January 11, 2024 SINP review of Hard to Fill skills pilot

On January 11th, 2024, the SINP announced a review and freezing of 22 of the 33 Hard to Fill Skills Pilot Program occupations. The review is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024. Hopefully spring comes soon.

The next day our phone lines lit up with close to 400 calls inquiring about how this announcement would affect prospective applicants. The following is an overview of what we explained, and is presented to guide those of you who may be affected so you can make good immigration plans:

First, this does not affect anyone targeting other SINP categories like the Student or Skilled Worker with Employment Offer or Existing Work Permit. So, if you and your employer have been aiming to apply through some non-Hard to Fill Skills category, you can carry on as usual.

Similarly, 11 of the Hard to Fill Skills occupations are not under review and they also can proceed as usual.

Some of you affected by this review have work permits expiring in 2026—you may strategize, because you have the luxury of time, to wait and see what the results are of the review when this program reopens again.

Some of you may have recently received Job Approval Letters for one of the 22 affected occupations prior to the January 11th announcement. In that case, you can proceed to apply to SINP in this Hard to Fill Skills category if you are eligible to apply and you use the Job Approval Letter before it expires.

For any Job Approval Forms submitted by employers prior to January 11th with named candidates, those Job Approval Letter applications will be processed as usual.

Similarly, if the employer has submitted a Job Approval Form before January 11th (without a named candidate) and then provides the name of a candidate who is working in Saskatchewan before January 22nd, then that Job Approval Letter application will be processed. The employer must provide the name of the candidate, date of birth, work permit and pay stubs before January 22nd and can do this by emailing employerservices@gov.sk.ca Note: the ensuing Job approval Letters for these named candidates will expire within 30 days of being issued, so be organized and ready to apply, e.g. do you have an IELTS-General or CELPIP result that is less than two years old? If not, hurry to take this test.

The persons most negatively affected by this announcement are those working in one of the 22 affected occupations whose employer has not yet submitted a Job Approval Form and whose work permit will expire in the coming months. What to suggest to these people?

Some of the callers had graduated from a Saskatchewan post-secondary school and just need a job offer and Job Approval Letter related to their field of study to qualify for the Student category. That application must be submitted, though, while you still have a valid PGWP.

Some had graduated from a post-secondary school outside of Saskatchewan and just need to work six months in Saskatchewan in a job related to their field of study and have a Job Approval Letter to be eligible for the Student category. This can work if you have more than six months left on your PGWP.

Some of you work as Food and Beverage Servers (NOC 65200), Food Counter Attendants / Kitchen Helpers (NOC 65201) or Light Duty Cleaners (NOC 65310). If your employer gets a LMIA for one of these positions and you apply for this LMIA work permit and are successful and then work six months with your employer in one of these three occupations and your employer gets a Job Approval Letter and you meet all eligibility criteria, then you can apply in the Hospitality Sector Project. If nominated, you can then apply for permanent residence.

Many of you work as Long-Haul Truck Drivers (NOC 73300). If your employer gets a LMIA for this occupation and you apply for this LMIA work permit and are successful and then work six months with your employer as a Long-Haul Truck Driver and your employer gets a Job Approval Letter and you meet all eligibility criteria, then you can apply in the Long-Haul Truck Driver Project. If nominated, you can then apply for permanent residence.

Some of you have been working as Hotel Front Desk Clerks (NOC 64314) or Construction Trades Helpers and Labourers (NOC 75110). If you have worked at least one year in the last 10 years in either of these jobs, both of which are “designated trades”, and if your employer gets the Job Approval Letter and you meet all other eligibility criteria, then you can apply in the Skilled Worker with Employment Offer category. Or, if your work permit is not a PGWP or related to a refugee claim, and if you have worked at least six consecutive months in Saskatchewan in either of these two jobs, and your employer gets the Job Approval Letter and you meet all other eligibility criteria, then you could apply in the Existing Work Permit category. Note: be sure to explain to your employer that your job is a designated trade as it often happens that the SINP officer jumps to the conclusion that a Hard to Fill Skills category application is being made and will refuse the Job Approval Letter. You and your employer must be sharp and be ready to explain that you are eligible because this is a designated trade.

Some of you are married or have been living in a common-law relationship continuously for at least one year and your spouse is eligible for one of the SINP categories. In that case, you can be an accompanying dependent on your spouse’s application.

If your work permit is expiring soon and if an employer gets an LMIA for some occupation where the related work experience can later be used toward some SINP category, that is an option to explore too.

We appreciate that, in all of the proposed options stated above, an employer’s cooperation is required. As one of the SINP’s core goals is to enhance the Saskatchewan economy by assisting the labour market, our persisting hope is that our clients have good employers who can utilize their skills and energy—a win-win for both sides—and that you are not taken advantage of by employers who prey on your desperation. You do not have to pay for a job offer or Job Approval Letter or LMIA.

A few of you have high post-secondary education, a high language score result, at least one year of TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 work experience in Canada and can attain high Express Entry points. If that is the case, go in the Express Entry pool. If your points are high enough to be invited, that opens the door for you to apply for permanent residence and, if needed, to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit.

We hope the above is helpful in clarifying your options as a result of this announcement and that you obtain success with your immigration plan.