Saskatchewan Farm Owners and Operators

The Saskatchewan Farm Owners and Operators stream targets the experienced farm operators and owners those who intend to own and operate a farm in Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Farm Owners and Operators stream of Saskatchewan Experience is one of several immigration streams of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program(SINP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Saskatchewan. The Farm Owners and Operators stream targets the foreign nationals who are experienced farm owners and operators and they wish to own and operate a farm in Saskatchewan. The candidate must have considerable capital to invest in the farming business and intent to settle in Saskatchewan.

Eligibility Requirement

Eligibility Requirements For Applicant

Work Experience

In order to eligible for this stream, the candidate must demonstrate that they have a knowledgeable experience of the farm owner and/or farm operator which must be demonstrated through the documentation of Résumé and Farm Establishment Plan. The SINP does not specify a particular amount of experience requirement. The interested applicant may contact the SINP and ensure their eligibility for the program. The SINP may also verify the applicant’s knowledge and experience through an interview when the applicant is in Saskatchewan.

Investment Requirement

The Farm Owners And Operators Stream require significant net worth and investment funds which is an essential part of the applicant and the establishment & operation of the farm. The applicant must have a net worth of at least $500,000 CAD which must be demonstrated through the financial documents. If the application is approved by the SINP, the applicant will need to make a good faith deposit of $75,000CAD after receiving the provincial nomination. The cash deposit will be returned to the applicant once they meet all the terms of the Performance Agreement within the two years of landing in Saskatchewan. If the applicant won’t able to meet the terms, the cash deposit will be forfeited to the province.

Eligibility Requirements For Young Farmer

If the applicant is under the age of 40 years, they are eligible under the stream’s sub-category of Young Farmer Stream. To be eligible for this stream, the applicant must:

• be under the age of 40 years.
• have a net worth of at least $300,000 CAD which must be verified by the ministry approved third-party agency.
• demonstrate that they have at least three years of experience in farm owner or farm management or in practical farming experience. The knowledge and experience of relevant farm operations must be demonstrated through the documentation.
• have provided a viable documented proposal for commercial Saskatchewan farming opportunity.
• supplement their farming income on the basis of there spouse and their own employment skills based on education and experience.

Farmer Establishment Plan

It must be a well-thought-out plan for the successful settlement of farm and business development in the province of Saskatchewan. In the Farmer Establishment Plan, the applicant must be able to demonstrate that they have conducted extensive research of the market and economic factors that are relevant to the proposed farming operations. The applicant must also consider their management strengths and weaknesses in the Farmer Establishment Plan. The applicant must have a complete understanding and knowledge of his or her plan, whereas the applicant may also take the help of any third party to develop the FEP. In case the applicant is not aware of the FEP’s contents, the SINP will assess the applicant accordingly and they may subsequently deemed the applicant ineligible.

The FEP must include the following contents:

• Proposed sector/industry (NAICS Code)
• The proposed amount of investment
• Number of jobs the business will create for the residents of Saskatchewan
• Management contribution the nominee will make with respect to the proposed farming operation;
• Fore-casted funds and expenses
• Information regarding Business ownership
• Information regarding the proposed location in Saskatchewan for the farming operation.
• Applicant’s training and preparation for farm operation in Saskatchewan.
• If the applicant has made a planned and/or future visit to the province. (include: Dates, agendas, purposes, inviting organizations, etc.);
• Future plans of the applicant for establishing residency in the province of Saskatchewan;
• The name, organizations, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and emails of contracted professional business service providers whom the nominee has contacted and/or established an active working relationship or paid contractual agreement with;
• The name, mailing address, organization name, phone number, and email of the person who has compiled the contents of FEP.
• List of people consulted or contracted by the applicant in the preparation of the FEP.

Ineligible Applicant

Applicants are considered ineligible under this sub-category if they:

• do not meet the any of the eligibility criteria of the stream listed above,
• have a serious medical condition (or any dependent family member),
• have a criminal record (or any dependent family member over the age of 18, accompanying or not);
• Have unresolved custody or affecting any member of their family;
• committed misrepresentation and or committed fraud intentionally in the application process;

Application procedure

The applicant must make an exploratory visit of a minimum of 5 business days in which they must meet the SINP representative and conduct comprehensive research relevant to their proposed farm, before applying for SINP.

To apply for the SINP applicant must submit an application to the SINP which includes the documentation demonstrating the required applicant’s experience in farming and a viable establishment plan of a new farm in Saskatchewan. Also, it includes the third party verified documentation demonstrating the applicant’s minimum net worth required to be eligible for the program. The applicant may submit application documentation to the SINP office either in-person or via courier, after which the SINP will begin an extensive assessment.

The applicant will require to pay a $2,500 CAD fee if the application passes the initial pre-screening assessment. The applicant may be requested by the SINP to attend the interview if the application is accepted by the SINP during the assessment process. After the initial pre-screening assessment process, the successful applicants will be requested to sign a business performance agreement which includes the commitment with the SINP to establish a farm in Saskatchewan as well as the good faith deposit of $75,000 CAD which will be refunded once the applicant meets the commitments mentioned in the business performance agreement.

If the SINP successfully approved the application, the certificate of provincial nomination will be issued to the applicant. On the applicant’s request, the SINP will also issue a Temporary Work Permit Support letter which will provide the Applicant with the opportunity to land in Saskatchewan earlier to begin preparations for his or her farm establishment.

After receiving the nomination certificate, the applicant may apply for the Canadian Permanent Residency to the IRCC. The applicant must submit a paper-based application for the permanent residence under this program and submit it by mail to the appropriate application center of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) which are generally processed within 18 months.