International Graduate Entrepreneur Category

There are four steps to the application and nomination process:

Step 1. Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the SINP
Candidates can show interest in nomination for Permanent Residence as an International Graduate Entrepreneur by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI).

Step 2. Invitation to Apply
Candidates are selected from the EOI system. Selections are made based on their score on the points criteria grid. Top scores will be invited to apply.

Step 3. Business Establishment
Approved applicants on a valid post-graduate work permit (PGWP) must operate their proposed business.

Step 4. Nomination
Once an applicant fulfills the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement (BPA), they can apply to be nominated by the SINP for permanent residency.

An Expression of Interest (EOI) is not an application; it is an expression of your interest in the SINP. The SINP selects EOIs based upon the EOI Points Assessment ranking and submitting an EOI does not guarantee selection for processing.

In order to submit an EOI to the SINP, you must (1) meet the Minimum Eligibility Criteria, and (2) complete the points grid questions in order to calculate your self-assessed EOI score and submit your EOI into the pool of candidates.

Candidates are selected from the EOI system based on their self-assessed EOI score, with the top scoring EOIs prioritized for selection. Selected candidates are then invited to apply to the SINP.

If you are invited to apply, you must submit a BEP that corresponds to the information in your EOI. The SINP will not accept changes to the submitted EOI information after the Invitation to Apply has been issued.

The size and frequency of EOI Selections will be determined by the needs of the SINP application inventory. Selections will take place on a monthly basis, at minimum. The dates of the selections will not be posted before they take place.

Submitting Your Expression of Interest

Please follow these steps to submit your EOI to the program:

• Review the Eligibility Requirements for the International Graduate Entrepreneur stream. Only those who meet the Minimum Eligibility Criteria can submit an EOI.
• Complete your online Expression of Interest. Instructions are provided during the online submission. The system will calculate your score based upon the information you enter and your EOI will be placed in a pool for potential selection.
• Ensure that your EOI has the status of Submitted or it will not be selected.
  • If selected, your EOI will form part of your application. You must ensure your EOI is up to date at the time of submission, and that all answers are accurate and truthful.
  • You must ensure you understand the questions before providing an answer. If you are unsure, use the help icons; review the SINP website; or contact our office.
  • You do not attach any documents to your EOI. However, you will be required to attach documents, including translations when required, if you are invited by the SINP to submit an electronic application.
• There is no fee for submitting an EOI or application for this category.
• Your EOI is ranked based upon your points assessment score and placed in an EOI pool.
• EOIs can remain in the pool for twelve months from the date of submission.
• If your EOI is not selected during this period, it will be removed from the pool and you will be able to resubmit a new EOI if you choose.

If you are able to acquire additional points after beginning your EOI, you can update your "Pending" EOI before it is submitted. Once your EOI has been submitted you are able to update it by changing the status back to "Pending" to enable edits before resubmitting. "Pending" EOIs are not eligible for selection, and any changes to the EOI will also change the date of submission.

If your EOI is selected it will be removed from the pool and you will no longer be able to update it. Points for age are awarded based on your age on the date you submit your EOI.

Business operations that began before submitting an EOI may not be eligible and do not guarantee EOI pool selection or SINP approval.

EOI Selections and Your Invitation

EOIs are assessed against the criteria in place at the time of EOI submission.

If your EOI is selected, you will receive an Invitation to Submit an Application (ISA) letter. If your application does not match the information in your EOI as a result of fraud or misrepresentation, it will be rejected and you will be unable to submit an EOI or apply to the SINP for two years.

If your situation or any of your information has changed and the changes would result in a loss of points or you would no longer meet the minimum criteria, then you should request to withdraw your EOI and not submit an application.

Additionally, please note that:

• Selection does not guarantee that your application will be approved or that you will receive nomination or permanent residence.
• An ISA letter will include a file number.
• You will have 30 calendar days from the date of the ISA letter in which to:
  • Submit your complete electronic Application, including all required supporting document.
• Please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to hit Submit on the online application or it may be closed.
• You will need to upload supporting documents to your electronic application. Please carefully review the document checklists for a full list of all required documents.
• All documentation must be provided in English or French. When documents are in a language other than English or French, the Applicant must submit an electronic copy of the original document as well as an electronic copy of its translation and a translator affidavit.
• If you have not submitted the required information within the deadlines stipulated your invitation to apply will expire and your application closed. If your application has been closed and you are still interested in applying to the SINP you will have to submit a new EOI, under the relevant criteria in place at the time of submission.
• EOIs that are closed due to failure to submit required information by the deadline are not eligible for Second Review.

These requirements must be met by anyone applying to the SINP International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream. It is your responsibility to include supporting documents to show you meet the eligibility criteria.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria to Submit an EOI:

• Are at least 21 years of age.
• Have completed a full-time post-secondary degree or diploma of at least two years from an eligible Saskatchewan institution.
• Have a valid Post-Graduate Work Permit, with at least 24 months remaining.
• Have lived in Saskatchewan during their academic program (no distance-learning programs or accelerated academic program are eligible).
• Have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7.

Those who meet eligibility criteria and are invited to apply and must be able to show knowledge of their Business Establishment Plan (BEP).

Those chosen from the EOI pool, invited to apply and approved by the SINP must:

1. Reside in Saskatchewan.
2. Actively own and operate a business in Saskatchewan for at least one year prior to applying.
3. Own at least one-third (33%) of the business and take part in the day-to-day management. Ownership must be the result of a verifiable investment made directly by the applicant, either from their own equity or from an eligible source.
4. Demonstrate that the business is generating the minimum required revenue amount after one year of operation.
• Please refer to the "Eligible Sources of Investments/Revenue" section of the Application Guide.
• To prove this, applicants must submit the documents outlined in the checklist.
• Applicants must use a professional third-party financial service provider when providing these documents.
5. Sign a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) with the Government of Saskatchewan. This will be given to you by the SINP after your application is approved.

Application Guide for the International Graduate Entrepreneur Category

Once your Electronic Application and supporting documents are received, the SINP will assess your application.

• Supporting documents must include your Business Establishment Plan (BEP).
• It is your responsibility to ensure it meets the criteria for Eligible Businesses. See the Application Guide above.
• Your application will be assessed against the Eligibility Criteria and your EOI Points Assessment will be verified.
  • A SINP Official may contact you for more information or call you for an interview.
  • If you do not respond to requests for additional information, your application will be closed.
• If you appear to meet the program criteria you will be contacted to participate in a final in-person interview.
  • During the interview, you must present your business plans and show how it meets BEP requirements.
  • You must be able to describe all business research conducted.
• If you demonstrate that you meet the program criteria you will be sent a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) for your review and signature.
  • Your BPA is your legal agreement with the Province of Saskatchewan.
  • Your BPA will state the industry sector your business will operate within and the term length of the agreement (24 months).
  • You must scan and attach your signed and dated BPA to the SINP within 20 days.
• After the SINP receives your signed BPA, they will issue a SINP Approval Letter.
  • The SINP approval letter is not a nomination and cannot be used to apply for Permanent Residence or extend your current work permit.
  • The approval letter recognizes that the SINP approves your application and proposed business outlined in the BPA and expects you will reside and operate your business in Saskatchewan.

Those found to be ineligible who believe the SINP erred in their assessment are able to request a Second Review.

• Second Review applications must be received within 45 days from the date of the decision.
• A written justification outlining the reason for the review must be included.
• Only original application materials will be used when conducting a Second Review. Additional information will not be accepted.

The following persons are not eligible to apply:

• Refugee claimants in Canada who are claiming refugee status from the Government of Canada.
• People living illegally in Canada.
• Persons who have had a removal order issued against them by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or Canada Border Services Agency.

You may not be eligible for immigration to Canada if any of the following situations is true:

• You or any dependent family member (accompanying or not) do not meet IRCC's requirements related to health and criminality.
• You have unresolved custody or child support disputes affecting any member of your family.
• You and or your representative have intentionally misrepresented yourself in the application.
• You were unable to prove that you intend to live and work in Saskatchewan.

Eligible Businesses

An applicant's business must have the potential to create economic benefit to Saskatchewan, such as:

• increasing value-added manufacturing or processing, exports, destination tourism, research and development and technology commercialization;
• developing new or innovative approaches to traditional businesses;
• transferring technology and specialized knowledge to Saskatchewan; and
• providing products or services to an under-served local or regional market.

If an applicant purchases an existing Saskatchewan business, then the following criteria must be met:

• the business must have been in continuous operation in Saskatchewan by the same owner for the previous three years (before purchase); and
• applicants must maintain the business's staff levels and remuneration (i.e., employment on similar terms and conditions for existing staff, including maintaining existing wages and employment terms).

See Section IV of the Application Guide for a list of ineligible business types.

See SINP International Graduate Entrepreneur Category Document Checklist for a complete list of documents you need for your immigration application.

You'll need to upload copies of required documents to your electronic application. All uploaded documents must be clear and easy to read. If any documents are not in English or French, you must submit the following:

• An electronic copy of the original document.
• An electronic copy of the English or French translation of the document.
• An electronic copy of a Translator Affidavit that describes the ability of the translator.

Translations may be done by anyone, except:

• Your spouse.
• A member of your family.
• A paid third party that has prepared your application to the SINP.

Some Canadian visa offices ask that documents are translated by a certified translator.

Although the SINP asks you upload copies of documents to an electronic application, IRCC may require original documents or certified copies.

You must list all dependents on your application even if they're not coming to Canada with you. You will also have to declare any new dependents before visas are issued.

IRCC may change the definition of dependents or policies at any time. You can review IRCC's policies and procedures on the IRCC website.

Presently, accompanying dependents include your:

• Spouse (See SINP Important Words and Definitions: Spouse).
• Common-law partner (See SINP Important Words and Definitions: Common-law partner).
• Dependent children (See SINP Important Words and Definitions: Dependent children).
  • Dependent family members that are not included in your application can't be nominated for permanent residence as part of your SINP application later.
  • If you want your dependent family members to join you in Canada later, you need to make a separate application to the Government of Canada's Family Sponsorship program, or another immigration category. The application will have to be approved before your dependent family members will be allowed to join you.

NOTE: If you're the principal applicant, your parents, brothers and sisters may not be included in the SINP application.

Upon approval you are required to:

• Reside in Saskatchewan and actively operate your business on a day-to-day basis.
• Establish, purchase or continue to operate your business as per the requirements of your BPA and your BEP.
• Submit the Business Establishment Progress Report 12 months after the Approval Letter date, found on the website under "Application Forms", outlining your business establishment activities to date. This is submitted online through your Oasis account.
• When you have fulfilled the terms of your BPA, including meeting minimum income requirements, submit your application for nomination.
• Only approved applicants that can demonstrate a minimum of 12 months of active business operation are eligible for nomination.

The SINP does not provide support letters of support to extend a PGWP, as PGWPs are not eligible for extension. The SINP may consider expediting the assessment of a nomination application, where approval for nomination may permit a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), however BOWPs are only available to applicants who have submitted a PR application as a result of an SINP nomination. Only those applicants who have completed the Business Establishment Progress Report and can demonstrate active and ongoing business operations may be eligible for expedited nomination processing, and expedited processing is done at the discretion of the SINP.

You are encouraged to use the settlement services available in Saskatchewan. You may be able to access government funded settlement services through Regional Newcomer Gateways. These organizations are welcome centres for newcomers to Saskatchewan that provide language assessment services, career and employment services (for your accompanying family members), and guidance and advice from a Settlement Coordinator. These Regional Newcomer Gateways can also connect you to community and ethno-cultural groups.

• After approval, applicants may access business establishment and settlement services from a designated business service provider available to answer questions related to fulfilling the terms of the BPA. The business service provider can also refer you to other service providers for relevant information and guidance related to the establishment of your business.

Please see Starting Your Own Business for more information about being an immigrant entrepreneur in Saskatchewan.

The SINP will not consider any requests to change the terms of the BPA after it is approved and signed by both parties.

If you are unable to fulfill the terms of your BPA, you must contact the SINP to discuss options.

Changes to business operations like relocating a business within the same location type do not require SINP approval.

Applicants making these changes must notify the SINP.

In order to be eligible to apply for nomination you must live in Saskatchewan, actively operate your business, and comply with your BPA.

You are responsible for maintaining your legal status in Canada as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

Once you have fulfilled your BPA, operated your business for at least 12 months, and meet the Eligible Sources of Investment/Revenue Requirements, you are able to apply to the SINP for nomination.

To apply for nomination you must complete, scan and email your completed application for nomination form to saskentrepreneur@gov.sk.ca.

The SINP will assess your application for nomination and tell you their decision.

The SINP may complete a site visit to your business or request an in-person interview as part of the nomination assessment process. Applicants that are not available to conduct the site visit or in-person interview may be refused nomination.

If approved for nomination the SINP will:

• Send a nomination certificate to IRCC.
• Send a nomination letter to you explaining how to forward your permanent residency application to the IRCC Centralized Intake Office (CIO).

If nominated, you must continue to meet the requirements of your BPA during the Permanent Residence application process. Nominees that close or sell their business during these processes will have their nominations revoked.

Nomination applications that are closed due to failure to submit required information are not eligible for Second Review.

Application for Nomination

Site Visits

An unscheduled site visit may be done at your business as part of the Application for Nomination review.

The purpose of the site visit is for the SINP to give referrals to services and assess if you are fulfilling your BPA.

• The site visit can occur at any time and will be used as part of the SINP's review of your Application for Nomination.
• The SINP will not schedule site visits and applicants are not able to request a specific time.

If you will be away from your business or if your business will be closed for more than four business days, you must tell SINP.

If a site visit is done while you are away and you did not tell SINP of your absence, your application may be closed. You do not need to inform SINP of absences that are less than 3 business days.

To obtain Permanent Residence status, you must apply to IRCC with your SINP nomination. You must:

• Ensure you maintain your legal status in Canada.
• Have a valid TWP when you submit your application and are waiting for IRCC to process your permanent residence application.

IRCC considers your application after they receive the nomination certificate from the SINP.

IRCC completes health, security and criminal reviews. If approved, they issue visas to you and your family members.

They may also request any additional information, such as your BPA or BEP. IRCC is responsible for assessing eligibility for Permanent Residence.

The SINP is not responsible for IRCC's decision on Permanent Residence status.

You are not required to use an immigration representative or consultant to apply to the SINP.

If you wish to hire a representative, they must be a lawyer in Canada in good standing with a provincial law society or licensed by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Visit Using an Immigration Representative for more information and for the lists of licensed/approved consultants and recruiters.

Visiting Protection for Immigrants and Foreign Workers to learn more about Saskatchewan's laws that protect foreign workers from exploitation and mistreatment during the immigration process.

In addition to your paid or unpaid representative, you may let someone else have access to information about your application. For example, if you hire a lawyer to help with your application, you may also want a family member to be able to access to your information.

To have your personal information released to someone who is not your representative:

• Complete form IMM-5475: Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual.
• Submit it with your application to the SINP.

These individuals will not receive copies of any correspondence from the SINP, but they can contact the SINP to receive information about your application by emailing saskentrepreneur@gov.sk.ca.

Provincial:

• Application Guide for the International Graduate Entrepreneur Category
• SINP International Graduate Entrepreneur Category Document Checklist
• Translator Affidavit
• Application for Nomination for Permanent Residence
• Business Establishment Activity Report
• SINP - Ethical Conduct Disclosure and Applicant Declaration and Consent Form

Federal:

• Generic Application Form for Canada
• Additional Dependents/Declaration
• Schedule A - Background/Declaration
• Schedule 4 - Economic Classes
• Schedule 4A
• Additional Family Information
• Use of a Representative
• Instructions for Use of a Representative
• Authority to Release Personal Information to a Designated Individual
• Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union
• Applying for a Temporary Work Permit - Employer Portal User Guide

For help with filling out the federal forms, watch the following videos:

• Immigration and Citizenship Forms: The Basics
• Save Time: Send a Complete Application
• Use of a Representative Form (IMM 5476)