International graduates from eligible Saskatchewan colleges who wish to establish, purchase, or collaborate in a qualifying business in the province can use the SINP’s International Graduate Entrepreneur Category to get permanent residence in Canada.
Candidates must be foreign graduates of at least two-year full-time post-secondary degree or diploma programs and have an EOI filed with the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
To be able to qualify for a provincial nomination for permanent residence, participants must run and manage a business in Saskatchewan for a minimum of one year and possess at least one-third of the equity in a qualifying business.
What are the minimum eligibility requirements?
Candidates must:
- be aged at least 21 years or above;
- have earned a two-year (at least) full-time post-secondary degree or certificate from a Saskatchewan institution that is classified as a designated learning institution by the federal government of Canada.
○ Note: Accelerated academic and distance learning programs are not qualified. - hold a valid and legitimate Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) that is eligible for at least two years more;
- have spent the entirety of their academic program living in Saskatchewan;
- demonstrate language ability that meets at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7.
Candidates that fulfill the minimum qualifying requirements and are asked to apply must demonstrate that they understand their Business Establishment Plan (BEP).
Your Proposed Business Requirements
The proposed business must fulfill the following requirements to be qualified for the SINP International Graduate Entrepreneur (IGE) stream:
- Businesses can be sole proprietorships, partnerships, or corporations, but they must adhere to the local legal requirements.
- The company must be a for-profit corporation with the primary goal of profiting from the sale of products and/or services, and;
- The business has to be a “permanent establishment” as defined by subsection 400(2) of the Canadian Income Tax Regulations, 1985.
If you’re starting a new business, buying an existing one, or planning a business succession, you’ll need to meet additional criteria:
Starting A New Business
You can start up a new for-profit firm in any industry or area that meets the eligibility conditions and is not deemed ineligible.
Buying An Existing Business or Business Succession
- The Saskatchewan-based company must have been in continuous operation for the past three years and be owned by the same individual;
- You must go to the community to see the company and/or meet the former owners;
- You must demonstrate that reasonable attempts were made to determine the business’s fair market worth; and
- You must agree to retain existing Canadian citizens or permanent residents employed, as well as preserve current salary and work arrangements.
How to begin my application?
The Saskatchewan Entrepreneur program implements an Expression of Interest (EOI) approach. Candidates that fulfill the minimal stream criteria may create a profile and submit an EOI using the SINP Online Portal.
After submitting their profiles, candidates will be rated against one another, with the highest-ranking individuals being asked to apply to the stream.
Applicants must have a Post Graduate Work Permit, which allows them to run and operate a business in the province for a year following graduation.
They must also submit a Business Establishment Plan (BEP) and fulfill the criteria for Eligible Businesses; if all of these requirements are met, the applicant will be provided with a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) to sign and review.
Candidates must comply with the following requirements once they have been approved:
- Actually live in Saskatchewan and proactively run their business on a daily basis;
- Establish, buy, or continue to operate the business in accordance with the BEP and BAP standards;
- Submit a progress report summarizing company activity 12 months following approval; and
- Submit an application for nomination after completing the conditions of the BPA.
Here’s What You Can Read Next
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Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): Immigrate to a Province or Territory
Immigrate to Canada through the Study-Work-PR Pathway