Saskatchewan significantly expands list of eligible in-demand occupations

Stephen Smith, Noah Turner
Published: September 18, 2019

The province of Saskatchewan has expanded the list of in-demand occupations associated with both its Express Entry and In-Demand Occupation sub-categories, from 19 occupations to more than 200.

These are two popular streams within the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) that do not require a job offer or work experience in Canada in order for a candidate to be eligible.

One of these streams, the Express Entry sub-category, is for candidates who also have a profile in Canada's federal Express Entry pool.

Candidates in the Express Entry pool who obtain a provincial nomination through the SINP’s Express Entry sub-category are awarded an additional 600 points towards their ranking score, effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The other stream, the In-Demand Occupation Sub-Category, is available to candidates who are not in the Express Entry pool. If nominated, these candidates would apply for permanent residence outside of Express Entry, which is generally slower by comparison.

Both immigration sub-categories require work experience in an eligible high-skilled occupation, among other criteria.

A high-skilled occupation is one that is rated skill level A or B or Skill Type 0 under Canada's National Occupational Classification, or NOC.

Rather than listing the occupations that are now eligible, the SINP is only listing the 130 occupations that are excluded.

This leaves 218 occupations that are now be eligible.

Both Express Entry candidates and individuals considering immigrating to Saskatchewan through the In-Demand Occupation Sub-Category must register a separate Expression of Interest with the SINP.

"These SINP streams have long been a great pathway for eligible candidates, albeit with work experience in a very limited number of occupations, to pursue nomination and then permanent residence in Canada," said David Cohen, senior partner with the Campbell Cohen Canadian immigration law firm in Montreal.

"Opening these streams to many more occupations has the potential to benefit Saskatchewan's labour market as well as the highly skilled candidates who dream of a life in Canada and whose occupations are now on the list."

The first step towards pursuing a nomination through Saskatchewan's Express Entry sub-category is to submit an Express Entry profile into the federal pool.

In order to be considered under Saskatchewan's Occupation In-Demand Sub-Category, candidates must first create a profile in Saskatchewan's Expression of Interest system.

Find out if you are eligible for Express Entry or Saskatchewan's Occupation In-Demand Sub-Category

© 2019 CICNews All Rights Reserved

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Related articles
How IRCC’s new Immigration Levels Plan prioritizes in-Canada candidates
A man views the CN tower from a distance on a cloudy summer day
IRCC announces temporary measures for those impacted by the conflict in Lebanon
Airplane landing in Canadian airport.
How does IRCC use information from PR and international student applicants?
A close-up of a woman logging into a portal on her laptop, with graphic representation of the input boxes
Canada to cut immigration by 20% in 2025
A picture of the Canadian parliament.
Top Stories
British Columbia and PEI invite candidates in latest round of provincial nominations
How can my foreign employees legally work in Canada?
What items do you need to declare when entering Canada?
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Settling in Canada
What items do you need to declare when entering Canada?
A picture of the Canadian flag imposed over people walking into the distance
The five most important things to know about renting in Canada
A picture of the Toronto skyline
Can you afford to live in Canada?
First winter in Canada? Four questions you need to ask when buying a winter jacket
A woman looks at a winter jacket in a store.
Link copied to clipboard