SINP Entrepreneur Category (Closed): What Happened and What to Do Instead

No. Saskatchewan's official notice says: effective March 27, 2025, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) permanently closed all Entrepreneur and Farm immigration pathways. For the Entrepreneur category, this means:

• no new applications will be accepted
• no new Expressions of Interest (EOIs) will be considered
• no further invitations to apply will be issued

The same closure covered the International Graduate Entrepreneur category and the Farm Owner and Operator category. Saskatchewan described the closure as permanent, not a pause, and the SINP pages do not list a replacement business route (as of September 2026).

Saskatchewan now focuses its nominations on workers. Its 2026 allocation of 4,761 nominations is split by job sector, with at least half going to priority sectors such as health care, agriculture, skilled trades and technology. See our Saskatchewan guide for the routes that remain.

While it was open, the Entrepreneur category followed a multi-step model that many provinces use for business immigration:

1. Expression of Interest. You submitted an EOI describing your net worth, business experience and the business you planned to start or buy. Saskatchewan ranked EOIs and invited the highest-scoring candidates.
2. Application and business plan. Invited candidates applied with proof of their funds, business history and a plan for a Saskatchewan business. The program set minimums for net worth and investment.
3. Business Performance Agreement. Approved candidates signed an agreement with the province setting out what they would invest and do.
4. Work permit and establishment. You came to Saskatchewan on a temporary work permit and started or bought the business.
5. Nomination. Once you met the terms of your agreement, Saskatchewan could nominate you for permanent residence with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Because this process took a long time, some people are still partway through it. That is why Saskatchewan is still processing files that were already in the system.

Saskatchewan says all applications already in the system will continue to be processed to completion. If you are in the middle of the process:

• Keep meeting your agreement. The rules you agreed to still apply to your file.
• Keep your status valid. Watch your work permit expiry date and apply to extend before it ends. See our guide on extending your status.
• Keep records. Financial statements, tax filings, payroll and proof of your active role in the business will matter when the SINP reviews whether you met your commitments.
• Contact the SINP with questions. The program lists phone number 1-833-613-0485 and an email contact on its website.

If your business has run into trouble, your work permit is expiring, or you received a refusal, get advice from a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) quickly. Our guide on how to verify a lawyer or consultant shows how to check a license.

If you want to immigrate to Canada as a business owner, you now need to look outside Saskatchewan or use a worker route. These are the main options to compare:

The federal options are also narrow right now. The Start-Up Visa stopped taking new applications at the end of 2025. People who received a commitment from a designated organization in 2025 could still apply until June 30, 2026, and the federal government has promised a new entrepreneur pilot, but its details were not final as of September 2026. The Self-Employed Persons program is paused.

Provincial business streams change often and usually have tight caps. Read each program's page and the province's official site before you pay for a business plan or a consultant.

If you have senior management experience, Express Entry also has a senior managers category in 2026, which invites candidates through the federal system rather than as entrepreneurs.

Yes, but not as an entrepreneur through the SINP. The province's open routes are for workers with Saskatchewan job offers or Saskatchewan experience:

• Employment Offer for skilled workers with a Saskatchewan job offer
• Skilled Worker With Existing Work Permit for people already working in Saskatchewan
• the Health Talent, Agriculture Talent and Innovation and Tech Talent pathways

Some former business owners qualify through federal Express Entry based on their management work history. Moose Jaw also takes part in the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, which needs a job offer from a designated employer.

Because the category is closed, anyone who says they can get you a new Saskatchewan entrepreneur nomination is wrong or dishonest. Be cautious with:

• sellers who offer a Saskatchewan business "with immigration included"
• agents who ask for large fees to file an EOI that Saskatchewan no longer accepts
• job offers from your own company used only to create an immigration route

Buying a business in Saskatchewan does not, by itself, give you any right to immigrate. Read our guide to immigration scams before you sign anything.