Employer Position Assessment at a Glance
The Employer Position Assessment (EPA) helps Saskatchewan employers support foreign workers on their path to permanent residency through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). It outlines the steps to assess the employer, job offer, and candidate, and explains the roles of both the employer and worker at each stage. This process ensures businesses meet provincial requirements and candidates are eligible for nomination, work permits and permanent residence.
1. Businesses Eligibility Assessment
To recruit international workers in Saskatchewan, you must register with the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training.
When reviewing your registration, we confirm that you:
- have been actively operating your business in Saskatchewan
- have the financial capacity to hire and support international workers
- are in good standing with applicable laws
Approved employers receive a Certificate of Registration (COR) valid for two years. A COR is also required if you are recruiting through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program for a Labour Market Impact Assessment. To learn more about the criteria, visit the Apply for a Certificate of Registration page.
2. Job Offer Eligibility Assessment
The SINP reviews the employer’s job offer, capacity to hire and working conditions. It also ensures that any previous SINP-supported candidates are still working in their approved positions in accordance with the conditions of their Employer Position Assessment (EPA), which replaces the Job Approval Form (JAF). If approved, we will notify you and your candidate(s) by email, who are then required to log in to the SINP’s online application system OASIS to confirm the information you’ve provided before proceeding. To review Employer Position Assessment criteria, visit the Obtain SINP Approval for the Job Position page.
3. Candidate Eligibility Assessment
The candidate submits an SINP application through their OASIS account after reviewing your approved EPA and confirming the information. The SINP compares their education and work experience with the category criteria and the job offer. If approved, the candidate receives a Nomination Letter and a Work Permit Support Letter, with both valid for six months from the time of issue.
Access the SINP Application portal for employers and candidates
4. Steps to Take Before Your Candidate Applies for a Work Permit and Permanent Residency
Once your candidate is nominated, they have six months to apply to the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence and an employer-specific work permit from the date of nomination. For the candidate to get an employer-specific work permit, the employer must submit their job offer in the IRCC Employer Portal and pay the $230 Employer Compliance Fee.
5. Applying for a Work Permit and Permanent Residence
Your candidate will use the A-number on your Employer Compliance Fee receipt to apply for an employer-specific work permit. If they’re not in Canada or not working for you yet, they can arrive and work as soon as they are approved for the work permit. Once they have obtained Permanent Residence, they can call Saskatchewan home!
Candidates can access settlement services and pre‑arrival information to support their transition.