SINP Entrepreneur

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) Entrepreneur category offers candidates the opportunity to start, acquire or become a partner in a business in Saskatchewan and to take an active part in managing it.

Nomination process

The nomination process comprises three steps:

Step 1: submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the SINP

Prospective immigrants express their wish to live in Saskatchewan and run a business in the province by providing information on their entrepreneurial experience, assets and Business Establishment Plan (BEP), among other factors, in an online survey.

Candidates who meet the minimum entry criteria are accepted into the EOI candidate pool, where they are ranked against the selection factors on the points criteria grid and scored.

Step 2: Invitation to Apply

Candidates are selected from the EOI system on the basis of their scores. The highest-scoring EOIs are given priority for selection and formal application.

Selected candidates receive an invitation to apply to the SINP under the Entrepreneur immigration sub-category.

The candidate then goes through a verification process. Those who pass this stage are issued an SINP Entrepreneur Approval Letter, which expresses support for the candidate’s request toImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)for a two-year temporary work permit, allowing the candidate to live and work lawfully in Saskatchewan while carrying out the business proposal.

Step 3: nomination

Once the candidate meets the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement, they may apply for an SINP nomination for permanent residence.

Requirements

Requirements for candidates

To be considered eligible under the Entrepreneur category, a candidate must:

• Meet the minimum entry criteria for submitting an EOI to the SINP:
  • A minimum net worth of CAD 500,000, verified by a professional third party approved by the Ministry;
  • Net worth accumulated through lawful means, at least 80% of it verified by a professional third party approved by the Ministry;
  • At least three (3) years of entrepreneurial experience in the past 10 (ten) years;
  • A minimum capital investment of CAD 300,000 in Regina or Saskatoon, or a minimum of CAD 200,000 in any other community in Saskatchewan.
• Hold, and be able to demonstrate, a thorough knowledge of their Business Establishment Plan (BEP);
• Own at least one-third (33.33%) of the equity of a business in Saskatchewan, unless their total investment is CAD 1,000,000 or more;
• Create or maintain a minimum of two (2) jobs for Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Saskatchewan (workers who are not relatives) if establishing a new business in Saskatoon or Regina;
• If purchasing an existing business in Saskatoon or Regina, the candidate must maintain the business’s headcount (Canadian citizens or permanent residents) as at the time of purchase.
• Live in Saskatchewan together with dependent family members; and
• Sign a Business Performance Agreement with the Government of Saskatchewan, provided by the SINP once the application is approved.

Requirements for the business

For a business to be considered eligible under this category, all of the following criteria must be met:

• The business must have the potential to generate economic benefit for Saskatchewan, as assessed by an SINP immigration officer;
• The business may be a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership or Corporation, but must meet the legal requirements of the community in which it operates;
• The business must be a for-profit entity whose principal purpose is to earn profit through the sale of goods and/or services;
• The business must be considered a “permanent establishment” as defined in subsection 400(2) of Canada’s Income Tax Regulations, 1985.

Additional requirements for business succession

If purchasing an existing business in Saskatchewan, the following requirements must be met:

• The business must have been operated continuously by the same owner for the past three (3) years;
• The candidate must make an exploratory visit to meet the previous owner;
• Reasonable efforts must be made to establish fair market value for the business;
• There must be a complete change of ownership, with the candidate taking full control of the business; and
• The candidate must undertake to maintain employment for existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents above the required minimum, and to maintain current wages and working conditions.

If purchasing an existing business in Saskatchewan from an SINP Entrepreneur Nominee, the following requirements must be met:

• The business must have been operated continuously by the previous owner for at least three (3) years;
• The business must show a net profit in at least two (2) of the previous three (3) years;
• The previous owner must be a Canadian permanent resident or citizen;
• The candidate must make an exploratory visit to meet the current owner;
• Reasonable efforts must be made to establish fair market value for the business;
• There must be a complete change of ownership, with the candidate taking full control of the business; and
• The candidate must undertake to maintain employment for existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Additional requirements for joint ventures between SINP candidates

If proposing a joint venture with another SINP candidate to operate a new business, purchase an existing business, or partner with a Canadian permanent resident or citizen, the following requirements must be met:

• The business must have been operated continuously by the same owner for the past three (3) years;
• The candidate must make an exploratory visit to meet the previous owner or business partner;
• Reasonable efforts must be made to establish fair market value for the business or the amount of the investment;
• Any succession must result in a complete change of ownership, with the candidates taking full control of the business;
• The candidate must maintain employment for existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents;
  • The candidate is not required to create additional jobs.
• The candidate must state on the application form that they are proposing a joint venture with a programme candidate or with a Canadian permanent resident or citizen, and identify the proposed business partners;
• Each prospective candidate must submit their individual EOI at the same time;

Note:

• Each prospective candidate in a joint venture application is assessed separately. Selection from the EOI pool for processing depends on their individual ability to meet the eligibility criteria and earn points.
• If one partner is not selected from the pool, all other partners must update their business proposal in order to remain eligible for the EOI points previously earned.
• If all partners are selected from the pool and approved, each signs a separate Business Performance Agreement, and each partner must meet the terms of their own agreement in order to be nominated.
• If one or more partners fail to meet the terms of their Business Performance Agreement, all remaining partners must update their performance agreement to ensure the programme criteria continue to be met.

Minimum investment requirement

An investment is considered eligible if it is required to establish and operate a new business, or to purchase, improve and operate an existing business. Certain investments may be treated as eligible within set limits.

Expression of interest points grid

Using a points assessment grid, applicants are awarded points for various factors across three categories: human capital, business experience and the business establishment plan.

Human Capital Factors

Item	Points
Age	Maximum 15 points
20 years of age or under	0
21-29 years of age	10
30-39 years of age	15
40-54 years of age	10
55 years of age or over	0
Exploratory Visit: Has made an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan of at least 5 (five) business days, with evidence of contact with relevant business connections.	Maximum 15 points
Official Language Ability (English or French)	Maximum 15 points
No language test	0
Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4	5
CLB 5	10
CLB 6 or above	15
Qualifications/Education	Maximum 15 points
Holds a trade or vocational certificate requiring at least 1 (one) year of full-time post-secondary training or an equivalent apprenticeship	10
Has completed a Bachelor’s degree or a postgraduate degree/certificate in Business, Agriculture or Science/Technology	15
Business and Personal Net Assets	Maximum 15 points
$500.000 – $549.999 CAD	0
$550.000 – $749.999 CAD	5
$750.000 – $999.999 CAD	10
$1,000,000 CAD or more	15

Business Experience

Item	Points
Entrepreneurial Experience	Up to 20 points
4 to 7 years of entrepreneurial experience	10
8 or more years of entrepreneurial experience	15
4 to 7 years of entrepreneurial experience with more than 50% ownership in the business	15
8 or more years of entrepreneurial experience with more than 50% ownership in the business	20
Business Turnover	Up to 20 points
$50.000 – $99.999 CAD	5
$100.000 – $249.999 CAD	10
$250.000 – $499.999 CAD	15
$500,000 CAD or more	20
Innovation: Verified prior experience in:	Up to 20 points
Export trade	10
Registered patents	10
A high-growth business	10

Business establishment plan

Item	Points
Investment Amount(Total capital to establish or purchase and expand an eligible business in Saskatchewan)	Up to 20 points
$200.000 – $349.999 CAD	0
$350.000 – $499.999 CAD	5
$500.000 – $749.999 CAD	10
$750.000 – $999.999 CAD	15
$1,000,000 CAD or more	20
Investment in Key Economic Sectors	Maximum 15 points
Science and technology	15
Manufacturing	15
Export	15
Rural business succession	15
Rural business development	15

Business establishment plan

The Business Establishment Plan (BEP) must be a coherent and carefully considered plan for settling successfully and developing a business in Saskatchewan.

The plan should set out the steps the applicant will take to give the business a reasonable chance of success and to make it operational on arrival.

The plan should also demonstrate that the business meets the minimum required investment level and that the applicant will take an active management role in it. The BEP should show that the applicant has researched the economic, market and cultural factors relevant to the proposed business in depth.

A third party may help the applicant develop the BEP; it is nonetheless essential that the applicant has full knowledge and understanding of their own plan. Where an applicant is unfamiliar with the contents of the BEP, they may be deemed ineligible and the points for the BEP in their EOI may not be awarded.

Whether the applicant intends to buy an existing business or establish a new one, the BEP must address all of the following topics: the business idea, economic benefit, investment, business connections and human capital.

The Business Idea

The business idea section of the Business Establishment Plan must:

• Identify the proposed industry/sector in which the business will operate; include the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code;
• Provide a description of the proposed business, including:
• The legal name and trading name of the business (in the case of a business succession),
• Details of any changes the applicant is considering making to the business operation (in the case of a business succession).
• Include information on business ownership – partnership, sole proprietorship, corporation, franchise, acquisition;
• Identify the proposed location for the business (city or town);
• Provide a market analysis;
• Target market? Suppliers? Main competitors?
• Identify the products and/or services the business will provide;
• Identify the distribution channels the business will use;
• Identify the business’s hours of operation;
• Identify any regulations or licences required to operate the business;
• Identify the number of jobs that will be created for Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents living in Saskatchewan; and
• Include full details of the research carried out to support these plans.

Economic Benefit

This section of the BEP must describe the economic benefit to the community served, such as:

• Adopting and introducing new technology;
• Developing new products or services;
• Developing innovative approaches to traditional businesses;
• Increasing exports;
• Increasing research and development or the commercialisation of technology;
• Providing products or services to an underserved local or regional market; and/or
• Transferring technology and expertise to Saskatchewan.

Investment

The investment section of the BEP should include:

• The proposed investment amount, including how the money will be spent;
• Start-up funds and projected costs, including a cash-flow forecast for the first year of operation;
• The source of financing for the investment (the minimum investment amount must come from the applicant’s own funds); and
• The amount of credit required, if credit is needed beyond the investment funded from personal resources.

Business Connections

In this section of the BEP, the applicant should provide:

• 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, mailing address, email address and telephone number of the person who prepared or assisted in preparing the BEP; and
• A summary of those who were contracted or consulted during the preparation of the BEP.

Human Capital

The final section of the plan should include:

• The management contribution the applicant will make to the proposed business, including an estimate of the hours they will spend managing and/or working in the business each week;
• Any preparation and training for entrepreneurial employment in Saskatchewan (including course titles and institution names, if applicable);
• The applicant’s education and how it relates to the proposed business idea; and
• The applicant’s entrepreneurial experience and how it relates to the proposed business idea.
  If the applicant has no experience or background directly related to the proposed business, they should explain how their knowledge or experience can be applied to it.

Exploratory visit report

For all applicants who choose to invest in a business succession, a joint venture or a regional business opportunity, an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan is mandatory. These applicants must complete an Exploratory Visit Report, submitted with their online application, providing details of the activities undertaken during the visit to Saskatchewan. The report must cover the entire period of stay in Canada, including time spent in other provinces, if any.

The Exploratory Visit Report must include:

• The names of the professional business service providers or settlement organisations visited during the trip, including mailing addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses;
• A description of the activity and/or meeting and how it relates to the applicant’s business establishment or settlement;
• Copies of all air tickets, boarding passes and hotel receipts covering the applicant’s entire stay in Canada;
• Copies of business cards collected from the relevant contacts and business service providers met during the visit; and
• Details of any visits to existing business premises and meetings with the current owners, in the case of a business succession.

When not to apply

Ineligible applicants

An applicant is considered ineligible if they:

• Are a refugee claimant in Canada;
• Are living illegally in their country of residence or in Canada;
• Have been issued a removal order by IRCC or the Canada Border Services Agency;
• Are inadmissible to Canada;
• (or any dependent family member, accompanying or not) have a serious medical condition;
• (or any dependent family member over 18, accompanying or not) have a criminal record;
• Have an unresolved custody or child support dispute affecting any member of their family;
• Deliberately make a false statement in their application.

Ineligible businesses

The following types of business are considered ineligible for the SINP Entrepreneur Category:

• Property rental, investment and leasing operations;
• Real estate construction/development/brokerage, insurance brokerage or business brokerage;
• Professional services or self-employment requiring licensing or accreditation;
• Payday loan services, cheque cashing, currency exchange and cash machines;
• Credit unions;
• Home-based businesses, including bed and breakfasts and guest houses;
• Cooperatives;
• Investment in a business operated primarily to earn passive investment returns.
• Businesses located in a multi-business project/site/commercial building or business incubator that is not yet completed/operational, and/or that is targeted at or dependent on investment or business activity by SINP entrepreneurs for the project’s development, completion or continued operation.

Invitation round history