Saskatchewan Engages With Federal System For Canadian Immigration, Opens Express Entry Stream

The Canadian province of Saskatchewan has opened its Express Entry category for Canadian immigration under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). This category enables the SINP to nominate individuals in Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Express Entry pool and who have the education, skilled work experience, language ability and other factors to help them to successfully establish and integrate into Saskatchewan’s labour market and communities. Up to 775 nomination certificates will be issued under this stream of the SINP this year.

A successful nomination through this stream will result in successful applicants being awarded 600 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System and an invitation to apply at a subsequent draw from the pool.

Located in the Prairie region of Western Canada, Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s most economically stable provinces. Successful candidates and their families will obtain Canadian permanent residence, with the government of Canada aiming to process applications within six months of a complete application being submitted at the federal stage. As candidates are selected by the province from the federal Express Entry pool, all candidates must be eligible for one of the federal economic immigration programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker Program
• Federal Skilled Trades Program
• Canadian Experience Class

In addition, candidates must score at least 60 points on the SINP point assessment grid. Points are awarded on the basis of five factors:

*Close relative = 20 points. The relative must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in Saskatchewan – includes: parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin and step-family members or in-laws of the same relationships.

*Previous work experience in Saskatchewan = 5 points. The applicant worked in Saskatchewan for at least twelve months in the past five years on a valid work permit.

*Previous student experience in Saskatchewan = 5 points. The applicant studied at a recognized Saskatchewan education institution for at least one full time academic year on a valid study permit.

Candidates must:

• demonstrate proficiency in either English or French, in order to enter the Express Entry pool. Language ability is determined by the candidate sitting a standardised language test, the most common of which are the IELTS or CELPIP for English and TEF for 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.

To find out if you are eligible for any of over 60 Canadian immigration programs, including immigration streams under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, please fill out a free online assessment today.

Saskatchewan quick facts:

Capital: Regina

Largest city: Saskatoon

Population: 1,132,640

Main language: English

Climate: High seasonal variation, with warm summers, very cold and snowy winters, and short, mild transitional seasons.

Learn more about Saskatchewan

In-Demand occupations:

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