Saskatchewan invited 308 immigration candidates to apply for a provincial nomination in its latest draw on January 9.

This is the first draw of the year for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). Invitations went to candidates in both the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams.

Candidates did not need a job offer to be invited for a provincial nomination in this draw. However, they did need to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the SINP. They also needed one year of work experience in an eligible skilled occupation related to their field of study.

Once EOI profiles are submitted, the SINP assesses them on factors such as age, skilled work experience, education, language ability, and connections to Saskatchewan. They are then awarded a score out of 100 based on the SINP’s International Skilled Worker Points Assessment Grid.

The score determines the candidate’s ranking in the EOI pool and the highest-scoring candidates are issued invitations to apply through regular draws.

In both categories, candidates needed a minimum score of 69 in order to be invited in the latest SINP selection round.

Express Entry sub-category

The SINP issued 142 invitations to candidates who had profiles in the federal Express Entry pool.

Saskatchewan’s Express Entry sub-category is linked to the federal Express Entry system, which manages the pool of candidates for three of Canada’s main economic-class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class.

If candidates in the federal Express Entry pool also filled out an EOI for Saskatchewan, and they scored 69 on the SINP’s Points Assessment Grid they may have been selected in the latest invitation round.

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from the province of Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score at the federal level, and are effectively guaranteed an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Occupations In-demand sub-category

The Occupations In-Demand sub-category is open to immigration candidates who do not have a federal Express Entry profile.

There were 166 Occupations In-Demand candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination, and like the Express Entry sub-category, candidates needed a provincial score of 69 in order to be chosen.

The SINP uses an Excluded Occupations List rather than a list of in-demand occupations. This is to allow for more flexibility in responding to the changing demands of the province’s labour market.

The January 9 draw issued invitations to candidates in 82 occupations. Some of these in-demand occupations include managers in agriculture, administrative officers, and electronic service technicians for household and business equipment.

For a complete list of the occupations that were included in this draw, consult the draw page.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

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