependent family member, accompanying or not) have a serious medical condition;
• (or any dependent family member over 18, accompanying or not) has a criminal record;
• Have an unresolved custody or child support dispute affecting any member of their family;
• Deliberately make a false statement during the application process;
• Deliberately commit fraud during the application process.