Here is all you need to know about recent changes in SINP Occupations In-Demand List.

Saskatchewan has recently introduced certain important changes to its Occupations In-Demand list, giving more hope to aspiring immigrants who wish to settle down in the province that offers them a lot of career opportunities and a quality life. The Saskatchewan Occupations In-Demand List is used for selecting candidates under the Saskatchewan Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams of the International Skilled Worker(ISW) category. Now, both the streams would accept applications from candidates who have at least one year of continuous work experience in a skilled NOC, as long as it is not featured on the Excluded Occupation List of Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

International Skilled Worker Category of SINP

The International Skilled Worker category of Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program(ISW) allows foreign nationals with the required level of skilled work experience to apply for provincial nomination. The two sub-categories under ISW– Saskatchewan Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand streams– aim to attract international workers who can meet the labour market requirements of the province. What makes these two streams all the more attractive to international workers is the fact that they have relatively low requirements for language proficiency and do not require a previous connection to the province. As the criteria are more generous, international workers are more likely to get an invitation from Saskatchewan to apply for provincial nomination. 

In order to be considered under both these streams, the candidates need to first submit an Expression of Interest (EoI) to the SINP. A candidate has to score at least 60 points on the SINP’s EOI Points Grid to enter into the SINP International Skilled Worker EOI system pool. The EoI profiles are ranked based on their scores and the highest-ranked candidates will be invited to submit a complete SINP application for a provincial nomination certificate. Expression of Interest (EOI) profiles will be valid for one year from the day of submission and candidates will be allowed to have only one active EOI profile at any given time.  Invitations to Apply will be issued by the SINP during draws from the EOI pool that will be held at least once a month. 

The Express Entry candidates who obtain provincial nomination will receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) points, effectively guaranteeing them an Invitation to apply for permanent residence in Canada in the subsequent Express Entry draw. Candidates who do not have an Express Entry profile can apply for provincial nomination under the Occupation In-demand sub-category. The candidates invited through the stream can apply for permanent residence outside of Express Entry, but the process is generally slower in comparison.

SINP In-demand Occupations List

Both the Express Entry sub-category and Occupations In-demand sub-category under the International Skilled Worker stream of SINP requires the candidate to have work experience in an eligible high-skilled occupation, among other criteria. A high-skilled occupation is classified under skill level A or B or Skill Type 0 under Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC).

Last week, the SINP replaced its list of eligible occupations, known as the In-Demand Occupation List, with a list of excluded occupations.  Instead of listing the eligible occupations, SINP has listed a total of 130 occupations that are excluded. In effect, it has made 218 occupations eligible, instead of the mere 19 occupations, which were eligible earlier. Experts have pointed out that bringing more than 200 occupations under the category of eligible occupations is a major development for the SINP. By introducing this significant change, Saskatchewan aims to make the In-demand Occupation List more aligned to the labor market needs of the province.

The expansion of the SINP In-demand Occupation List has effectively made a wide spectrum of high-skilled occupations–managerial, professional, technical and skilled trades eligible under the ISW streams. In the IT sector, the following occupations are now eligible:

• Information systems analysts
• Database analysts and data administrators
• Computer network technicians
• Information systems testing technicians
• Software engineers and designers
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• Web designers and developers

With an Excluded Occupation List now in place, Australia will no longer have to revise its occupation list frequently. But a candidate can know if their occupation is included in the in-demand list only while submitting the Expression of Interest. If a particular occupation is eligible, it will appear in the drop-down list that appears when a candidate fills out the online Expression of Interest. Only those candidates whose occupations appear in the drop-down list will be able to submit an EOI. 

The two major factors that increase a candidate’s chances of receiving an invitation to apply for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan are the candidate’s EOI score and occupation. This year, Saskatchewan conducted a number of occupation-specific invitation rounds. Six out of the total 19 draws conducted so far this year have targeted candidates with specific work experience. 

Experts conclude that introduction of an Excluded Occupation List is the latest innovation in the SINP’s approach to selecting candidates through its Express Entry and Occupation In-Demand sub-categories. Another major development in this regard was when to a points-based EOI system for managing the pool of candidates for the two sub-categories was introduced in July 2018.

Different provincial nominee programs of Canada have various streams to cater to immigration candidates with different skills and qualifications. Choose the right immigration pathway for you with the help of expert immigration lawyers and consultants at ImmiLaw Global. Contact us now to know if your occupation makes you eligible to migrate to Canada!