Saskatchewan launched its new Tech Talent Pathway Program

The Tech Talent Pathway will introduce a new immigration option for tech employees in 11 occupations who want to relocate to Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan introduced the new Tech Talent Pathway under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) on March 7 to lure tech employees to the province.

The Tech Talent Pathway aims to alleviate significant labour shortages in Saskatchewan's technology sector. Employers in Saskatchewan's technology and innovation industries will be able to attract more talent to promote development and boost Saskatchewan's worldwide competitiveness with this new road to permanent residency for tech professionals.

"As Saskatchewan recovers from the effects of the worldwide pandemic, our technology industry will be a key engine of economic growth," stated Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison in a press statement. "The new Tech Talent Pathway provides a dedicated stream for our Saskatchewan firms to recruit highly competent talent into our growing technology industry."

This new stream will make the immigration process easier and faster for IT employees who are currently in Saskatchewan and those recruited from outside Canada.

"The Saskatchewan economy depends on our capacity to recruit and retain highly talented immigrants who constitute vital anchors of specialised talents in our towns and workforce," stated Sask Tech President Dr. Aaron Genest in a press statement. "The Tech Talent Pathway, which is unique in Canada, provides a competitive edge to Saskatchewan sectors." As well, it simplifies the immigration process and recognises that we want our immigrants to stay in our province and work with us to develop new solutions for Saskatchewan to sell throughout the world."

To be eligible for the Tech Talent Pathway, applicants must have the following qualifications: 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 previous five years; or six months working in Saskatchewan; post-secondary education; and post-secondary education (applicable to eligible computer, software, electrical and electronics engineers).

According to the SINP, programme requirements can change at any moment, however, decision-makers will consider the information on the government website at the time the application is received.

Every year, the federal government, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), determines the number of nominations that the SINP can make. However, according to the SINP, no application is guaranteed to be nominated.

Eligible occupations

Candidates who have a job offer in one of the occupations listed below by their National Occupation Classification (NOC) code may be eligible to apply to the Saskatchewan Tech Talent Pathway.

NOC 0213 Computer and information systems managers

NOC 2133 Electrical and Electronics engineers

NOC 2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)

NOC 2171 Information System analysts and consultants

NOC 2172 Database analysts and data administrators

NOC 2173 Software engineers and designers

NOC 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers

NOC 2175 Web designers and developers

NOC 2281 Computer network technicians

NOC 2282 User support technicians

NOC 2283 Information system testing technicians

If you live outside of Canada or have legal status in Canada and are not a refugee claimant, you may be eligible for the programme.

Get a Free Express Entry Assessment

To be eligible, you must have an offer for permanent, full-time work in the technology or innovation industry in Saskatchewan, regardless of whether you apply as an Express Entry candidate or not. To demonstrate proof and attest to your plan to work and remain in Saskatchewan, you will require a valid SINP Job Approval Letter.

If you are applying from Saskatchewan, you must be actively employed in the province and have worked full-time for the business giving you the suitable employment for at least six months. According to the government, full time implies working at least 30 hours a week.

If you have not been working full-time for your supporting employer for at least six months, you must have at least one year of work experience in your occupation within the past five years.

If you are applying from another province or from outside Canada, you must have one year of relevant work experience in your planned occupation within the last five years.

Those who are presently working will be required to fulfil their employer's language requirements for the language requirement. If you are not presently employed by the employer providing the position, you must have CLB 5 or above in English or French.

If your employment demands it, you must be qualified for a Saskatchewan licence. For example, computer and software engineers (but not designers), as well as electrical and electronics engineers, will be required to:

Provide a letter from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) confirming the approval of an application for registration as an Engineer-in-Training; or

Provide a letter from APEGS showing that Confirmatory Exams have been allocated to them. In addition, you must have a post-secondary education that is related to the job you've been offered, which could be a Master's or Bachelor's degree; a three-year degree at a university or college; or a two-year diploma from a university, college, trade or technical school, or other post-secondary institution.

Those who have been approved into the IRCC's Express Entry pool may also be eligible for this stream. Those who apply to this stream as IRCC Express Entry applicants must meet additional prerequisites. IRCC prioritised Express Entry applications for permanent residency, with projected permanent residency application processing timelines. Although the processing period is meant to be six months or less, the IRCC is now grappling with an immigration backlog that is extending processing timeframes significantly. The website will be updated in the coming months, according to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

As an Express Entry applicant, you may be eligible for this sub-category if you live outside Canada or have proof of legal status in Canada, are not a refugee claimant, and:

You must have a valid Express Entry Profile Number as well as a Job Seeker Code. Also, have the language exam results that fulfil the federal Express Entry language standards. To be eligible for one of the Express Entry-managed programmes, you must have a profile in the Express Entry system. Tech personnel are often eligible for either the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class. The Federal Skilled Trades Program, the third Express Entry-managed programme, is mostly for tech workers who are ineligible for the other two.