Most Commonly Used Economic Programs

Looking back at the past few years, we see these are the economic categories used most often by our clients to aim for permanent resident status:

SINP Student (Saskatchewan Graduate)

To summarize what it takes to be eligible for the SINP Student category, an applicant must:

• have graduated from a post-secondary school in Saskatchewan;

• have a PGWP;

• have worked at least 6 consecutive months (and 780 hours) in Saskatchewan in a job related to their field of study; and

• have a job offer letter and SINP Employer Position Assessment (EPA) the employer obtains related to your field of study (the job must be TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 or in a designated trade). If the job is a TEER 4 or 5 designated trade, you must have a minimum language score of CLB4).

Be aware of the Capped Sector jobs (in restaurants, hotels, trucking and retail)—if your job is in one of these industries, your employer cannot apply for your EPA until you have less than six months left on your work permit. Further, SINP opens intake windows every two months for employers in these industries to apply for the EPA. There is no guarantee the employer will be successful in obtaining the EPA for you as there are limited numbers of EPA’s to be issued.

The goal for any SINP category is to be nominated. Upon being nominated, the nominee can apply for permanent residence to IRCC.

SINP Existing Work Permit

This category requires applicants to have:

• a valid work permit (except if it is issued to a refugee claimant);

• if not on a CUAET WP, or LMIA WP, or francophone mobilite WP: worked 6 months consecutively for a Sask employer in a TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 job or designated trade

  Or…if on a CUAET WP, or LMIA WP, or francophone mobilite WP: worked 6 months consecutively for a Sask employer in any TEER 0,1,2,3,4,5 job not related to healthcare;

• if working in a TEER 4 or 5 occupation you must have a minimum language score of CLB4; and

• the Employer Position Assessment (EPA) that the employer gets from SINP.

• Note: PGWP-holders cannot use this category. Health professionals also cannot use this category—for a list of “health professionals” see the Health Talent Pathway webpage. Truck drivers (NOC 73300) can only use this category if they hold a LMIA work permit or CUAET work permit or francophone mobilite work permit.

Be aware of the Capped Sector jobs (in restaurants, hotels, trucking and retail)—if your job is in one of these industries, your employer cannot apply for your EPA until you have less than six months left on your work permit. Further, SINP opens intake windows every two months for employers in these industries to apply for the EPA. There is no guarantee the employer will be successful in obtaining the EPA for you as there are limited numbers of EPA’s to be issued.

The goal for any SINP category is to be nominated. Upon being nominated, the nominee can apply for permanent residence to IRCC.

SINP International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer

To be eligible for this category, an applicant must have:

• a job offer in any TEER 0, 1, 2, 3 occupation—see exclusions below (licensing may be required to be shown in some—see the list of Regulatory Bodies);

• at least one year of matching experience in the last 10 years;

• a minimum language score of CLB4, e.g. an IELTS-General score of at least L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4, or CELPIP 4-4-4-4;

• at least 60 points in the SINP Assessment Grid; and

• the employer gets the SINP Employer Position Assessment (EPA).

  Note: SINP has added an additional requirement for PGWP-holders and spousal open work permit holders, i.e. before they can apply in this category they must work in Saskatchewan for at least six months with the employer who is offering the job offer and the EPA. Also, note the following exclusions in this category:

  • Truck Drivers on a LMIA work permit or CUAET work permit or francophone mobilite work permit must apply under the Existing Work Permit sub-category.

  • Health care occupations must apply under the Health Talent Pathway.

Be aware of the Capped Sector jobs (in restaurants, hotels, trucking and retail)—if your job is in one of these industries, your employer cannot apply for your EPA until you have less than six months left on your work permit. Further, SINP opens intake windows every two months for employers in these industries to apply for the EPA. There is no guarantee the employer will be successful in obtaining the EPA for you as there are limited numbers of EPA’s to be issued.

The goal for any SINP category is to be nominated. Upon being nominated, the nominee can apply for permanent residence to IRCC.

SINP HEALTH TALENT PATHWAY (NON-EXPRESS ENTRY)

This category requires applicants to have:

• a job offer from a Sask employer and the Employer Position Assessment (EPA) for one of the health sector occupations listed in this category;

• worked six months full-time (30 hours per week) for the Sask employer giving you the EPA in one of the health sector occupations listed in this category. The work does not have to be consecutive;

  OR

• If you have not been working for the Sask employer giving you the EPA for at least six months, then you must have at least one year of work experience in a health sector occupation in the last five years.

• post-secondary education that relates to the health sector occupation being offered in the job offer and EPA (a Master's or Bachelor's degree; or a three-year degree at a university or college; or a diploma that requires two years at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other post-secondary institution). NOTE: this education requirement is slightly different for NOC 33101, 33102, 33103, 33109, 44101 (see this webpage for more details).

• a language score result of at least CLB5, e.g. IELTS-General L 5, R 4, W 5, S 5, or CELPIP 5-5-5-5; and

• be eligible for Saskatchewan licensing if your health sector occupation requires licensure.

The goal for any SINP category is to be nominated. Upon being nominated, the nominee can apply for permanent residence to IRCC.

SINP HEALTH TALENT PATHWAY (EXPRESS ENTRY ROUTE)

This category requires applicants to have:

• an Express Entry profile

• a job offer from a Sask employer and the Employer Position Assessment (EPA) for one of the health sector occupations listed in this category;

• at least one year of work experience—inside or outside of Canada—in one of the health sector occupations in the last five years.

• post-secondary education that relates to the health sector occupation being offered in the job offer and Job Approval Letter (a Master's or Bachelor's degree; or a three-year degree at a university or college; or a diploma that requires two years at a university, college, trade or technical school, or other post-secondary institution). NOTE: this education requirement is slightly different for NOC 33101, 33102, 33103, 33109 (see this webpage for more details).

• a language score result of at least CLB7, e.g. IELTS-General L 6, R 6, W 6, S 6, or CELPIP 7-7-7-7; and

• be eligible for Saskatchewan licensing if your health sector occupation requires licensure.

The goal for any SINP category is to be nominated. Upon being nominated, the nominee in this subcategory will have 600 points float over to their Express Entry profile and, if an Invitation to Apply for PR is received from IRCC, you can then apply for permanent residence to IRCC through Express Entry.

SINP AGRICULTURAL TALENT PATHWAY

This category requires applicants to have:

• a job offer from a Sask employer and the Employer Position Assessment (EPA) for one of the 11 occupations listed in this category;

• completed secondary school (high school) or higher level education;

• at least one year of full-time work experience in the past three years in your intended occupation; or six months (780 hours) of full-time (30+ hours per week) work experience in one of these 11 occupations with the employer obtaining the EPA. The work experience does not need to be consecutive work experience in either case; and

• a minimum language score of CLB4, e.g. an IELTS-General score of at least L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4, or CELPIP 4-4-4-4.

The goal for any SINP category is to be nominated. Upon being nominated, the nominee can apply for permanent residence to IRCC.

**

One last SINP detail: be aware of the SINP List of Excluded Occupations.

Express Entry (Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Stream)

Express Entry is a competition: those with the most points are invited to apply for permanent residence. The stream in which we see applicants most commonly invited is the Canadian Experience Class stream.

First, you go in the Express Entry Pool. To be eligible to go in the pool in the CEC stream, you need at least two things:

• at least 12 months of high-skilled work (TEER 0,1,2,3) in the last three years (work done in Canada while on a study permit or self-employed work cannot be used); and

• a minimum language level of CLB7 if your work was in TEER 0,1 or CLB5 if TEER 2,3.

How can you increase your score and increase your chances of being invited? If you go to the Comprehensive Ranking System Tool (CRS Tool), you will see how the points are affected positively and negatively by factors like:

• age

• marital status

• language ability

• Canadian work experience

• foreign work experience

• having a job offer that meets the requirements shown in the CRS Tool

• having a sibling in Canada who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen

IRCC posts the scores whenever a draw is done. We suggest you calculate your points and monitor the scores to see if your points are high enough to be competitive. If your points are high and if you are eligible to go in the pool, we suggest you consider this category.