The Government of Saskatchewan announced the launch of a new immigration stream under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP). The new stream, known as the Tech Talent Pathway, aims to attract highly skilled technology professionals into the province. The Tech Talent Pathway is scheduled to launch on March 7, 2022.
The Tech Talent Pathway will help Saskatchewan develop its tech sector by addressing critical labour shortages in the province. The SINP is well-known worldwide and is the most popular immigration program for aspirants willing to settle in Saskatchewan. Employers in Saskatchewan will now be able to attract more skilled talent thereby expanding the technology and innovation sectors. This would also increase Saskatchewan’s global competitiveness.
Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said that the technology sector will be an important driver of Saskatchewan’s economic growth especially when the province is emerging from the impacts of the global pandemic. The new Tech Talent Pathway is a dedicated stream for Saskatchewan employers. This stream enables them to attract highly skilled tech workers into the thriving technology sector of the province.
The new stream will make it easier and faster for skilled tech workers who are already working in Saskatchewan, as well as those who have been recruited from outside the country, to become permanent residents.
As said by SaskTech President Dr. Aaron Genest, these highly skilled immigrants are the anchors of specialized skills in Saskatchewan’s communities and workforce. Thus, the economy of Saskatchewan depends on the province’s ability to attract and retain these workers.
The Sask Tech President also believes that the Tech Talent Pathway is unique in Canada and offers a competitive advantage to the industries of Saskatchewan. It simplifies the immigration process and recognizes that the province wants its immigrants to stay in Saskatchewan and contribute to the creation of innovative solutions that Saskatchewan can export throughout the world.
Eligibility
Candidates having a legal status in Canada or living outside Canada who are not claiming refugee status from the Canadian Government are eligible to apply through this program. Tech workers willing to apply through the Tech Talent Pathway are required to fulfil the eligibility criteria as mentioned by the government. These are:
- An employer-specific SINP Job Approval Letter for an eligible technology sector occupation;
- a minimum official language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 if the applicant is not working in Saskatchewan when they apply or CLB level 7 if applying for Express Entry;
- at least one-year of work experience in that occupation in the past five years; or six months working in Saskatchewan;
- post-secondary education; and
- be eligible for Saskatchewan professional licensing (applicable to eligible computer, software, electrical and electronics engineers).
Express Entry candidates
Applicants accepted in IRCC’s Express Entry pool are also eligible through this stream. These Express Entry candidates also have similar requirements. Along with all the above mentioned criteria, they must have a valid Express Entry profile number and job seeker code. The only exception in their eligibility criteria is that their language test must meet the Federal Express Entry language requirements.
Express Entry applications received priority processing for permanent residency by IRCC. The expected permanent residency application processing time was around six months or less for Express Entry candidates. As IRCC is currently dealing with an immigration backlog, the processing times have been pushed much further. As a relief for applicants, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser stated that the website will be up-to-date in the coming months.
Valid occupations for Tech Talent Pathway
Candidates having a job offer in one of the following National Occupation Classification (NOC) code occupations are eligible to apply through the Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway:
- Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)
- Electrical and Electronics engineers (NOC 2133)
- Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) (NOC 2147)
- Information System analysts and consultants (NOC 2171)
- Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 2172)
- Software engineers and designers (NOC 2173)
- Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174)
- Web designers and developers (NOC 2175)
- Computer network technicians (NOC 2281)
- User support technicians (NOC 2282)
- Information system testing technicians (NOC 2283)
SINP
The Saskatchewan Provincial Nominee Program, officially known as the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) was launched in 1998 and has been very successful since then. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 newcomers to the province immigrated through the SINP. The province has a high employment rate for newcomers, around 76% along with high retention rates as well. Over 85% of newcomers coming to the province eventually choose to stay in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has four major immigration pathways till now. These are:
The International Skilled Worker Category is for skilled workers who wish to live and work in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Experience Category is for foreign workers who are already living in Saskatchewan, including holders of a current work permit and international graduates.
The Entrepreneur and Farm Category is for individuals who wish to own and actively operate a business or a farming operation in Saskatchewan.
The International Graduate Entrepreneur Category is for international students graduating from an eligible post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan and are planning to start a business in the province.
With the addition of the new Tech Talent Pathway, highly skilled tech workers now have the option to apply for permanent residence directly from March 7, 2022.
