Saskatchewan introduces two new PNP pathways for skilled newcomers

On August 30, the Government of Saskatchewan announced two new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) pathways under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) for newcomers in health care and agriculture occupations.

Saskatchewan’s Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said the new pathways are another way the province is aligning its immigration program with current immigration needs.

"With labour shortages reported across the country, creating new provincial immigration pathways and streamlining our credential recognition process will help employers in Saskatchewan acquire the workforce needed to grow their businesses,” he said.

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The new Agriculture Talent pathway aims to “meet the increased labour to fill in-demand and emerging jobs in the agriculture industry.”

Agriculture is a key component of Saskatchewan’s economy. The province exported more than $3.2 billion in four key crop product sectors in 2023.

The Health Talent Pathway aims to support Saskatchewan's Health Human Resources (HHR) action plan. The province says, “All health care recruitment through the SINP will be consolidated and streamlined under this single stream.”

Who is eligible?

Agriculture Talent Stream

Potential candidates for this stream must meet a baseline of eligibility criteria: For example, the need to:

Have a language score of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4. Some employers or regulators may ask for scores that are higher than CLB 4.
Have completed secondary school (high school) or higher-level education.
Have at least one year of full-time work experience in the past three years (in their intended occupation); or six months (780 hours) of full-time (30+ hours per week) work experience in the job with the employer that has provided the candidate with a Job Approval Letter. The work experience does not need to be consecutive work experience in either case.
Attest to their intent to work and reside in Saskatchewan.
Have an offer for an eligible permanent, full-time agricultural sector job in Saskatchewan.

Candidates require a valid SINP Job Approval Letter to show proof of employment. They get this from their employer, who must register with the SINP to obtain it.

Health Talent Stream

The eligibility criteria for this pathway vary depending on whether the candidate has an application in the federal Express Entry application pool. Some criteria are the same for both subcategories, such as:

Being eligible for Saskatchewan licensing (if applicable to their occupation)
Having a post-secondary education that relates to the job they have been offered (master's or bachelor's degree; or a three-year degree at a university or college; or a diploma that requires two years at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other post-secondary institution).
Attesting to their intent to work and reside in Saskatchewan.

Candidates who are not eligible for Express Entry must also have an English and/or French language score of at least CLB 5. Some employers or regulators may ask for scores that are higher than CLB 5

They must also meet the following work experience requirements:

If applying from in Saskatchewan: Currently working in Saskatchewan have worked six months (780 hours) of full-time (30+ hours per week) work experience in the job with the employer that has provided the Job Approval Letter.
- The work experience does not need to be consecutive work experience in either case.
- If they have not been working for their supporting employer full-time for at least six months, then they must have at least one year of work experience in their occupation within the last five years

Candidates with profiles in the Express Entry application pool must

Have a valid Express Entry Profile Number and Job Seeker Code.
Have an English and/or French language score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7 or higher.
Meet the following work experience requirements:
- If applying from inside or outside of Canada: One year of high-skilled related work experience in the past five years in their intended eligible occupation.

About the SINP

Saskatchewan welcomed 7,350 newcomers through the SINP in 2023 and received an allocation of 8,000 nominations from Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada in 2024. The province says it expects nearly 20,000 newcomers to arrive by the end of 2025 (when the allocation is set to rise to 8,500).

The province is growing in popularity for newcomers considering Canada. It boasts a lower cost of living (housing is less expensive when compared to Canadas other major cities) a low provincial tax rate and a Graduate Retention Program which “refunds up to $20,000 of tuition fees paid by eligible graduates (including international graduates) who live in Saskatchewan and who file a Saskatchewan income tax return.”

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