Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot: New Skilled Immigration Program in Saskatchewan

On November 25, the Immigration Office of the Saskatchewan Province (Canada) announced a new immigration pilot program. The goal is to attract foreign workers to immigrate and work in Canada to fulfilll labor market needs in key sectors of the province.

Hard-to-Fill opens up huge settlement opportunities for middle and low-skilled workers

The new immigration program is called the “Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot”. This is an immigration program aimed to attract the middle and low-skilled groups (NOC Codes C and D), who are crucial to economic development in Saskatchewan.

The program allows Employers to recruit foreign workers for certain occupations. Currently, the industries with the highest labor demand in Saskatchewan include:

• Medical
• Manufacturing
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Technology
• Construction
• Hospitality
• Retail

* Eligible jobs under this pilot program will include positions that require on-the-job training

Canada’s Minister of Immigration and Vocational Training said that the demand for labor in Saskatchewan is increasing sharply along with important economic projects in the province. The independent Hard-to-Fill Skilled Pilot program launching is an important step forward in proactively recruiting provincial immigration candidates. At the same time, the program also helps local employers easily access international candidates who contribute to improving the workforce skills and filling labor shortage in many areas of the province. 

Saskatchewan Hospitality Industry President and CEO Jim Bence also said, Hard-to-Fill Skilled Pilot is a great for sectors currently experiencing recruitment challenges in Saskatchewan. While employers strive to utilize local human resources, the Province must stay creative to ensure the right workforce is found to help businesses and communities thrive in Saskatchewan. This program will be especially useful after the COVID-19 pandemic.

How does a Hard-to-Fill Skilled Pilot work?

The Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot officially opened and has been accepting applications since January 15, 2021, operating like a Saskatchewan SINP Immigration Pilot Program. Candidates applying for and receiving a Provincial Nominee through the SINP will be supported by employers and the local community.

Conditions for candidates

1. Degree: High School Diploma
2. working experience: at least 01 year of working experience in the same qualifying occupation from a Saskatchewan employer, or 6 months of working experience in Saskatchewan.
3. English: CLB 4 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0)
4. Receive a SINP-approved Job Offer: receive a SINP approved offer with a full time and indefinite position. And the job must be on the NOC National Occupational Classification Lists as follows:

• NOC 9619 Other laborers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
• NOC 9617 Labourers in food, beverage and associated Products processing
• NOC 9612 Labourers in Metal fabrication
• NOC 9536 Industrial painters, coaters and Metal finishing process operators
• NOC 9526 Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
• NOC 9461 Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated processing
• NOC 9431 Sawmill machine operators
• NOC 9416 Metalworking and forging machine operators
• NOC 8431 General farm workers
• NOC 7611 Construction trades helpers and laborers
• NOC 7521 Heavy Equipment operators (except crane)
• NOC 7511 Transport truck drivers
• NOC 7452 Material handlers
• NOC 6733 Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
• NOC 6731 Light duty cleaners
• NOC 6711 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
• NOC 6525 Hotel front desk clerks
• NOC 6513 Food and beverage servers
• NOC 4412 Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations
• NOC 3414 Other assisting occupations in support of health services
• NOC 3413 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
• NOC 1525 Dispatchers
• NOC 1521 Shippers and receivers

Conditions for Employers

1. Proof of domestic recruitment efforts

• Before applying for a Job Approval Form (JAL) from the SINP Provincial Nominee Program, an employer is required to post a job advertisement on SaskJobs (Saskatchewan’s Official Recruitment Website) for a minimum of 4 consecutive weeks. After that time, if no suitable candidate is found, the employer will have 3 months to apply for the JAL.
• Required recruitment information must include full employer’s information: name, address, vacancy, job requirements, skill requirements, terms of employment, salary, policies, location of work.

2. Receive Job Approval Form from Provincial Government

• Obtain a Certificate of Registration
• The employer will have to complete the Job Approval Form which comes with a lot of documents proving the transparency, close connection with Saskatchewan, and the financial capacity of the business.
• For employers who want to recruit and support candidates to settle in many positions, each position will need a separate Job Approval Form.

3. Support candidates in settling down in Canada

Once the candidate and employer have met all of the above requirements and received the SINP’s Letter of Nomination, the employer will continue to fulfilll its obligation to assist the employee in settling into Saskatchewan after their arrival. Specifically, the employer will need to do at least 2 of the 5 things below:

• Attend intercultural training courses, educational seminars, and informational conferences related to newcomer support/retention.
• Support in accessing settlement services, social welfare or community organizations.
• Provide team building activities in the workplace to promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding.
• Establish a workplace diversity and inclusion committee.
• Provide time off or flexible working schedules for new employees to enable language training, make an appointment with an immigration counselor, enroll immigrant’s child in school, apply for a health card, obtain a driver’s license, etc

This is a potential program for middle and low-level foreign workers both inside and outside of Canada, as long as they have 1 year of experience, or accumulated 6 months of working in Saskatchewan to be eligible to apply. This shows that the province’s demand for migrant workers is extremely high, to help contribute to economic development after the pandemic.

One difficulty of the program is that the candidate must work for an eligible employer who is also willing to assist in your immigration documents. However, it will be easier if the candidate receives support from reputable Canadian immigration consulting offices and government-appointed RCIC experts . Contact Le Immigration today to realize your dream of settling down in the Province famously known as the “Wheat Bowl” of Canada.

Further information about the program can be found on the website of the Saskatchewan Province’s link: Saskatchewan.ca/residents/moving-to-saskatchewan/live-in-saskatchewan/by-immigrating/

Should you have any questions regarding Canada immigration documents and procedures, do not hesitate to contact us at the following information:

The Immigration Group

Address: Tầng 17, TNG Tower, 180-192 Nguyễn Công Trứ, P. Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1, TP. Hồ Chí Minh

Phone number:  0936-168-599

Website: https://minhle.ca/

Le Immigration Group is pleased to accompany you on the journey to realize the dream of settling down with the whole family in Canada.