Labour Mobility

The Act established the Labour Mobility and Fair Registration Practices Office (the Office) within the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training.

The role of the Office is to:

• Ensure regulatory bodies understand the requirements of the Act, the Regulations and internal trade agreements that Saskatchewan has signed, such as the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement.
• Review regulatory bodies’ registration and assessment processes to ensure they are compliant with the Act, the Regulations and internal trade agreements.
• Support regulatory bodies in improving their labour mobility and foreign qualification recognition processes.
• Respond to questions and provide guidance and navigation services to workers seeking to become registered to work in Saskatchewan; and
• Ensure Saskatchewan is a destination of choice in Canada in which to become registered to work in a regulated occupation.

When a worker is certified in a regulated occupation in one Canadian province or territory and wants to transfer that certification to another Canadian province or territory, this is called labour mobility.

Saskatchewan has signed two internal trade agreements to support labour mobility within Canada: the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and the New West Partnership Trade Agreement. These agreements provide a framework for how labour mobility should occur within Canada, including what can and cannot be required from workers in this process.

The first step for workers who are certified in a regulated occupation in Canada and want to become certified to work in that occupation in Saskatchewan (i.e., labour mobility) is to contact the regulatory body in Saskatchewan that provides certification for that occupation. The regulatory body will be able to explain this process and outline the requirements to gain certification to work in Saskatchewan. In many cases, this information is on the regulatory body's website, but contacting the regulatory body to ask specific questions may be helpful.

It is a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan to support internationally trained workers who want to become certified to work in their profession in Saskatchewan. This process is different for each regulated occupation and generally depends on the worker’s education, training and experience.

The first step for internationally trained workers who want to become certified to work in Saskatchewan is to contact the regulatory body that provides certification for that occupation. The regulatory body will be able to explain this process, including the requirements to gain certification to work in Saskatchewan. In many cases, this information is on the regulatory body's website, but contacting the regulatory body to ask specific questions may be helpful. Foreign credential recognition processes can differ by province or territory, so it is important to understand the specific process in Saskatchewan.

For certain occupations, internationally trained workers may be required to submit documents to a third-party organization for assessment before applying to the regulatory body. It is suggested that workers confirm the process with the regulatory body in Saskatchewan before starting the process. For information about how to become licensed in a regulated occupation in Saskatchewan, refer to the Guide for Researching the Licensing Process. This guide outlines five activities that you may need to do to obtain a licence for an occupation that requires mandatory or compulsory certification or licensing.

On December 6, 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the International Credential Recognition Grant (ICRG). The ICRG provides up to $6,000 per internationally trained individual seeking to have their credentials recognized to work in a regulated health-care occupation in Saskatchewan. Additional funding may be available for nurses due to their high demand. The ICRG will cover credential recognition costs such as assessments, examinations and bridge training. If you are interested in funding through the ICRG to assist with your credential recognition costs to work in a health-care occupation, please contact the Government of Saskatchewan’s Career Services at 1-833-613-0485 or careerservices@gov.sk.ca.

If you have any questions about certification in a specific regulated occupation, contact the regulatory body responsible for that occupation in Saskatchewan.

If you are experiencing difficulties in getting your qualifications recognized, or if you feel that the process is not transparent, objective, timely or procedurally fair, contact the Labour Mobility and Fair Registration Practices Office at labour-mobility@gov.sk.ca.

Every Canadian province and territory has a Labour Mobility Coordinator, whose role is to support labour mobility within Canada. This can involve interacting with regulatory bodies and other governments to ensure that workers who are registered to work in Canada can receive recognition to work in other provinces and territories. If you have questions about labour mobility or are experiencing challenges in getting your provincial or territorial registration recognized in Saskatchewan, please contact Saskatchewan’s Labour Mobility Coordinator at labour-mobility@gov.sk.ca.

The Government of Saskatchewan also has a Navigator, whose role is to support internationally trained individuals looking to become registered to work in Saskatchewan. This can involve answering questions about the foreign credential recognition process, providing advice on available supports, and working with regulatory bodies. If you are internationally trained and have questions about the process for receiving recognition of your qualifications so you can work in Saskatchewan, please contact the Navigator at navigator@gov.sk.ca.