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If you completed your post-secondary studies in the province of Saskatchewan and you have plans to manage your own business, then the International Graduate Entrepreneur category (IGE) could be your ticket to permanent resident status in Canada.

The International Graduate Entrepreneur is a category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, used to nominate business-oriented graduates for permanent resident status in Canada.

Application Procedure: Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur

The Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur category is a multi-phase application process.

Phase One: Expression of Interest: Interested candidates begin by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to Saskatchewan. Candidates are ranked against one another using the Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur points grid. On a monthly basis, Saskatchewan will invite the highest ranking candidates to apply to the IGE.

Phase Two: Invitation to Apply (ITA): Upon receiving an ITA, candidates have 30 days to submit an application to Saskatchewan. This application includes documentation supporting all claims made in the EOI, as well as a detailed Business Establishment Plan (BEP) explaining the candidate’s plans for establishing and managing a business in Saskatchewan.

Phase Three: Business Establishment: If an application is approved, the applicant will be sent a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) by the province of Saskatchewan detailing the expectations for the applicant’s business. The applicant must sign the BPA and establish their business in Saskatchewan. After the business has been established for at least 12 months, the applicant may apply to Saskatchewan for provincial nomination.

Phase Four: Provincial Nomination & Permanent Resident application: If an applicant is approved for provincial nomination, the applicant can then apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent resident status. Please note that the business must remain active for the duration of the permanent resident application process.

Eligibility Criteria: Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur

In order to be eligible for Saskatchewan’s International Graduate Entrepreneur category, candidates must meet certain criteria for each phase of the process.

Phase One: Expression of Interest (EOI)

In order to submit an EOI, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Be 21 years of age or older;
  • Have completed a full-time Saskatchewan post-secondary degree or diploma of at least two years in length from a recognized and eligible Saskatchewan institution;
  • Hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit with at least 24 months of eligibility remaining;
  • Have resided in Saskatchewan during their academic program (distance-learning programs and accelerated academic program are not eligible); and
  • Have language test scores on an approved language test in either English or French at a minimum of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7.

If a candidate meets these criteria, they are able to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur category, but this does not guarantee an invitation to apply.

All EOIs are ranked against one another using the Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur points grid. Only those candidates with the highest scores will be invited to apply.

Phase Two: Invitation to Apply (ITA)

During the ITA phase, candidates must submit documentation demonstrating proving the information stated in their EOI. As well, candidates must submit a detailed Business Establishment Plan (BEP).Phase Three: Business Establishment

To be considered eligible for provincial nomination, applicants must meet the following conditions while operating their business in Saskatchewan:

  • 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.
  • If you are continuing to work to meet your BPA commitments you must submit the Business Establishment Progress Report 12 months after the Approval Letter date.
  • When you have fulfilled the terms of your BPA, including meeting minimum income requirements, submit your application for nomination.

Once an applicant can demonstrate a minimum of 12 months of active business operation, they can apply to Saskatchewan for provincial nomination.

Phase Four: Provincial Nomination & Federal Application

After being granted provincial nomination, an applicant must apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent resident status and must meet all criteria as determined by the federal application requirements. Notably, applicants must continue to manage their business successfully throughout the permanent residence application process.

Recent Draws: Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur

Please refer to the table below for information about the most recent draws for Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur category.

DateMinimum points requiredNumber of invitations
This program was announced on Dec. 4, 2019, and has not yet issued any invitations.
Citation "Saskatchewan International Graduate Entrepreneur." Moving2Canada. . Copy for Citation