SINP Processing Statistics

Processing Times

Employer Position Assessments (EPA) submissions will open on May 4 for employers - formerly called the Job Approval Form (JAF). Please wait until your sector intake time before entering the system. Transportation and Retail Trade sectors open on May 4 at 8:30 a.m. CST. Accommodation and Food Services will open on May 4 at 12:30 p.m. CST. Spots are first-come, first-served. To have the best chances of being approved make sure your EPAs are fully completed and ready to submit the moment intake opens.

Job Approval Forms (JAFs) for employers in the Trucking, Accommodation, Retail and Food Service sectors that are submitted outside an active intake period, or for their candidates whose work permits expire more than six months from the submission date, will be closed and returned.

We update processing times every three months. These times reflect the duration it took to process applications during that period. Times are listed in weeks for each category.

Please note that processing times can change and should not be used to predict processing times for future applications.

Processing times are based only on applications that have been finalized, meaning the decision was:

Nominated;
Returned; or
Ineligible.

Our goal is to process all International Skilled Worker and Saskatchewan Experience applications within 16 weeks, provided that applications are complete and we have all required information and documents.

The averages shown below represent the time it takes to process 80 per cent of applications, measured from the date a complete application is received to the date it is finalized. The fastest and slowest 10 per cent are excluded to provide a more accurate picture.

International Skilled Worker

The goal is to process all International Skilled Worker and Saskatchewan Experience applications within 16 weeks. To process an application, we must have all information and supporting documents.

SINP Category	Quarter 1, 2026 (January 1 to March 31, 2026)
Employment Offer	3 weeks
Tech Talent Pathway	2 weeks
Agriculture Talent Pathway	3 weeks
Health Talent Pathway	2 weeks

Saskatchewan Experience

SINP Category	Quarter 1, 2026 (January 1 to March 31, 2026)
Existing Work Permit	3 weeks
International Students	2 weeks

Second Reviews

The table below shows how long it took to complete a second review request in the last quarter. When a review is finished, the candidate will get an email notifying them of one of the three outcomes:

Application is approved for nomination;
More information is needed to complete the review; or
Original decision (ineligible) remains, with no more appeal options.

Second Review Requestor	Quarter 1, 2026 (January 1 to March 31, 2026)
Applicants with Job Offers	2 weeks
Applicants without Job Offers	N/A

Job Approval Process

A Job Approval Letter (JAL) authorizes an employer to hire a foreign worker through the SINP.

A Job Approval Form (JAF) is the application to receive a JAL.

We review each Job Approval Form to ensure the job meets SINP requirements. Our goal is to process these JAFs within six weeks provided we have all required information and documents.

	Quarter 1, 2026 (January 1 to March 31, 2026)
Job Approval Forms	4 weeks

Applications and Nominations

Priority Sectors for 2026 include:

Health care
Agriculture
Skilled trades
Mining
Manufacturing
Energy
Technology

These sectors are prioritized based on their critical connection to Saskatchewan's Labour Market Strategy. The Labour Market Strategy's goal is to ensure that the available labour force in Saskatchewan is not a constraint to economic growth.

Capped sectors are limited to supporting current employees with valid temporary residency status and have a set percentage of the SINP's 2026 nomination allocation. Once the cap is reached per sector, processing times will no longer be updated.

Capped sectors for 2026 include:

Retail (NAICS 44–45)
Trucking (NAICS 48–49)
Accommodation and Food Services (NAICS 72)

Capped sectors are limited to 25 per cent of the SINP’s total allocation in 2026, with the potential for mid-year adjustments. Across these three sectors, there are limits to ensure fair access to the SINP.

Trucking receives 5 per cent (238 spots)
Retail Trade and Other Services receive 5 per cent (238 spots)
Accommodation and Food Services receive 15 per cent (714 spots)

Employers in capped sectors can only submit applications during one of the six intake windows in 2026, and if their candidate has 6 months or less remaining on their work permit.

Applications for candidates in capped sectors with more than 6 months left on their work permit will not be accepted.

Other Sectors include all sectors which are not identified as Priority or Capped Sectors.

Capped Sectors Intake Windows and Position Limits

Intake windows for capped sectors aim to reflect nomination allocation distributions:

The Trucking sector is allotted 5 per cent of all nominations in 2026 and is allotted 20 per cent of each intake window.
The Retail Trade sector is allotted 5 per cent of all nominations in 2026 and is allotted 20 per cent of each intake window.
The Accommodations and Food Service sector is allotted 15 per cent of all nominations in 2026 and is allotted 60 per cent of each intake window.

Employer Position Assessments (EPA) submissions will open on May 4 for employers - formerly called the Job Approval Form (JAF). Please wait until your sector intake time before entering the system.

Transportation and Retail Trade sectors open on May 4 at 8:30 a.m. CST.
Accommodation and Food Services will open on May 4 at 12:30 p.m. CST.

Spots are first-come, first-served. To have the best chances of being approved make sure your EPAs are fully completed and ready to submit the moment intake opens.

Intake distribution may vary if a sector cap is reached or if the total number of nominations changes.

Intake Window Open	Sector	Position Limit	Positions Used	Remaining Positions to be Accepted	Notes
Jan. 13, 2026	Accommodation and Food Service	180	180	0	Only workers with six months or less on a valid work permit are eligible to submit immigration applications. Intake window position limit reached for Accommodation and Food Service and Retail Trade sectors on Jan. 13, 2026. The position limit for Trucking was reached on January 20, 2026.
	Retail Trade	60	60	0
	Trucking	60	60	0
March 2, 2026 8:30 a.m. CST	Accommodation and Food Service	240	240	0	Only workers with six months or less on a valid work permit are eligible to submit immigration applications. Intake window position limit reached for Accommodation and Food Service and Retail Trade sectors on March 2, 2026.
	Retail Trade	80	80	0
	Trucking	80	60	20
May 4, 2026 8:30 a.m. CST	Retail Trade	80	0	80	Only workers with six months or less on a valid work permit are eligible to submit immigration applications.
May 4, 2026 8:30 a.m. CST	Trucking	80	0	80
May 4, 2026 12:30 p.m. CST	Accommodation and Food Services	240	0	240
July 6, 2026
Sept. 7, 2026
Nov. 2, 2026

Figures are updated daily (Monday through Friday) during the intake window or immediately upon reaching the limit.

Each position requested on a Job Approval Form counts toward an intake window limit. For example, if an intake window has a limit of 500 positions and an employer submits a Job Approval Form requesting 10 positions, this reduces the remaining available positions to 490.

Please note that employers can draft a Job Approval Form (JAF) at any time in the portal. While warning messages will appear and submission will only be possible when space is available in the intake, drafting ahead of time is encouraged.

Nominations Issued in 2026

Nominee Sector	Allocation	Nominations YTD	% of Allocation
Priority Sectors (50 per cent)	2,380	689	29%
Accommodation and Food Services (15 per cent)	714	188	26%
Retail Trade and Other Services (5 per cent)	238	74	31%
Trucking (5 per cent)	238	46	19%
Other Sectors (25 per cent)	1,190	226	19%
Total	4,761	1,223	26%

Figures are updated quarterly.