The Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot will allow Saskatchewan employers to recruit international talent for certain in-demand occupations. The eligible jobs under this pilot will include entry-level positions that may require on-the-job training. The sectors with the highest labour demands in Saskatchewan include health, manufacturing, agriculture, ag-tech, construction, hospitality, and retail.
“The demand for labour in our province is strong, and it’s only going to increase with the significant economic projects recently announced in Saskatchewan,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a media release. “This new Hard-To-Fill Skills Pilot—developed in Saskatchewan for Saskatchewan—is progress on our autonomy discussions with the federal government and is going to help provide employers with greater access to international options to recruit workers. This is in addition to record investments into training and up-skilling our provincial workforce, as we enter a period of strong growth coming out of the global pandemic.”
Workers nominated through this Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) stream will be supported by their employers and community. The pilot is scheduled to launch in December 2021.
“This is very positive news for businesses in the hospitality industry in Saskatchewan,” Hospitality Saskatchewan President and CEO Jim Bence said in the release. “This pilot project is designed to attract talent and a great program for all sectors currently experiencing labour recruitment challenges in the province. While we always work hard to exhaust every opportunity to hire locally, we have to be creative to ensure we have the right labour supply to help our business and communities grow and thrive in Saskatchewan, something this very unique program will be especially helpful with post-COVID.”
Some of the eligibility criteria for candidates include:
Have a full-time, permanent offer of employment and SINP job approval letter for an eligible occupation from a registered Saskatchewan employer;
Meet a minimum Canadian official language proficiency level; and
Meet the minimum educational and work experience requirements, which includes having at least one year of work experience in the same occupation as the job offer or six-months work experience in that job in Saskatchewan.
Currently, the release does not say which occupations are eligible, the minimum education requirement, nor the exact language proficiency level required.
For employers to be eligible, they have to demonstrate they have made extensive efforts to hire domestically before they can use the pilot for recruitment. They also need to demonstrate the need and benefit for their business, and fulfill requirements related to providing settlement support for the workers. No further specifics have been released.
Eligibility for Employers
- The eligibility requirements for employers include:
- Demonstrate their efforts to hire domestically
- Demonstrate the requirement and benefits of their businesses
- Fulfill requirements related to settlement support for workers
Why think about Saskatchewan?
While the latest census data from 2016 reveals immigration to Saskatchewan has been relatively low compared to national figures, with four percent of newcomers to Canada choosing to settle in Saskatchewan, this figure is growing. The previous census, in 2011, showed only one percent settled in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan maintains a diverse and active immigration program to respond to and encourage this growth, as categories evolve or are created to respond to labour market needs.
With a growing economy, vibrant city life, a strong educational system, and plenty of open space, Saskatchewan could provide a prosperous new home for you and your family. Saskatchewan’s economic growth is among the highest of all Canadian provinces, as the agricultural and mining industries rebound. Employers are frequently looking for skilled and enthusiastic workers in these sectors, as well as others including education, healthcare, engineering, and more.
Saskatchewan had the year’s biggest PNP draw
In the most recent round of invitations, held on November 18, Saskatchewan welcomed 633 immigration applicants.
After a nearly two-month hiatus from holding draws, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) allowed applicants to apply through two of its immigration streams.
425 among those invited may be eligible for the SINP’s Express Entry subcategory, while 208 may be qualified for the Occupations In-Demand subcategory.
On Saskatchewan’s Expression of Interest (EOI) ranking system, the lowest-scoring applicant in each subcategory received 65 points.
Learn if you are eligible for Canadian immigration.
Each category has 14 qualifying occupations in this draw. The complete list of qualified occupations is available on the Saskatchewan government website.
Both groups required Educational Credential Assessments (ECA) to verify that their foreign education was equivalent to the Canadian norm.
NOC codes of Construction workers, managers, electrician, fitter and cabinet makers were invited.
So please refer to your NOC if you have one of these noc’s and score is 65 or above, you must have received your invitation to apply from the province of Saskatchewan.
See below for information on the selection rounds that have occurred through the SINP’s EOI system.
What is the minimum CRS score for Saskatchewan?
Score a minimum of 60 points on the SINP points assessment grid; Provide valid language test results from a designated testing agency matching those in the Express Entry profile; Have completed one year of post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship comparable to the Canadian education system.
Emigrantz Global Consultancy registered and partnered with ICCRC (ICCRC – R407847) has more than a decade’s experience in the immigration industry. We have been fulfilling the needs of Permanent residency, student visa, business visa and work permit aspirants for Canada along with other countries.
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