Saskatchewan announces new immigration program under the SINP

On November 25, Saskatchewan announced a new immigration pilot program.

The Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot will enable Saskatchewan employers to hire international workers for certain in-demand occupations.  The eligible jobs under this pilot will include entry-level positions that may require on-the-job training. Health, manufacturing, agriculture, ag-tech, construction, hospitality, and retail are the industries with the highest labour demand in Saskatchewan.

“The demand for labour in our province is strong, and it’s only going to increase with the significant economic projects recently announced in Saskatchewan,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a media release. “This new Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot—developed in Saskatchewan for Saskatchewan—is progress on our autonomy discussions with the federal government and is going to help provide employers with greater access to international options to recruit workers. This is in addition to record investments into training and up-skilling our provincial workforce, as we enter a period of strong growth coming out of the global pandemic.”

Workers nominated through this Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)  stream would be supported by their employers and community, which would contribute to their success. The pilot is scheduled to launch in December 2021.

To be eligible, applicants to the Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot must:

• Have a full-time, permanent offer of employment and SINP job approval letter for an eligible occupation from a registered Saskatchewan employer;
• Meet a minimum Canadian Official Language proficiency level; and
• Meet the minimum educational and work experience requirements, which includes having at least one year of work experience in the same occupation as the job offer or six-months work experience in that job in Saskatchewan.

The release currently does not specify which occupations are eligible, the minimum education requirement, or the exact language proficiency level required.

Prior to utilising the pilot programme for recruitment, employers in the pilot programme must demonstrate that they have made extensive efforts to hire domestically, demonstrate the need and benefit for their business, and fulfil requirements related to providing settlement support for the workers.