Saskatchewan launches program to attract tech professionals

Saskatchewan has launched the new Tech Talent Pathway under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) on March 7 in order to attract tech workers to the province.

This new stream will facilitate and expedite the immigration process for tech workers already working in Saskatchewan and those who have been recruited outside of Canada.

“The Saskatchewan economy depends on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled immigrants who form critical anchors of specialised skills in our communities and workforce,” said SaskTech President Dr. Aaron Genest in a press release. “The Tech Talent Pathway offers a competitive advantage to Saskatchewan industries and is unique in Canada. It streamlines the immigration process and acknowledges that we want our immigrants to stay right here in our province to join us in creating innovative solutions for Saskatchewan to export to the world.”

Applicants to the Tech Talent Pathway must have the following qualifications:

• An employer-specific SINP Job Approval Letter for an eligible occupation in the technology sector;
• Must have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 if not working in Saskatchewan at the time of application, or a level 7 if applying under Express Entry;
• One year of work experience in that occupation within the past five years; or six months of work experience in Saskatchewan;
• post-secondary education; and
• Be eligible for Saskatchewan professional licensing (applicable to eligible computer, software, electrical and electronics engineers).

According to SINP, program criteria can change at any time. Decision makers, however, will use the information on the government’s website when they receive the application.  No application is guaranteed to be nominated.

If you have a job offer in one of these occupations, listed below by their National Occupation Classification (NOC) code, you may be eligible to apply to the Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway.

• 0213 Computer and information systems managers
• 2133 Electrical and Electronics engineers
• 2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
• 2171 Information System analysts and consultants
• 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
• 2173 Software engineers and designers
• 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• 2175 Web designers and developers
• 2281 Computer network technicians
• 2282 User support technicians
• 2283 Information system testing technicians

Additional eligibility criteria

If you live outside Canada or have legal status in Canada, and do not claim refugee status, you may qualify for the program.

Regardless of whether you apply as an Express Entry candidate or not, you need an offer for a permanent, full-time job in the technology or innovation sector in Saskatchewan. In order to prove your intent to work and reside in Saskatchewan, you must have a valid SINP Job Approval Letter.

Applicants from Saskatchewan must be employed full-time for at least six months by the employer offering the eligible job, and currently reside in the province. According to the government, full time is at least 30 hours per week.

Applicants who have not been employed full-time by their supporting employer for at least six months must have at least one year of work experience in their occupation within the last five years.

Applicants from other provinces of Canada and from outside Canada must have one year of related work experience in their intended occupation within the past five years.

In terms of the language requirement, employees must meet the requirements established by their employers. You must have CLB 5 or higher in English or French if you are not currently employed by the employer offering the job

If your occupation requires Saskatchewan licensing, you must be eligible for it. A computer engineer, a software engineer (but not a designer), and an electrical and electronics engineer are required to perform the following:

• You must submit confirmation that an application for registration as an Engineer-in-Training has been approved by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS);
• Submit a letter from the APEGS indicating that they have been assigned Confirmatory Exams.
• Additionally, you will need an education related to the job you have been offered, which can be a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree; or a three-year degree at a university or college; or a two-year diploma from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other post-secondary institution

Eligibility Criteria for Express Entry candidates

Applicants in IRCC’s Express Entry pool may qualify for this sub-category if they live outside Canada or have legal status in Canada, are not refugees, and:

• Hold a valid Express Entry Profile Number and Job Seeker Code.
• Must have passed the federal Express Entry language test.

You need to qualify for one of the Express Entry-managed programs in order to create a profile. In most cases, tech workers will qualify for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class. Federal Skilled Trades is the third Express Entry-managed program primarily for tech workers that are not eligible for the other two.