Residency & Citizenship

Permanent Residency in Saskatchewan to Build Your Canadian Life

We are always thrilled to see the relief of new permanent residents who have left their temporary status behind! They can now start to put down roots, make long-term plans, and build a stable future with their families.

In our initial discussion about permanent residency, we go through the process of understanding your profile to determine which immigration path is best suited for you. We will determine how to achieve your permanent residency and, if it is possible, begin mapping out the steps to accomplish your goals.

Residency & Citizenship

Most Commonly Used Economic Programs

Looking back at the past few years, we would see that these are the economic categories most often used 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 school in Saskatchewan;

  • have a PGWP;

  • have worked at least 780 hours of paid employment in any kind of work in Saskatchewan (does not have to be related to your field of study); and

  • have a job offer letter and SINP Job Approval Letter the employer obtains related to your field of study (the job can be NOC 0, A, B, C, D). If the job is NOC C or D, you must provide language test results from IELTS-General, CELPIP, or TEF.

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

SINP Student (Out-of-Saskatchewan Graduate)

To be eligible for this category, an applicant must:

  • have graduated from a school in Canada;

  • have a PGWP;

  • have worked at least 6 months in Saskatchewan in a job related to their field of study; and

  • have a job offer letter and the SINP Job Approval Letter that the employer obtains related to your field of study (the job can be NOC 0, A, B, C, D). If the job is NOC C or D, you must provide language test results from IELTS-General, CELPIP, or TEF.

SINP Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot (Using Saskatchewan Experience)

This category requires applicants to have:

  • a valid "eligible" work permit (PGWP's are one of the five eligible work permits);

  • worked six months for a Sask employer in one of the 23 jobs listed in this program;

  • if studied in Canada, then show Canadian diploma and transcript OR; if only studied outside of Canada, must show an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), e.g. WES Report to prove completed high school or higher;

  • an IELTS-General score of at least L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4, or CELPIP 4-4-4-4; and

  • the Job Approval Letter that the employer gets from SINP (if the employer is registered, this can take 2-3 months on average to obtain).

SINP Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot (Using Out-Of-Sask Experience)

This category requires applicants to have:

  • worked at least one year in the last three years in one of the 23 jobs listed in this program;

  • if studied in Canada, then show Canadian diploma and transcript OR; if only studied outside of Canada, must show an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), e.g. WES Report to prove completed high school or higher;

  • an IELTS-General score of at least L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4, or CELPIP 4-4-4-4; and

  • the Job Approval Letter that the employer gets from SINP (if the employer is registered, this can take 2-3 months on average to obtain).

SINP Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot (Truck Drivers)

This category requires applicants to have:

  • worked as a truck driver for at least 6 months in Sask on an "eligible" work permit or one year anywhere in the last three years;

  • if studied in Canada, then show Canadian diploma and transcript OR; if only studied outside of Canada, must show an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), e.g. WES Report to prove completed high school or higher;

  • a Class 1 licence and have done the MELT program;

  • an IELTS-General score of at least L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4, or CELPIP 4-4-4-4; and

  • the Job Approval Letter that the employer gets from SINP (if the employer is registered, this can take 2-3 months on average to obtain).

SINP Existing Work Permit

This category requires applicants to have:

  • valid work permit based on a LMIA , IEC, SWAP or CUAET

  • worked 6 months for a Sask employer in a high-skilled job (licensing required in some) or designated trade; and

  • the Job Approval Letter that the employer gets from SINP.

SINP Occupation In-Demand

This category requires applicants to first go in an Expression of Interest Pool. The criteria for going in that pool are:

  • their occupation must be on the "included" list;

  • they have worked at least one year in that occupation in the last 10 years;

  • they have graduated from at least a one-year post-secondary course;

  • they have post-secondary studies that relate to the occupation:

  • they have an ECA done on post-secondary studies (it can take up to 3 months to get this);

  • they have at least CLB 4 on IELTS-General (L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4);

  • they have at least 60 points on the SINP Assessment Grid (includes their age, education, language score, number of years of related work experience in the last 10 years, if they have a close relative here in Saskatchewan);

  • they have proof of funds for the size of their family for the past three months;

  • they have the required licensing for that occupation (if licensing is required).

About once a month a draw is done and certain candidates in the EOI Pool are invited to apply to SINP. If nominated, they can apply for permanent residence to IRCC.

SINP Express Entry

This category requires applicants to first go in the Express Entry Pool and then in the SINP Expression of Interest Pool. The criteria for going in that EOI pool are:

  • they are in the Express Entry Pool;

  • their occupation must be on the "included" list;

  • they have worked at least one year in that occupation in the last 10 years;

  • they have graduated from at least a one-year post-secondary course;

  • they have post-secondary studies that relate to the occupation:

  • they have an ECA done on post-secondary studies (it can take up to three months to get this);

  • they have at least CLB 4 on IELTS-General (L 4.5, R 3.5, W 4, S 4);

  • they have at least 60 points on the SINP Assessment Grid (includes their age, education, language score, number of years of related work experience in the last 10 years, if they have a close relative here in Saskatchewan);

  • they have proof of funds for the size of their family for the past three months;

  • they have the required licensing for that occupation (if licensing is required).

About once a month a draw is done and certain candidates in the EOI pool are invited to apply to SINP. If nominated, 600 points will float over to that candidate's Express Entry profile. If their Express Entry points are high enough to be invited, an invitation is extended for this candidate to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.

Less Frequently Used SINP categories

Long-Haul Truck Driver Project

  • Health Professionals

  • Tech Talent Pathway

  • Semi-Skilled Agriculture Worker with Existing Work Permit

  • Hospitality Sector Project

  • International Healthcare Worker EOI Pool

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 (NOC 0, A, or B) 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 NOC 0 or A, or CLB5 if NOC B.

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.

Less Frequently Used Federal Categories

  • Agri-Food Pilot

  • Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot

  • Caregivers

FAQs

  • Yes. For example, you might have applied for PR as a provincial nominee. Later, you may go into the Express Entry pool and then receive an invitation to apply for PR and submit a PR application. Then, out of the blue, you marry a Canadian or Permanent Resident and submit a PR application via a spousal sponsorship. One of these PR applications will get to the finish line first, and the others can be closed. You will not be refunded any processing fees that you submit with the other PR applications—that is the one downside of this plan.

  • Each permanent residence application has a Generic Application Form for Canada on which the principal applicant provides certain information about themselves, their spouse, and children under 22. There will be a box for each dependant asking a Yes or No question: "Will accompany principal applicant to Canada?" In other words, will this dependant be getting PR status along with the principal applicant? In most cases, the answer will be Yes; however, situations can arise where the dependant will not be getting PR status with the principal applicant—then the No box is ticked.

    Whether a dependent spouse or child is accompanying or non-accompanying, in a perfect application, they will still provide their photos, forms, birth certificate, passport photo page, and go for a medical exam. The only difference is there are no fees required for a non-accompanying dependant.

    Just because the principal applicant ticked No to the question at the time of application does not mean they cannot change their mind later while the application is being processed. It is very easy to change a dependant from non-accompanying to accompanying—we simply advise IRCC of this through an email and provide the fee payment. Although, be aware that IRCC must be made aware of this change request before the finalization email is sent out before the visas are issued. After that, it is too late, and you will have to consider doing a sponsorship thereafter.

  • Yes, you must tell IRCC as soon as possible. If your spouse is a Canadian or permanent resident, you simply email IRCC to inform them, provide a marriage certificate or a Statutory Declaration of Common Law Union, and proof he/she/they is a Canadian or permanent resident.

    If your spouse is not a Canadian or permanent resident, it is critical to add this spouse (and any children under 22) to your application either as an accompanying or non-accompanying dependant. He/she/they must be examined medically and criminally to ensure no one is inadmissible. If you do not let IRCC know of this new spouse before the processing is finalized and you have an economic class application, then you cannot successfully sponsor that spouse later. Moreover, you run the risk of being accused of misrepresentation, which could put your own PR status in jeopardy.

  • PR applications generally take longer to process than temporary applications, and IRCC gives more opportunity to provide additional and better information while waiting for a final decision. If an officer has concerns, you will usually receive a procedural fairness letter and granted time to respond to the officer's concerns. Some concerns are easy to address: maybe better documentation is needed; the officer may have formed an opinion in regard to your eligibility, in which you can respond by giving a clear explanation in response to that opinion; or there may be an inadmissibility issue that has arisen like criminality or a serious medical issue. While these are rare instances, every application faces these kinds of possibilities. In the case of any scenario, we explain why the officer has this concern, and then we explore together how best to respond.

    If the officer ultimately decides to refuse, then we will take stock of the entire situation and mull all your options:

    • to appeal?

    • to apply again in the same category or a different one?

    • to switch employment?

    • to change to a different status?

    • to leave the country and apply from there?

    • to improve your profile with better language scores, more work experience, etc?

    These are examples of what we consider with you, and with each option, we look at the pros and cons to best benefit you.

FAMILY SPONSORSHIP

Sponsoring Family Members to Canada

The "family class" sponsorships are federal programs; no sponsorships are offered via SINP. Upwards of 70,000 persons per year become permanent residents after being sponsored in the following categories:

Spousal Sponsorship

If a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident is married to someone who is not a Canadian or Permanent Resident or has lived with someone in this way for at least 12 continuous months (defined as a "common-law couple"), that Canadian or Permanent Resident can sponsor their spouse to become a Permanent Resident. We assist with many of these applications! Our process goes like this:

  1. We ensure the sponsor is eligible to sponsor.

  2. We ensure the other spouse is eligible to be sponsored.

  3. We identify any possible challenges that may arise during processing.

  4. We explain how the officer is most concerned with being satisfied that this is a real relationship.

  5. We explain the documents needed from each of you, particularly proof of relationship materials.

  6. We guide you in telling your relationship story to assist the officer in understanding how you got to this stage.

  7. We build the application package and review this with you.

  8. We submit the application package.

  9. We respond to any follow-up requests from the officer.

  10. We stay beside you to the end until the final decision is made!

These kinds of applications are quite different in comparison to the economic applications like Express Entry or with provincial nominees. Those are preoccupied with hard facts like points, age, education, work experience, language ability, etc. The spousal sponsorships are more like art, where the applicant's primary focus is to satisfy the officer that this relationship is genuine. The application package weaves the forms together with the appropriate information, such as the supporting proof of relationship documents and the story—all with the purpose of creating an overall impression for the officer to understand there is no game going on and that this is a real couple wanting to get on with their lives together in Canada.

Dependent Child Sponsorship

You may have attained permanent resident status in the past, and for whatever reason, a child or step-child was shown as a non-accompanying dependent and did not get PR status with the rest of the family. If that child is under 22, not married or living common-law, and declared and examined, you can apply to sponsor that child—just as long as the application is received by IRCC before that child turns 22.

If a child was not examined or declared in your PR application and you attained your PR status via a refugee program or were sponsored in a family class sponsorship (e.g. a spousal sponsorship), you get a second chance to sponsor the child who was not declared or examined. If you attained your PR status through an economic program (e.g. as a provincial nominee or through Express Entry) and you did not declare a child or spouse as a dependent, you do not get a second chance and cannot sponsor them successfully.

The process of submitting a dependent child sponsorship is very similar to the spousal sponsorship process outlined above. The key difference is that the "proof of relationship" materials are not as demanding.

Parent & Grandparent Sponsorship

Unlike the spousal and dependent child sponsorship categories that are always open and accepting applications, the parent and grandparent sponsorship category is an event which opens once every year or two.

As we can only speculate what the future procedure will be, we can only explain what happened in previous rounds and assume that the next round of parent and grandparent sponsorships will be similar.

So, at some point, we expect IRCC will open a portal for interested and eligible sponsors to put their names on a list. This portal will be open for a few days or a few weeks, and then it will close. Thereafter, a draw will be done wherein several thousand lucky sponsors will be invited to sponsor their parents or grandparents (IRCC's goal for 2022 is 25,000 invitations).

When the next announcement is made and you want to participate as a sponsor, be sure you are eligible. If the process remains the same, a sponsor and his/her/their spouse must show that their income was high enough for the past three years for the size of their family—a chart will be provided so sponsors can determine if they are eligible.

We always tell our clients: "Only put your name in the pool if you are eligible. If your income is not high enough for the past three years, do not apply to participate. If you participate and get invited, that application will not be successful, and you have used up a spot that an eligible family would have enjoyed."

We see a lot of confusion regarding understanding family size, which causes many ineligible sponsors to put their names on the list. We will post a blog when a future draw is announced to assist you in calculating the size of the family to inform you of the minimum amount of income needed for each of the past three years.

"Lonely Canadian"

This title is a nickname to identify a situation where a Canadian or permanent resident is:

  • all alone in Canada (does not have a spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, uncle, aunt, niece or nephew who is a Canadian citizen, registered in Canada as an Indian under the Canadian Indian Act, or a permanent resident of Canada)

AND

  • does not have anyone they could potentially sponsor, such as a spouse, child, or parent.

If someone is alone and has no one else they could sponsor, they can sponsor one relative, regardless of age, and that relative's dependants. Note: the sponsor must have sufficient income for the past year for the size of the group (counting the sponsor themselves, the relative to be sponsored, the relative's spouse, and children under 22—everyone in the group).

It is rare to meet someone who satisfies these conditions. However, we meet many people who interpret this category too broadly and apply even though they are not eligible—they are always refused. When they receive the refusal letter, they come to us perplexed, and we explain why this application should have never been submitted.

FAQs

  • First, we'll contrast this with an out-of-Canada spousal sponsorship. In the majority of cases, the foreign spouse of a Canadian or permanent resident is living outside of Canada and will not enter Canada until a positive decision has been made and the visa is issued by an office outside Canada.

    For an in-Canada spousal sponsorship, the foreign national spouse is in Canada, typically on visitor status or holding a study permit or work permit or sometimes with no status, and they get married to a Canadian or permanent resident or live together continously as a common-law couple for at least 12 months. If this couple plans to be together in Canada during the processing, an in-Canada application can be submitted and gets processed to completion at an office inside Canada. If the applicant wishes to do so, they can apply for an open work permit with this process (that option is not available for the out-of-Canada stream).

CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP

The final step in your pursuit of status, if you choose to take it and are eligible for it, is to apply to be a Canadian citizen! In most cases, this requires you to be a Permanent Resident and to have been in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the last five years.

The most apparent benefits of attaining Canadian Citizenship are:

  • you can have a Canadian passport, which may make international travel easier;

  • there is no longer any need to meet any residency obligation of being in Canada (as opposed to a Permanent Resident who must be in Canada for at least two years in every five year period);

  • there is no longer any need to renew your PR card;

  • you can vote if you are over 18;

  • your status is better protected—a Permanent Resident is vulnerable to being deported if certain events occur, such as serious criminality, for example;

  • there can be more job opportunities—some government jobs require Canadian Citizenship status.

CITIZENSHIP

FAQs

  • First, be aware there is an online Physical Presence Calculator on the IRCC site in the Citizenship section that does all the work for you.

    To summarize:

    the calculator is only interested in the last five year window; from the time you became a permanent resident to now, you get a credit of one day for every day of presence in Canada; you get a credit of half a day for each day you were in Canada on a valid temporary basis to a maximum of 365 days.

    Any days outside of Canada in the last five years or time in which you were imprisoned or on probation cannot be used; this calculator is only needed for applications of minors who will be applying on their own, separate from a parent.

  • You only need to get this if you were in another country (not Canada) for at least 183 continuous days in the last four years. If you were in that country for 183 days immediately before becoming a permanent resident, then the police certificate is not needed.

  • No. A renewed PR card is not a requirement for a citizenship application. Fortunately, the checklist for a citizenship application is short. However, the requirements are very precise, so you will still want to review the Checklist and Guide to ensure you meet the criteria. It is no fun getting the application returned because of some minor omission.