SINP International Graduate Entrepreneur

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) International Graduate Entrepreneur category offers a route to permanent residence in Canada for international students who have graduated from eligible institutions in Saskatchewan and who wish to start, acquire or become a partner in an eligible business in the province.

Candidates must be international students who have graduated from full-time post-secondary degree or diploma programmes of at least two years and must have anExpression of Interest (EOI)registered with the SINP.

If invited to apply and approved, participants must operate and manage a business in Saskatchewan for at least one year and own at least one-third of the equity of an eligible business in order to receive a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

Minimum requirements of the SINP Entrepreneur stream

Requirements for candidates

To qualify under the SINP International Graduate Entrepreneur category, a candidate must:

• Be aged 21 or over;
• Have completed a full-time post-secondary degree or diploma programme of at least two (2) years at an institution in Saskatchewan listed as aDesignated Learning Institution (DLI)by the federal government of Canada. (Distance-learning programmes and accelerated academic programmes are not eligible);
• Have a validPost-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)valid with at least two (2) years of validity remaining;
• Have lived in Saskatchewan throughout their academic programme;
• Have a validCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)level 7.

Note: candidates who meet the minimum eligibility criteria and are invited to apply must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of their Business Establishment Plan (BEP).

Business establishment criteria

To be considered for a nomination for permanent residence in Canada from the SINP, a candidate must meet the following criteria:

• Live in Saskatchewan;
• Own and operate the business for at least one (1) year before applying for nomination;
• Own at least one-third (33.33%) of the business, make a verifiable direct investment in it and take an active part in day-to-day management;
• Sign a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) with the Government of Saskatchewan once the application is approved.

Note: if a candidate begins operating a business before submitting an EOI, they may not be eligible for selection from the EOI pool or for SINP approval.

Application process

The application and nomination process through the International Graduate Entrepreneur category comprises four steps:

1. Submit an EOI to the SINP: candidates express their interest to the SINP by completing an EOI profile. Those who meet the minimum eligibility criteria are entered into the EOI candidate pool and scored against a points grid.
2. Invitation to Apply: the highest-scoring candidates are selected from the EOI pool. Candidates who pass the SINP assessment stage must then sign a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) based on the Business Establishment Plan (BEP) submitted earlier.
3. Establish the business: those approved who hold a valid PGWP actively operate the proposed business. They must establish the business under the terms set out in the BPA and meet the BPA requirements before the PGWP expires.
4. Nomination: once the BPA conditions are met, the candidate may apply for a provincial nomination for permanent residence. Nominees must continue to meet the terms of the BPA throughout the permanent residence application. If a candidate closes or sells the business after receiving the SINP nomination and before obtaining permanent residence status, the nomination will be withdrawn.

When not to apply

Candidates should not apply if they:

• Are a refugee claimant in Canada;
• Are living in Canada unlawfully;
• Are inadmissible to Canada;
• Have been issued a removal order by IRCC or the Canada Border Services Agency;
• Deliberately make a false statement in their application.