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International Skilled Worker Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot

This sub-category is for intermediate and low-skilled workers ineligible, high-demand occupations who:

  • Have an offer for a job in Saskatchewan.
  • Meet the criteria of the sub-category.
  • Have at least one year of full-time work experience in the past three years (in your intended occupation); or six months full-time (780 hours) working in Saskatchewan in the job.
  • Have a language score of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4.
    • Some employers or regulators may ask for scores that are higher than CLB 4.
  • Have completed the equivalent of Canadian secondary school (high school) or higher-level education. If your studies were not completed in Canada, you will need to submit an Educational Credential Assessment.
    • Nominations issued for NOC 7511 – Transport Truck Drivers will be conditional until proof is provided to the SINP that you have received the required licensing and endorsements from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) to maintain your nomination. The type of vehicle you drive on the job will determine the license and endorsements you will need. You must provide proof of completion of Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT)and that you hold a valid Class 1A license issued by SGI to drive power units and semi-trucks, and trucks with trailer(s) or vehicle(s) in tow where the gross vehicle weight of the towed unit(s) exceeds 4,600 kg. A valid Class 2A license issued by SGI will be required for all other types of transport trucks.
  • Have a SINP-approved offer for a permanent, full-time job in Saskatchewan. You will need a valid SINP Job Approval Letter from your employer to show proof. The offer must be in one of the following occupations:
NOC
Occupation Title
9619Other laborers in processing, manufacturing, and utilities
9617Laborers in food, beverage, and associated Products processing
9612Laborers in Metal fabrication
9536Industrial painters, coaters, and Metal finishing process operators
9526Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
9461Process control and machine operators, food, beverage, and associated processing
9431Sawmill machine operators
9416Metalworking and forging machine operators
8431General farmworkers
7611Construction trades helpers and laborers
7521Heavy Equipment operators (except crane)
7511Transport truck drivers
7452Material handlers
6733Janitors, caretakers, and building superintendents
6731Light duty cleaners
6711Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related support occupations
6525Hotel front desk clerks
6513Food and beverage servers
4412Home support workers, housekeepers, and related occupations*
3414Other assisting occupations in support of health services
3413Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
1525Dispatchers
1521Shippers and receivers

* This pilot is not available to employers hiring Home Support Workers, Housekeepers, and Related Occupations (NOC 4412) who reside in the client’s residence or their place of work. Employers seeking workers to reside in the client’s residence or their place of work must utilize Canada’s Caregiver Programs for recruitment.

The program criteria can change at any time, but we will use what was on this website when we received your application.

The federal government sets the number of nominations the SINP can make every year. No application is guaranteed to be nominated.

Your employer must meet requirements to support your application and immigration through this pilot. More information can be found here:

Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot Employer Requirements.

Employers can utilize the Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot to recruit workers in select intermediate and low-skilled occupations if you demonstrate that you have attempted to find workers through domestic recruitment activities before hiring foreign nationals; are prepared to support the settlement of your employee as a permanent resident of Saskatchewan, and the employment offer meets SINP requirements.

Recruitment Efforts

Before submitting the Job Approval Form (JAF) to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), you must advertise each position being recruited on SaskJobs for a minimum of four consecutive weeks; in the three months before submitting the JAF.

The required job advertisement information includes:

  • Company operating name
  • Business address
  • Title of the position
  • Job duties (for each position, if advertising is for more than one vacancy)
  • Skills requirements (includes education and work experience)
  • Terms of employment (must be full-time (30+ hours), permanent position)
  • Language of work
  • Benefits package offered (if applicable)
  • Location(s) of work (local area, city, or town)
  • Contact information, including telephone number, cell phone number, email address, fax number, or mailing address
  • It is strongly recommended that the wage is included.

In the JAF you must upload a copy of the SaskJobs Job Order Information page showing the date the advertisement was listed and the length of the advertisement and provide the SaskJobs ID, or you can provide the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a foreign worker already working for your business. See the Employers Guide to Printing SaskJobs Order Information for how to print your SaskJobs order information.

Settlement

If the worker you hired meets SINP criteria, they will be approved and nominated, which means that they can apply for a work permit. Once your new employee arrives and starts working, you must fulfill program settlement requirements, including assigning a culturally sensitive on-the-job mentor to the employee and undertaking any two of the following action items.

  1. Attend intercultural training, educational seminars, conferences, or information sessions related to supporting and/or retaining newcomers. Numerous organizations in Saskatchewan deliver programming related to intercultural education, anti-racism, and inclusion or diversity training. Employers can also access resources from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
  2. Make referrals for newcomers to access settlement services, community resources, groups, associations, and/or community organizations. Settlement agencies can provide you with information about support for newcomers. Please visit Settlement Services for information on our Regional Newcomer Gateways or Programs and Settlement Services to search for support by location.
  3. Offer team-building activities within the workplace to promote cross-cultural understanding and awareness, or establish a workplace diversity and inclusion committee. Saskculture.ca has several resources on their website, including this resource: Building Culturally Competent Organizations.
  4. Provide time off or a flexible work schedule to newcomer employees to allow for language training, appointments with settlement counselors, enrolling children in school, applying for health cards, obtaining a driving license, etc.

The support, including assigning a culturally sensitive on-the-job-mentor and the two selected action items, must be provided as follows:

  • For existing employees nominated through the HFS Pilot – within three months of the nomination date.
  • For new employees nominated through the HFW Pilot – within three months of the nominee’s arrival in Saskatchewan.