Residency & Citizenship

Permanent Residency

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.

Most Commonly Used Economic Programs

Looking back at the past few years, we see these are the economic categories used most often 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 International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer

To be eligible for this category, an applicant must have:

  • a job offer in any high-skilled position (licensing might be required in some) or designated trade;

  • at least one year of matching experience in the last 10 years;

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

  • at least 60 points in the SINP Assessment Grid; and

  • the employer gets the SINP Job Approval Letter.

  • Note: SINP has added an additional requirement for PGWP-holders, i.e. before they can apply in this category they must work in Saskatchewan for at least six months with the employer who is offering the job offer and Job Approval Letter.

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

This category requires applicants to have:

  • a valid work permit (except if it is issued to a refugee claimant);

  • worked six months for a Sask employer in one of the 28 jobs listed in this program;

  • if studied in Canada, then show Canadian diploma and transcript OR; if only studied outside of Canada, must show proof you 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 28 jobs listed in this program;

  • if studied in Canada, then show Canadian diploma and transcript OR; if only studied outside of Canada, must show proof you 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 a valid work permit (except if it is issued to a refugee claimant) 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 proof you 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:

  • a valid work permit (except if it is issued to a refugee claimant);

  • if not on a CUAET WP, or LMIA WP, or francophone mobility WP: worked 6 months consecutively for a Sask employer in a TEER 0,1, 2, 3 job or designated trade

    Or…if on a CUAET WP, or LMIA WP, or francophone mobility WP: worked 6 months consecutively for a Sask employer in any TEER 0,1,2,3,4,5 job (except food & beverage server or trucker); 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.