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Saskatchewan Reopens Express Entry Stream for Canadian Immigration for Fourth Time in 2015

The end-of-year rush on Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Express Entry nominations being issued continues, with Saskatchewan having announced on December 16, 2015 that, effective immediately, 500 additional applications will be accepted under the ‘International Skilled Worker – Express Entry’ sub-category of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

Saskatchewan also announced a corresponding increase to the year’s application quota for this sub-category, from 2,500 to 3,000.

As this is an enhanced immigration stream, a successful nomination will result in applicants being awarded 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) and receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) at a subsequent draw from the Express Entry pool.

The latest SINP announcement marks the second time this month, and fourth time this year, that the International Skilled Worker – Express Entry sub-category has opened. Each time this sub-category has opened it has also filled quickly. The previous intake period lasted just four days, and the current application intake is also expected to be filled quickly.

This sub-category is limited to candidates in the Express Entry pool who, in addition to meeting the requirements of a federal immigration program (Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class or Canadian Experience Class), must also satisfy the requirements of the SINP International Skilled Worker Express Entry sub category. This includes obtaining 60 points on Saskatchewan’s point assessment grid. 

In addition, candidates must:

  • demonstrate proficiency in either English or French; and
  • have completed a minimum of one year of post-secondary education or training that has resulted in a degree, diploma, certificate, or a certificate equivalent to a trade certificate and which is comparable to the Canadian education system, as verified by an Educational Credential Assessment.

A potential candidate must also demonstrate a minimum level of work experience related to his or her field of education or training. This work experience may be either:

  • at least one year of work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled profession (non-trades); or
  • at least two years of work experience in a skilled trade in the past five years; or
  • at least one year of skilled work experience in Canada in the past three years (trades and non-trades). This work experience must be in a high skilled occupation (NOC “0”, “A” or “B”) that is considered to be in-demand in Saskatchewan.

A complete list of in-demand occupations can be found at the end of this article.

The application process

Candidates eligible for and interested in applying to the Saskatchewan Express Entry sub-category should follow these steps:

  1. Submit an online profile on CIC’s Express Entry immigration selection system and get accepted into the Express Entry pool.
  2. Apply to the SINP for provincial nomination. Documents and all forms need to be attached to the SINP application. If approved for a nomination, the SINP will enter the details of the nomination into CIC’s Express Entry system and send a nomination letter to the candidate explaining the next steps.
  3. After the SINP enters the nomination information into a candidate’s Express Entry profile, he or she will be awarded an additional 600 points for a nomination under the Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System and receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence at a subsequent draw from the pool. From the moment a candidate receives an invitation to apply for permanent residence, he or she will have 60 days to submit an application for permanent residence.

End-of-year PNP rush

At the 23rd Annual Immigration Law Summit held in November in Toronto, Ontario, a spokesperson for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) stated that an increase in the CRS point requirement in order for candidates to receive an ITA was largely due to the fact that many provinces did not open their Express Entry Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) streams, through which successful candidates may obtain an additional 600 CRS points, until months after the system was launched. As a result, there has been a rush of PNP certificates being issued to proactive candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Another example of the end of year PNP Express Entry rush is Ontario. On November 24th Ontario announced that as a result of a glitch, candidates who were eligible for the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) Express Entry streams should re-submit their Express Entry profiles in order to be visible to the province. Since then, Ontario has quickly invited some of these candidates to apply under its Express Entry PNP streams.

Both the SINP and OINP only issue nominations or notifications of interest to candidates who have a profile in the Express Entry pool.

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including the federal economic programs that are processed under Express Entry and the various PNPs, please fill out a free online assessment today.

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In-Demand occupations for the SINP ‘International Skilled Worker – Express Entry’ sub-category:

NOC Occupation Skill Level Mandatory certification*
0711 Construction Managers 0 No
1111 Financial auditors and accountants A Yes
1232 Loan Officers B No
2131 Civil Engineers A Yes
2132 Mechanical Engineers A Yes
2133 Electrical and Electronics Engineers A Yes
2161 Mathematicians, Statisticians, and Consultants A No
2171 Information Systems Analysts and Consultants A No
2173 Software Engineers and Designers A Yes
2174 Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers A No
2211 Chemical Technologists and Technicians B No
2221 Biological Technologists and Technicians B No
2222 Agricultural and Fish Products Inspectors B No
2232 Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians B No
2234 Construction Estimators B No
2241 Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians B No
2242 Electronic Service Technicians (household and business equipment) B No
2253 Drafting Technologists and Technicians B No
2254 Land Survey Technologists and Technicians B No
2281 Computer Network Technicians B No
2282 User Support Technicians B No
2283 Systems Testing Technicians B No
4121 University Professors A No
4163 Business Development Officers and Marketing Researchers and Consultants A No
6221 Technical Sales Specialists, Wholesale Trade B No
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, carpentry trades B No
7217 Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews B No
7219 Contractors and Supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers B No
7222 Supervisors, motor transport and other ground transit operators B No
7231 Machinists and Machining and Tooling inspectors B No
7232 Tool and Die Makers B No
7241 Electricians (except industrial and power system) B Yes
7242 Industrial Electricians B Yes
7246 Telecommunications Installation and Repair Workers B No
7251 Plumbers B Yes
7252 Steamfitters, Pipefitters and Sprinkler System Installers B No
7261 Sheet Metal Workers B Yes
7263 Structural Metal and Platework Fabricators and Fitters B No
7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators B No
7271 Carpenters B No
7281 Bricklayers B No
7282 Concrete Finishers B No
7283 Tilesetters B No
7284 Plasterers, Drywall Installers, Finishers and Lathers B No
7291 Roofers and Shinglers B No
7292 Glaziers B No
7293 Insulators B No
7294 Painters and Decorators B No
7295 Floor Covering Installers B No
7311 Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics (except textile) B No
7312 Heavy-duty Equipment Mechanics B No
7313 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics B Yes
7316 Machine Fitters B No
7321 Automotive Service Technicians, Truck and Bus Mechanics and Mechanical Repairers B No
7322 Motor Vehicle Body Repairers B No
8232 Oil and Gas Drillers, Servicers, Testers and Related Workers B No
8253 Farm Supervisors and Specialized Livestock Workers B No
9212 Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemcial Processing and Utilities B No
9213 Supervisors, Food, Beverage and Tobacco Processing B No

*Mandatory (compulsory) certification or licensing is required for certain occupations.

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