Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator: buy a farm for PR
The Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category is the SINP business route for experienced farmers who bought and operated a farm in Saskatchewan to earn a provincial nomination for permanent residence, and Saskatchewan permanently closed it to new applicants on 27 March 2025. This RCIC-led guide sets out the net-worth, investment, experience and exploratory-visit criteria it applied, what happens to files already in the system, and where farmers look now.
Key takeaways
The Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category is closed. Saskatchewan permanently closed it, and every other SINP Entrepreneur and Farm pathway, on 27 March 2025, so no new applications, expressions of interest or invitations are accepted, though files already in the system are still being processed. While it ran, the main stream required a verified personal net worth of at least $500,000 CAD, a farming proposal committing at least $150,000 CAD, a refundable $75,000 CAD good faith deposit, three years of farming experience, a five-working-day exploratory visit and at least 55 points on the Farm Owner/Operator Intent Grid. The Young Farmer stream set net worth at $300,000 CAD for applicants under 40.
- Status: the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category closed permanently on 27 March 2025, along with every other SINP Entrepreneur and Farm pathway, and takes no new applications, expressions of interest or invitations.
- Existing files: applications already in the SINP system on that date are still being processed to completion (saskatchewan.ca).
- Money it asked for: a verified personal net worth of at least $500,000 CAD, a farming proposal committing at least $150,000 CAD, a refundable $75,000 CAD good faith deposit and a $2,500 CAD processing fee.
- Experience and visit: three years of farm ownership, farm management and practical farming, plus a mandatory exploratory visit to Saskatchewan of at least five working days.
- Young Farmer stream: the same category ran a second stream for applicants under 40, with net worth set at $300,000 CAD rather than $500,000 CAD.
What is the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category?
The Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category was the farm sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program's (SINP) Entrepreneur and Farm stream, and it let an experienced farmer buy and actively operate a commercial Saskatchewan farm as a route to a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence. It no longer does: Saskatchewan permanently closed the category, and every other Entrepreneur and Farm pathway, on 27 March 2025. The program accepts no new applications, considers no new expressions of interest and issues no further invitations, though applications already in its system continue to be processed to completion. The closure notice sits at the top of the category page on saskatchewan.ca.
Agriculture remains one of the province's named priority sectors, and Saskatchewan's 2026 nomination allocation is 4,761 across all SINP streams (saskatchewan.ca / IRCC, 2026), well down from roughly 8,000 in 2024 after IRCC reduced provincial allocations nationwide. Those spaces now go to the worker routes rather than the business ones. The Farm category was always a niche, business-class pathway for people bringing real capital and farm-management know-how to a working Saskatchewan operation, never a general worker route.
Closed to new applicants since 27 March 2025
Who is the SINP Farm category for?
The Farm Owner and Operator category was built for one applicant in particular: an experienced farmer or senior farm manager, with at least three years in farm ownership, farm management and practical farming, who had the capital to take over a commercial Saskatchewan farm and intended to run it day to day. It suited owner-operators from a primary-agriculture background who wanted to keep farming in Canada and settle permanently in the province.
It was not designed for investors who simply wanted to put money into agriculture without running the operation, and Saskatchewan excluded hobby farms outright: a qualifying farming business had to show at least $10,000 CAD in annual revenue. Since the category closed on 27 March 2025, farmers in that position have to look elsewhere. Skilled farm workers and agronomists who would score well under the Comprehensive Ranking System but lack the capital to invest may instead be better suited to an Express Entry route or a worker pathway.
What are the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator requirements?
The Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator requirements were a verified personal net worth of at least $500,000 CAD, legally accumulated, at least three years of farm ownership, farm management and practical farming experience, a commercial farming proposal committing at least $150,000 CAD of investment, a mandatory exploratory visit to Saskatchewan of at least five working days, and a score of at least 55 points on the Farm Owner/Operator Category Intent Grid. A refundable good faith deposit of $75,000 CAD, held in trust against a signed Performance Agreement, followed at nomination, and the province charged a $2,500 CAD application processing fee.
These are the criteria Saskatchewan applied, and the ones it still applies to files already in its system. The category itself has taken no new applications since 27 March 2025. Net worth was never self-declared: the SINP required a report from one of two third-party financial verification providers, KPMG or MNP Ltd., confirming both the amount and its lawful accumulation. The full published criteria remain on saskatchewan.ca.
| Requirement | Farm Owner and Operator | Young Farmer stream |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum personal net worth | $500,000 CAD, legally accumulated and verified by KPMG or MNP Ltd. | $300,000 CAD, legally accumulated and verified the same way |
| Age limit | None | Under 40 at the time of application |
| Farming experience | At least three years in farm ownership, farm management and practical farming | At least three years in farm ownership, farm management and practical farming |
| Minimum farm investment | At least $150,000 CAD committed in the farming proposal | No stated minimum investment figure |
| Good faith deposit | $75,000 CAD refundable, held in trust against a Performance Agreement | $75,000 CAD refundable, held in trust against a Performance Agreement |
| Exploratory visit | Mandatory, at least five working days in Saskatchewan | Mandatory, at least five working days in Saskatchewan |
| Selection points | At least 55 on the Farm Owner/Operator Category Intent Grid | At least 55 on the Farm Owner/Operator Category Intent Grid |
| Application processing fee | $2,500 CAD, payable after pre-screening | $2,500 CAD, payable after pre-screening |
| Other | A commercial farming proposal with an expectation of profit; hobby farms excluded | The same, plus employment skills in you or your spouse to supplement farm income |
The deposit was refundable, but conditional
What types of farms qualify for the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category?
The category covered primary-production agricultureonly: commercial operations that grow crops or raise livestock in Saskatchewan, with at least $10,000 CAD in annual revenue to count as a qualifying farming business and hobby farms expressly excluded. Processing, distribution and agri-business services fell under the SINP Entrepreneur category instead, which closed on the same date. Saskatchewan's agricultural economy is dominated by large-acreage grain and oilseed cropping and by cattle and other livestock, so those were the most common operations behind a Farm application. The summary below shows the kinds of farms the category was built around.
| Farm type | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Grain & oilseed | Wheat, canola, barley, lentils, peas | Large-acreage primary cropping is the backbone of Saskatchewan agriculture |
| Cattle & livestock | Cow-calf, feedlot, mixed livestock | Ranching and beef production are widespread across the province |
| Mixed farming | Combined crop and livestock operations | Common on family-scale Saskatchewan farms |
| Other primary production | Recognised commercial farming operations | Had to be genuine primary agriculture with at least $10,000 CAD in annual revenue; hobby farms excluded |
How does the Farm category differ from the Entrepreneur category?
Both categories are closed, and they closed together on 27 March 2025 when Saskatchewan shut the whole Entrepreneur and Farm stream. While they ran, the Farm Owner and Operator category was purpose-built for primary-production agriculture and assumed deep farming experience, while the SINP Entrepreneur category covered establishing or buying a general business in retail, services or trades, assessed through a business proposal and a Business Performance Agreement.
The practical dividing line was primary production. A working grain or cattle operation went to the Farm category; a food-processing plant or an agri-business service company went to the Entrepreneur category. Workers with an agri-food job offer, rather than capital to invest, were never in either route and should look at the Agriculture Talent Pathway, which is a job-offer pathway rather than a business one.
| Feature | Farm Owner & Operator | Entrepreneur |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Experienced farmers / farm managers | Entrepreneurs starting or buying a general business |
| Business type | Primary-production agriculture | Retail, services, trades and other businesses |
| Experience focus | Hands-on farming experience | Business ownership or management experience |
| Core test | Farm net worth, investment & farming business plan | Business proposal & Business Performance Agreement |
| Outcome | Provincial nomination → PR via IRCC | Provincial nomination → PR via IRCC |
Both ended with a separate IRCC application
How does the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator application process work?
No new Farm Owner and Operator application can be started, because the category closed on 27 March 2025. For the files already in the SINP system, the sequence runs from intake and third-party financial verification, through a $2,500 CAD processing fee, assessment and an optional interview, to a Nomination Approval and Request for Deposit letter that requires the $75,000 CAD good faith deposit within three months and a signed Business Performance Agreement. The nomination certificate that follows is valid for six months, and the permanent-residence application must reach IRCC before it expires. The steps below trace that path.
- 01
Intake and file number
The SINP acknowledges the application with a Letter of Receipt and a file number, which the applicant uses to retain one of the two third-party financial verification providers.
- 02
Third-party net worth verification
KPMG or MNP Ltd. assesses the net worth and its lawful accumulation, then sends the report directly to the SINP. An application without that report is not accepted for assessment.
- 03
Pre-screening and the processing fee
A complete file receives an Acceptance of Application and Request for Processing Fee letter, and the $2,500 CAD fee is paid by wire transfer before assessment begins.
- 04
Assessment and optional interview
The SINP evaluates the file against the category criteria, may request further documents, and may ask for an interview about the farming experience and proposal.
- 05
Nomination approval and the deposit
On approval the SINP issues a Nomination Approval and Request for Deposit letter. The $75,000 CAD good faith deposit and the signed Business Performance Agreement must be returned within three months or the file is closed.
- 06
Nomination and the IRCC application
The nomination certificate is valid for six months. The separate federal PR application must reach IRCC before it expires, and IRCC makes the final decision on medicals, security and admissibility.
Check that a route is open before you commit money
How Wild Mountain Immigration helps with your Farm application
With the category closed, the useful work is different from what it was. As a CICC-regulated practice led by a licensed RCIC(CICC #R706497), our team does two things for farmers here. For anyone with a Farm file already in the SINP system, we work the file that exists: the Performance Agreement obligations, the deposit deadline, the six-month nomination certificate, and the federal application that has to land inside it. For anyone who was planning a Saskatchewan farm purchase as an immigration route, we give an honest read on what is actually open, across every Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) stream and the wider Provincial Nominee Programs. You can review our transparent consulting fees up front.
Farmers without capital to invest are usually better served by a job-offer route such as the Agriculture Talent Pathway, and founders with capital by a federal business programme. Prefer to do some of the legwork yourself? Our lower-cost File Review gives your own file an expert check before you submit. The figures on this page, including the SINP farm net worth requirement, the minimum farm investment and the exploratory visit rule, were checked against saskatchewan.ca in September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SINP Farm Owner and Operator category?
The Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category was the farm sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program's Entrepreneur and Farm stream, for experienced farmers who bought and actively operated a farm in the province and were nominated for permanent residence. Saskatchewan permanently closed it, and every other Entrepreneur and Farm pathway, on 27 March 2025 (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). Applications already in the system are still being processed to completion, but no new applications, expressions of interest or invitations are accepted.
How much money do I need for the Saskatchewan Farm category?
The category is closed to new applicants, so no threshold applies to a new file. While it ran, the main stream required a verified personal net worth of at least $500,000 CAD, a farming proposal committing at least $150,000 CAD of investment, and a refundable good faith deposit of $75,000 CAD held in trust against a Performance Agreement, plus a $2,500 CAD application processing fee. The Young Farmer stream required a net worth of at least $300,000 CAD and an applicant under 40. Net worth had to be legally accumulated and verified by KPMG or MNP Ltd. (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026).
Do I need farming experience to qualify?
Yes. Both streams required at least three years of experience in farm ownership, farm management and practical farming, evidenced by documents and sometimes tested at interview (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). The category was built for hands-on owner-operators and senior farm managers in primary agricultural production, not for passive investors. Note that Saskatchewan permanently closed the category to new applicants on 27 March 2025, so this now describes the criteria applied to files already in the system.
Is an exploratory visit required for the SINP Farm category?
Yes, it was mandatory. Applicants had to visit Saskatchewan for at least five working days and use the time to research farming opportunities through meetings with service professionals (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). The visit was one of the eligibility conditions, not a recommendation. Because Saskatchewan permanently closed the category on 27 March 2025, this now applies only to files already in the system.
How is the Farm category different from the SINP Entrepreneur category?
Both are closed. Saskatchewan permanently closed all Entrepreneur and Farm pathways on the same date, 27 March 2025 (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). While they ran, the Farm Owner and Operator category covered primary-production farms and was assessed on farming experience, a $500,000 CAD net worth and a farming proposal, while the Entrepreneur category covered general businesses in retail, services and trades and turned on a business proposal and a Business Performance Agreement. Agri-business operations that were not primary production belonged in the Entrepreneur category.
Does the Saskatchewan Farm category lead directly to permanent residence?
No. A SINP nomination is a provincial endorsement, not permanent residence. A nominee then submits a separate application to IRCC, which makes the final decision on medical, security and admissibility grounds, and IRCC processes a base provincial nominee application in about 13 months (IRCC processing times, 3 September 2026). Farm nominees also signed a Business Performance Agreement tied to actually buying and operating the farm, with a $75,000 CAD deposit forfeited to the province if the terms were not met within two years of arriving.
Can I apply for the SINP Farm category from outside Canada?
No. Saskatchewan permanently closed the Farm Owner and Operator category to new applicants on 27 March 2025, so no new application can be filed from inside or outside Canada (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). While it ran, the category was a business route open to overseas applicants, because eligibility turned on farm-management experience, net worth and a farming proposal rather than on a Saskatchewan job offer. Farmers looking at Canada now should compare the job-offer routes and the federal business programs with a licensed RCIC before committing funds.
What types of farms qualify for the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator category?
The category covered primary-production agriculture only: commercial operations growing crops or raising livestock, with a minimum of $10,000 CAD in annual revenue to count as a qualifying farming business, and hobby farms expressly excluded (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). Saskatchewan agriculture is dominated by large-acreage grain and oilseed cropping such as wheat, canola, barley, lentils and peas, alongside cattle, feedlot and mixed livestock farming. Processing, distribution and agri-business services fell under the Entrepreneur category instead. Both categories closed on 27 March 2025.
Is there an IELTS or language requirement for the SINP Farm category?
The category did not publish a language-test minimum for the principal applicant. It was assessed on farming experience, net worth, farm investment and a farming proposal, with a pass mark of at least 55 points on the Farm Owner/Operator Category Intent Grid (saskatchewan.ca, September 2026). An accompanying farm employee applying alongside a nominated principal applicant did need Canadian Language Benchmark 4 and a minimum of 60 points on the skilled-worker grid. The category closed to new applicants on 27 March 2025.
How long does the Saskatchewan Farm Owner and Operator process take?
No new file can start, because the category closed on 27 March 2025. For applications already in the system, the sequence runs from pre-screening and third-party financial verification through a $2,500 CAD processing fee, assessment and an optional interview, then a Nomination Approval letter that requires the $75,000 CAD deposit within three months and a signed Business Performance Agreement. The nomination certificate is then valid for six months, and IRCC processes the base permanent-residence application that follows in about 13 months (IRCC processing times, 3 September 2026).
Planning a farm move to Canada now the SINP route has closed?
Get started with a licensed RCIC for an honest read on which Canadian routes are actually open to you, and on any Farm Owner and Operator file already in the SINP system.