The government of Saskatchewan is making some changes to its Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) as the federal government has made some other changes earlier this year.
The federal government cut nomination allocations for the provincial programs by 50 per cent, leaving Saskatchewan with 3,625 nominations, the lowest since 2009.
As well, the 75 per cent of the nominees for the program must already be living in Canada as temporary residents.
Saskatchewan's Deputy Premier and Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter voiced his disappointment with the decision.
"The SINP has been essential for Saskatchewan employers seeking to hire international workers when qualified Canadians are unavailable. The changes announced will ensure that our reduced number of nominations is used effectively and in a way that prioritizes building our economy."
Previously, the province paused the intake of Job Approval Forms (JAFs), which will now be ended immediately.
As well, the province will be ushering in a number of changes to the SINP:
- Approvals for candidates overseas will be prioritized for Health, Agriculture and the skilled trades. Recruitment for all other sectors and occupations will only be supported for candidates who are already temporary residents in Canada on a valid temporary visa;
- Nominations for the accommodation, food services, retail trade and trucking sectors will be capped at 25 per cent of total annual nominations;
- Spas, salons and pet care services (excluding veterinarians) are no longer eligible to recruit through SINP; and
- The Entrepreneur, International Graduate Entrepreneur and Farm Owner/Operator categories will be permanently closed.
A full list of the changes can be found on the Government of Saskatchewan's website.
Applications currently under the Saskatchewan Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories that do not have a Saskatchewan-based job offer will be returned, with the candidates required to contact the SINP for a refund of their application fee.