The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program nominates eligible foreign nationals to apply for permanent residence to the federal authority – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Those who wish to live and work in Saskatchewan can apply for nomination through various pathways or ‘streams’, depending on their profile and purpose for immigration. The Entrepreneur stream is dedicated towards people who wish to establish, purchase or partner in a business in Saskatchewan, and actively manage day-to-day business operations while living in the province.
Those who can fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria for this stream are required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Saskatchewan PNP. To qualify for the Entrepreneur stream, a candidate must have:
- Legally acquired a minimum net worth of $500,000
- At least three years of relevant management or entrepreneurial experience
- Invested $300,000 or more in Saskatoon or Regina, or at least $200,000 in any other region of Saskatchewan
Each candidate is allocated points based on relevant selection criteria. EOIs are ranked in the pool according to the point score. Through regular Saskatchewan immigration invitation rounds, highest-ranking candidates who can fulfil the minimum point requirement – which varies for each stream and changes with each round – are invited to apply for nomination. Once nominated, they can apply for permanent residence to the IRCC.
The provincial government has recently modified the EOI selection process for the Saskatchewan Entrepreneur Program. In order to accommodate the high volume of applications and maintain the processing time, the SINP will now use three assessment factors – in addition to the point score – to select EOIs. These factors will be applied in a specific order of priority:
- Candidates will first be evaluated based on their French or English language skills. Those with better language proficiency are more likely to receive an invitation to apply for this Canada PNP.
- Candidates who have planned to operate a business in one of Saskatchewan’s key economic sectors will be preferred.
- Those who have completed an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan will be preferred.
These parameters are key indicators of a Canada immigration aspirant’s future economic success in Saskatchewan, since they display potential as well as commitment towards long-term settlement. This exercise will also allow the SINP to choose between candidates who have the same point score.
The latest Entrepreneur stream EOI invitation round, which was conducted on 7th January 2020, invited 42 candidates who scored 120 or more points to apply for nomination. Candidates with a score of 115 points – who attained Canadian Language Benchmark 4 or higher in each test component of an approved English or French language examination – also received invitations. This reflects the new changes to the selection process, since candidates with lower point scores secured an invitation based on their language skills.
The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program is one of the most popular PNP pathways, especially for entrepreneurs and investors. The province’s burgeoning economy, skilled workforce and developed infrastructure facilitate successful entrepreneurship and innovation. Business owners stand to benefit greatly from using this pathway as a direct route to permanent residence in Canada.
