Released on April 10, 2014
The Government of Saskatchewan has published a comprehensive list of immigrant consultants and recruiters who can provide services to employers and potential immigrants and foreign workers under The Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act (FWRISA), which was proclaimed in Saskatchewan on October 11, 2013. The publication of the list is part of the province’s commitment to ensuring the protection of foreign nationals and employers.“More than 48,000 immigrants have arrived in Saskatchewan since 2007 and our government wants to make sure that the safety and security of all immigrants, foreign workers and employers is protected,” Economy Minister Bill Boyd said. “Foreign nationals and employers can be confident that recruiters and immigration consultants who are licensed to do business in Saskatchewan are legal and have gone through a rigorous screening process to become licensed.”
Individuals who provided foreign worker recruitment or immigration consulting services in the period up to October 11, 2013, must have applied for a license by January 8, 2014. This deadline was established so that those individuals, who were already providing these services when the Act was established, would not be in contravention of the Act as long as their application was received by the deadline.
Individuals who have not provided foreign worker recruitment or immigration consulting services to foreign nationals destined to Saskatchewan in the two years prior to October 11, 2013, cannot provide services until they have been issued a licence.
“We want to ensure that immigrants continue to see Saskatchewan as a destination of choice – a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Boyd said. “Licensing recruiters and consultants is just one of the many steps that we are making to ensure the integrity of our immigration system.”
Under the Act, individuals who do not use licensed representatives may lose protection measures under the Act, including compensation for financial losses, and their application may be refused under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. Employers using unlicensed recruiters are liable for any illegal recruitment fees charged to their foreign workers.
To date, the Ministry of the Economy has received more than 250 license applications for recruiting and immigration consulting licences under the FWRISA. To review the full list of valid licensed recruiters and immigration consultants, or for more information on the Act and license application requirements, visit www.saskimmigrationcanada.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Deb Young
Economy
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6315
Email: deb.young@gov.sk.ca