Saskatchewan has conducted the largest ever draw for the Entrepreneur stream of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), with 142 international entrepreneurs having been invited to apply to the program following the May 24, 2017 draw. Another new record was set in this draw, as the points threshold required for a candidate to be invited to apply reached its lowest ever cut-off point of 80.
The government of Saskatchewan refers to this stream as the SINP Entrepreneur Program, and through this program successful applicants can start, obtain or partner in a business in Saskatchewan and be actively involved in managing it, while residing in province with their accompanying family members, if applicable. Successful applicants first obtain a work permit, allowing them to work in Saskatchewan, before applying for permanent residence after fulfilling the terms of a Business Performance Agreement.
Minimum net worth requirement of $500,000 CAD and investment of $200,000 (this figure is raised to $300,000 if the investment is made within the cities of Saskatoon or Regina), in addition to economic benefit to Saskatchewan, will be assessed by a SINP immigration officer.
Eligible candidates are assigned a score out of 160 upon entry to the SINP Entrepreneur pool of candidates. The pointing system has a strong focus on local labour market needs; for example, candidates who plan an investment in a key economic sector may obtain more points, as do candidates who conduct an exploratory visit to Saskatchewan for at least five working days with evidence of contact with relevant business personnel. Other factor such as age, level of education, language ability, entrepreneurial experience, will receive points for the applicant.
Prior to the most recent draw, the lowest score among invited candidates had been 95. Consequently, the decrease to 80 in the most recent draw represents a significant dip in the cut-off threshold. It remains to be seen whether the upcoming draws will provide a cut-off threshold that is even lower.
In addition to carrying out the May 24 draw, the SINP has announced three upcoming dates for future draws for this program. Draws are scheduled for the following dates:
• July 19, 2017
• October 18, 2017
• January 17, 2018
Recent SINP Entrepreneur Program draws
The table below shows the history of invitations to apply issued under the SINP Entrepreneur Program.
