Immigration FAQs

Why has the SINP’s 2025 allocation been reduced?

The federal Immigration Levels Plan for 2025-2027 is reducing overall levels of immigration. The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) has been reduced by 50 per cent in this overall plan and the federal government has applied this cut equally across all PNPs.

When will I be able to submit new Job Approval Forms again?

Effective March 27, 2025, the intake of new Job Approval Form submissions resumed.

Will there be future pauses to Job Approval Forms intake in 2025?

No – there are no plans to pause intake again in 2025.

Why did the SINP temporarily pause the acceptance of new Job Approval Forms?

The SINP paused accepting new Job Approval Forms because the federal government cut Saskatchewan's nomination allocation by 50 per cent for 2025 and is requiring 75 per cent of nominations to be for temporary residents. This pause has allowed the SINP to:

• Review current applications;
• Develop and implement a plan for how to use the reduced nomination slots effectively; and
• Ensure fair and strategic use of the limited allocation.

While this delay affects employers' hiring plans, it was necessary to maintain the program's reliability and proper management given the severe federal cuts.

Which sectors will Saskatchewan prioritize for international recruitment in 2025 given the reduced SINP allocation?

Due to the 50 per cent reduction by the federal government in Saskatchewan's nomination allocation and the new federal requirement that 75 per cent of nominations must go to temporary residents already in Canada, international recruitment will be significantly limited in 2025.

The nominations available for non-temporary residents recruited from outside Canada will be limited to occupations in health care, agriculture and skilled trades. These sectors have been identified based on critical workforce needs and support for broader government priorities.

Which categories are being closed?

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) is closing the:

• Entrepreneur Category
• International Graduate Entrepreneur Sub-category
• Farm Owner/Operator Category

When will these pathways close?

These pathways were closed to new applications on March 27, 2025. No new applications will be accepted after this date.

Expression of Interest (EOI) candidates currently in our system that have not been selected for an Invitation to Submit Applications (ISA) will not move forward in the process. These EOIs will be removed from our system, and no further selections will be made for these pathways.

Why are these pathways being closed?

The federal government has reduced the nomination allocation for the SINP by 50 per cent. After evaluating our labour market priorities, program outcomes and how to maximize the benefits of a reduced number of nominations, we are shifting resources to pathways that best align with Saskatchewan's economic priorities. We are focusing on immigration streams that create stronger outcomes for both newcomers and the province, better matching Saskatchewan's current labour market needs and economic goals.

What will happen to applications that have already been submitted?

All applications submitted before the closure date will be processed using current program criteria. Applicants who meet all requirements will still be considered for nomination.

I already have an approved Business Performance Agreement (BPA). Will this change affect me?

No. If you have already signed a Business Performance Agreement, your application will continue as planned. You should proceed with establishing your business according to your agreement.

I am an international student in Saskatchewan interested in entrepreneurship. Are there any alternative pathways available?

We remain committed to retaining international student graduates. Please explore other permanent residency pathways through the SINP, such as the Student subcategory, or through federal immigration pathways, such as the Canadian Experience Class.

Will these pathways reopen in the future?

There are no immediate plans to reopen these specific pathways. Saskatchewan regularly reviews its immigration categories to meet the province's economic needs.

Are other SINP categories affected by this change?

The federal reduction to the nomination allocation has necessitated other program changes. However, all other SINP categories and sub-categories remain open.

What will happen to my Good Faith Deposit?

This closure has no impact on existing Good Faith Deposits. The SINP will continue to administer them in accordance with established policies and guidelines.

Where can I find information about alternative immigration pathways to Saskatchewan?

For information about other immigration options geared towards skilled workers, learn more about the International Skilled Worker and Saskatchewan Work Experience categories.

What will happen to my second review request?

This closure has no impact on existing second review requests. The review will continue, using established policies and guidelines.

If I already have an approved Business Performance Agreement (BPA), can I submit a request for an amendment to it?

Yes. If you have already signed a Business Performance Agreement, you can still submit requests to amend it in accordance with the parameters set in the BPA.

Why is Saskatchewan implementing caps on certain sectors in the SINP?

Saskatchewan is implementing targeted caps to ensure our limited nomination allocation is distributed strategically across all economic sectors. This approach supports stronger settlement outcomes, prevents disproportionate use of the program by any single sector, and helps meet new federal requirements while addressing our province's diverse economic needs.

Which sectors will be affected by these caps?

The caps apply to specific occupation-industry combinations within the Accommodations and Food Services, Retail Trade, and Trucking sectors. Other sectors remain unaffected.

Can employees in these sectors still use the SINP?

Yes. The framework allows up to 25 per cent of total nominations to go to these sectors. Employers can still access the program, but the allocation is limited to ensure fairness across industries.

Why were these sectors selected for the caps?

These sectors have historically received a disproportionate share of SINP nominations. The caps ensure that high-priority sectors essential to Saskatchewan's economic growth have fair access to the program.

How will I know if my business is affected by these caps?

The caps apply to specific combinations of NAICS industry codes and NOC occupation codes. Employers should check the SINP website for the complete list of affected occupation-industry combinations.

What happens when the 25 per cent cap is reached?

When the cap is reached, the SINP will post a notice on its website. Job Approval Forms (JAFs) for the affected occupation-industry combinations will still be accepted and will be processed if additional job approvals are required to meet the annual nomination allocation. These JAFs will expire when the 2025 nomination allocation is reached, and employers will be required to resubmit applications in the new year.

Will JAFs for capped sectors be automatically rejected?

No, JAFs for capped sectors will still be accepted and remain in our system, but processing of these applications will not occur unless additional positions are required to be approved to meet the annual nomination allocation. This approach allows us to manage our inventory while maintaining flexibility.

If the cap has been reached, can I submit applications for non-capped positions in my organization?

Yes, the caps only apply to specific occupation-industry combinations. Employers can continue to submit JAFs for positions outside of the capped list regardless of their industry.

How long will these caps remain in place?

The caps will be reviewed annually based on our federal allocation and any related federal requirements. We will assess their effectiveness and impact on program outcomes and make adjustments as needed.

What options are available if I cannot fill positions domestically?

Employers can explore other immigration pathways, work with Immigration and Career Training’s Career and Employment Services for training solutions, or consider SINP categories not subject to caps.

How will SINP verify my company's NAICS code?

The SINP will primarily use the NAICS code identified on your Certificate of Registration (COR). However, if there appears to be a discrepancy, the Immigration Services Branch will work with the Program Compliance Branch to validate the appropriate classification.

Can I change my company's NAICS code to avoid the caps?

NAICS codes should accurately reflect your primary business activity. Misrepresenting your business activity to circumvent program requirements would be considered a program integrity issue and could affect your eligibility to participate in the SINP.

What does it mean that the 25% cap has been met for 2025?

The 25% allocation for nominations in the Accommodations and Food Service, Retail Trade, and Trucking sectors has been fully utilized for the 2025 program year. This means that Saskatchewan has reached the maximum number of nominations it can allocate to these specific sectors based on our annual federal allocation. This cap helps ensure balanced economic growth across diverse industries in our province.

Can employers in capped sectors still submit Job Approval Forms (JAFs)?

Yes, employers can still submit JAFs for positions in capped sectors. However, these applications will not be processed unless additional positions are required to meet the annual nomination allocation. Your application will remain in our system and may be processed if the cap is lifted later in the year.

How will employers be notified if the cap is lifted?

The SINP will post a notice on its website if additional positions become available. We recommend employers in affected sectors check our website regularly for updates.

Will the cap reset in 2026?

Yes, the nomination allocation and corresponding sector caps will reset at the beginning of the 2026 program year. The caps are reviewed annually based on our federal allocation and related federal requirements.

Why is the SINP removing eligibility for some open work permits holders?

Some open work permits, such as spousal work permits, will no longer be eligible to apply to some SINP pathways due to higher risks of exploitation and poor retention outcomes, which undermine the program’s goals of fostering stable and long-term economic contributions.

Will spousal work permit holders be able to apply to the SINP categories not requiring work permits?

Yes. Holders of spousal work permits may be eligible under the Agriculture Talent Pathway, Health Talent Pathway, Tech Talent Pathway and International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer subcategory as work permits are not considered part of the criteria for these streams. However, additional documents may be required to validate the Saskatchewan residency history of you and your immediate family, if applicable.

How is the Student Category being revised?

Eligibility is now limited to graduates from Saskatchewan Designated Learning Institutions. Further, applicants will be required to have resided in Saskatchewan during their studies and gained work experience relevant to their degree while in the province. This ensures stronger ties to the province and better retention outcomes.

What new restrictions are being placed on Post-Graduation Work Permit holders?

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders will only be eligible to apply to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program’s Student, Health Talent Pathway, Agriculture Talent Pathway, Tech Talent Pathway and International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer sub-categories ensuring alignment with labour market priorities. Additionally, exemptions for PGWP holders under restricted occupations have been removed.

I didn’t study in Saskatchewan, but I’ve worked in my field of education here for six months. What categories am I eligible for?

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders who studied in a province other than Saskatchewan but have been working in Saskatchewan are no longer eligible to apply through any of the Saskatchewan Experience pathways but may be eligible to apply through the International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer subcategory, as well as the Health Talent Pathway, Agriculture Talent Pathway and Tech Talent Pathway.

How do I get a hold of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)?

• You can contact IRCC through a web form.
• You can also contact IRCC by telephone at 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only)
  • Automated telephone service (available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week): If you have a touch-tone telephone you can listen to pre-recorded information about our programs, and check the status of your application.
  • Client Support Centre agents - Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., your local time, except for statutory holidays. Services are available in French and English. Agents can help you with general and case specific enquiries. They cannot:
    • make decisions on applications; or
    • help process applications faster, unless you meet the criteria for urgent processing.
• Further details on how to contact IRCC are available at Client Contact Support Centre.
• IRCC posts their service standards for responses to web form inquiries and application processing. These standards change regularly. Fore more information about the service standards visit: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada service standards - Canada.ca

How can I check my SINP application status?

• Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) applicants can check the status of their application by logging into their account on OASIS. From the OASIS homepage, you may navigate to “View Part 2” icon or “Summary of Applications – Click Here.” You will see the status of your application in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. The SINP is unable to provide you with further details regarding the status of your application. If your application was submitted by a representative, kindly request a status update from them.
• To check SINP application processing times, please visit the Check Application Processing Times for SINP webpage.

How do I submit a request for a revision and/or extension?

• SINP has recently updated the procedures for requesting a revision and/or extension to a Nomination Certificate. These requests will now be made through your application portal.

How long do I have to request an extension to my Nomination Certificate after it has expired?

• Nominees will now have 90 days after the expiration of their nomination to apply for an extension.

What happens if the terms of my employment have changed?

• Nominees whose terms of employment have changed (termination, lay-off) will have 45 days to find another employment offer that meets the conditions of their existing work permit. If the existing nominee is unable to find another employment offer that meets the conditions of their existing work permit, they may request an extension to the 45 days.
• The SINP must be notified immediately if the job held by a nominees or existing applicant changes, they are laid off, or their job is terminated. Withholding this information is misrepresentation.

I just applied or am in the process of applying for Permanent Residence. Will there be delays in processing my application?

• Federal processing times have been impacted due to the pandemic. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) posts their processing times online at Check Processing Times and updates them weekly.

I am a temporary resident in Canada and my status is about to expire. I have applied or am about to apply to extend my status. What happens now?

• IRCC has confirmed that temporary residents who are currently in Canada are able to apply to extend their status online if they need to extend their status.
• A temporary resident who has applied to extend their status is allowed to remain in Canada until a decision is made on their new application, even if their initial status expires while they are waiting for that decision. This is called maintained status (previously called implied status).
• If you need documentation from the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) to apply to the federal government for the extension, please visit Revise or Extend an SINP Nomination.

Can I travel to a port of entry to request service?

• For information on services available at a port of entry, visit the Government of Canada's page: How to apply for a work permit at a port of entry.

I am a temporary resident who is unable to leave Canada. What happens now?

• If you are a temporary resident in Canada, more information can be found on the Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's page on temporary residents.

What health insurance is available for Temporary Foreign Workers?

• If you are a TFW with maintained status (formerly implied status), please contact eHealth to discuss your ability to extend your health coverage. eHealth can then advise you of the documents that are required to be submitted for review.

To start working in Saskatchewan (switch from visitor to temporary worker), or to change my employer on my work permit, I need to apply or reapply for a work permit. Will I get "maintained status" (formerly implied status) from IRCC and be able to start working during the temporary work permit application process?

• Individuals on temporary permits are considered under maintained status (formerly implied status) if they apply before the expiry of their current status. Maintained status will be in effect until the decision on their application is received.
• Individuals with maintained status can only continue doing what they were authorized to do on their existing permit while waiting for a decision on their new permit application.
• This means that they can only work for the employer that is listed on their original work permit if they had a closed work permit.
• If the person was authorized to be in Canada as a visitor, they may remain in Canada as a visitor on maintained status while they wait for the decision on their work permit. They may not begin working until their work permit application is finalized and approved.

For SINP International Skilled Worker (ISW) applicants in Canada, will they get "maintained status" (formerly implied status) from IRCC during the temporary work permit process if they've never had a work permit before e.g. those on a visitor visa?

• Someone who has maintained status can only continue doing what they were authorized to do on their existing permit. If the person was authorized to be in Canada as a visitor, they may remain in Canada as a visitor on maintained status while they wait for the decision on their work permit, provided they apply before the expiry of their current status. They may not begin working until their work permit application is finalized and approved.

I don't feel safe in my workplace what can I do?

• If you're being abused or at risk of being abused in relation to your job in Canada, you may be eligible for a new federal open work permit for vulnerable workers.
• It's illegal for anyone to request or require payment from a foreign worker for a job or to recoup employer recruitment costs or salary that is paid to workers. Saskatchewan's Program Compliance Branch will investigate evidence to determine if there are violations of The Immigration Services Act.
• To share information or to learn more, contact us by email at pcb@gov.sk.ca or by phone at 306-798-1350.

How do I find a job?

• Employees who have been laid off or have had their employment affected can seek the services of SaskJobs - Career Services for assistance. Career Services can provide information and tools to help workers with a job search.
• Job openings can be advertised in several places, including websites, newspapers, job fairs, and community bulletin boards. SaskJobs.ca is the largest job site in Saskatchewan. For more information, please visit Finding Work.

Who will use the Expression of Interest (EOI) system?

• The EOI system will be used by persons who want to apply to the SINP through the Occupations in Demand or Express Entry sub-categories. These are two very popular sub-categories that required the use of application thresholds in the past to make sure that the SINP had a manageable application inventory that results in competitive processing times.

What is an EOI system?

• An EOI is the first step for individuals interested in applying to become permanent residents in Saskatchewan. They use the EOI system to show they are interested in applying to either the Occupations in Demand or Express Entry sub-categories under the SINP.
• Candidates will register in the SINP's online system and complete an online EOI profile. As part of this profile, candidates will enter basic information about themselves including name, date of birth, home country and email address and then self-assess using the SINP point assessment grid.
• Once the profile has been completed, the candidate will submit their expression of interest and be entered into a candidate pool.
• Candidates that meet EOI selection criteria will be selected from the EOI candidate pool by the SINP, through an EOI draw, and they will receive an Invitation to Apply to the SINP. At this point, applicants will be asked to submit additional information and documentation in order to submit a complete online application, as well as pay the non-refundable application processing fee of $500 Canadian.

How is an EOI profile created?

• All that is required to create an EOI profile is an account in the SINP's online application system (OASIS), and basic information about you and your qualifications. This includes contact information and information about your education, work experience, age, official language ability, and connections to Saskatchewan.
• You can access a guide that explains the steps at International Skilled Worker EOI System.

What happens if I can't apply within 60 days of being invited to apply?

• Once you are invited to apply, your EOI profile will be removed from the EOI pool. If you don't apply within 60 days, your Invitation to Apply will expire.  You will need to create a new EOI profile if you remain interested in applying to the SINP.

What happens if the EOI point score, which an EOI candidate claims, is not accurate?

• Upon application to the SINP, if an applicant is found to have completed the EOI profile and self-assessment fraudulently, they will be refused and prohibited from reapplying to the SINP for a period of two years.
• If applicants are assessed by the SINP as having a lower point score than their self-assessed point score and they made an authentic mistake regarding their self-assessment, their application will not be processed and it will be returned. This will be done to be fair to other candidates in the EOI pool who had accurate or higher point scores and were not selected. However, the applicant will be able to resubmit a new EOI profile and be considered for future Invitations to Apply.

What happens to those Expression of Interest candidates that are not selected from the pool? What does it mean that EOI profiles are only valid for one year? Can individuals reapply?

• Candidate profiles entered into the candidate pool that are not invited to apply will be removed from the pool after one year, at which time you are able to resubmit a profile if you choose to do so.
• This allows the SINP to eliminate profiles of people who are no longer interested in applying. The one year timeline begins when the EOI is submitted. After one year, your EOI profile status will show as expired.

How many people will be invited at each draw? How often will draws occur?

• The size and frequency of EOI Selections are based on labour market need, provincial priorities, and the number of applications processed since the last EOI Selection. The dates of the draws will not be communicated ahead of schedule.
• The range of point scores and a description of the attributes of the group of candidates chosen in the draws will be shown on the International Skilled Worker EOI System page.

The SINP's online application system, OASIS, is used to administer program applications and issue correspondence. Please review the OASIS User Guide for additional information about how to use and navigate OASIS.