Released on November 5, 2013
Minister responsible for Immigration Bill Boyd announced today that the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) will be undergoing improvements following consultations with a wide range of stakeholders this summer.
“Over the last several months, we have been reviewing the feedback we received during the consultation process and, based on this feedback, we will be introducing improvements to the SINP on January 2, 2014,” Boyd said. “I am pleased with the outcome of the consultations, and I think the changes make the program more responsive to employers and nominees while at the same time more effectively supporting the needs of Saskatchewan’s labour market and communities.”
These program improvements will be applied to an expanded program in 2014 as the federal government announced last week that Saskatchewan’s nominee allocation will increase to 4,725 next year, up from 4,450 in 2013.
To increase the program responsiveness and ensure that the program continues to have successful outcomes, the SINP will consolidate nine categories into three main categories with new eligibility requirements: the International Skilled Worker Category, the Saskatchewan Experience Category, and the Entrepreneur and Farm Category. These changes also align with Canada’s focus on immigration that supports economic growth. The federal government has indicated its desire for all provincial nominee programs to focus on economic requirements.
The Family Referral Category will be combined with the Skilled Worker Category to create the new International Skilled Workers Category. The International Skilled Worker Category will have a focus on attracting workers with high-skilled employment offers. At the same time it will provide increased flexibility by accepting a number of applications from workers with skills in high demand without the requirement of pre-arranged employment. Applicants with family connections in Saskatchewan can apply under this category, which will recognize the value of family support through the assignment of more eligibility points for family connections.
As of January 2, 2014, the SINP will only accept applications electronically, which will result in program efficiencies.
“Saskatchewan’s labour market has high demand for workers in a variety of occupations, and even with considerable investment in training and skills development for people in the province, we still rely on immigration to fill a number of high-skilled positions,” Boyd said. “The improvements to the SINP will more effectively support the attraction and retention of skilled workers from around the world as part of our provincial commitment to ensuring that we secure the skills needed in our economy.”
Phone inquiries can be directed to 306-798-7467 and e-mail inquiries can be sent to immigration@gov.sk.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Deb Young
Economy
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4765
Email: deb.young@gov.sk.ca