SINP Updates: Categories with eligibility criteria

  • April 3, 2025
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The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP), is a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) designed to attract foreign talent to Saskatchewan. The program consists of multiple categories, each catering to different applicant profiles.

Who is Eligible for the SINP?

There are many sub-categories of SINP and eligibility depends on the specific sub-category but SINP generally includes:

  • Meeting the minimum points requirement (60 for most of the sub-categories).
  • Relevant education and work experience.
  • Proof of settlement funds (if required).
  • A valid job offer from a Saskatchewan employer (for employment-based categories).
  • Meeting language proficiency requirements (vary by category).

 

Recent Updates to SINP

As the federal government cut the SINP 2025 nomination allocation by 50%, several programs/policies were updated by the Saskatchewan government. Some major updates are:

  • SINP will nominate 75% of candidates who are already in Canada.
  • SINP will prioritize international applicants who have work experience in healthcare, agriculture, and skilled trades.
  • SINP has implemented a 25% cap on total nominations for specific occupation industries like Accommodations and Food Services, Retail Trade, and Trucking sectors.
  • Spousal work permits will no longer be eligible for SINP categories that require valid work permits. They can still apply under categories that do not require a work permit.
  • The student category has been revised, and now only students who graduated from a Saskatchewan DLI will be eligible for the student SINP category.
  • Visit the SINP faq section for more details.

 

SINP Categories

The SINP is divided into four main categories:

  1. International Skilled Worker
  2. Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience
  3. Entrepreneur (Currently Closed)
  4. Farm Owner and Operator (Currently Closed)
     

International Skilled Worker Category

This category is for skilled workers with experience in high-demand occupations who want to live and work in Saskatchewan. It has several sub-categories:

Occupation In-Demand

  • No job offer required from Saskatchewan employer.
  • Minimum 60 SINP points required.
  • Have CLB level 4 or above.
  • Should have post-secondary education (Diploma/Certificate/Degree), related to your intended work in Saskatchewan.
  • Minimum of 1 year of full-time paid work experience related to your intended work in Saskatchewan.
  • Proof of settlement funds.
  • Full details can be found here.

     

Saskatchewan Express Entry

  • No job offer required from Saskatchewan employer.
  • Requires a valid IRCC’s Express Entry profile, with eligibility under at least one of the federal programs (FSW, CEC, FST).
  • Minimum 60 SINP points required.
  • Must have earned a diploma, certificate or degree, related to your intended work in Saskatchewan.
  • Have a CLB level as per federal Express Entry language requirements.
  • Must have work experience in the same field as your post-secondary education.
  • Proof of settlement funds.
  • Full details can be found here.

     

Employment Offer

  • Permanent, full-time SINP approved job offer required from Saskatchewan employer.
  • Minimum 60 SINP points required.
  • Minimum 1 year of relevant work experience required in the occupation offered.
  • Have CLB level 4 or above.
  • The job offer must be in the NOC TEER level 0, 1, 2 or 3.
  • Full details can be found here.

 

Agriculture Talent Pathway

  • Have a SINP-approved permanent, full-time agricultural sector job in Saskatchewan.
  • Have CLB level 4 or above.
  • Have completed at least secondary school (high school) education.
  • Have at least 1 year of full-time work experience in the past 3 years in your occupation offered; or 6 months of full-time work experience in the job with the same employer who has offered you a SINP approved Job Approval Letter.
  • Full details can be found here.
  • The following agricultural and related occupations are eligible through this stream:
NOCDescription
75101Material handlers
84120Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators
85100Livestock labourers
85101Harvesting labourers
85103Nursery and greenhouse labourers
94140Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
94141Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
94143Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
94204Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
95106Labourers in food and beverage processing

 

Health Talent Pathway

There are further 2 sub-categories of this one: Non-Express Entry and Express Entry.

Requirements for both Express and Non-Express Entry applicants:

  • Post-secondary education related to the job you've been offered
  • Have a SINP-approved permanent, full-time health sector job in Saskatchewan.
  • Full details can be found here.
  • The following high and intermediate-skilled health occupations are eligible through this stream:
NOCDescription
30010Managers in health care
31100Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
31101Specialists in surgery
31102General practitioners and family physicians
31103Veterinarians
31110Dentists
31111Optometrists
31112Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
31120Pharmacists
31121Dietitians and nutritionists
31200Psychologists
31201Chiropractors
31202Physiotherapists
31203Occupational therapists
31204Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
31209Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
31300Nursing coordinators and supervisors
31301Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
31302Nurse practitioners
31303Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
32100Opticians
32101Licensed practical nurses
32102Paramedical occupations
32103Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32104Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
32109Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
32110Denturists
32111Dental hygienists and dental therapists
32112Dental technologists and technicians
32120Medical laboratory technologists
32121Medical radiation technologists
32122Medical sonographers
32123Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists n.e.c
32124Pharmacy technicians
32129Other medical technologists and technicians
32200Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
32201Massage therapists
32209Other practitioners of natural healing
33100Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33101Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
33102Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
33103Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
33109Other assisting occupations in support of health services
44101 (for Non-Express Entry)Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations

 

Additional requirements for Non-Express Entry:

  • Have at least CLB 5 or above.
  • Currently working in Saskatchewan and have worked at least 6 months of full-time work experience in the job with the same employer that has provided you the Job Approval Letter. OR you must have at least 1 year of work experience in your offered occupation, within the last 5 years.

Additional requirements for Express Entry:

  • Requires a valid IRCC’s Express Entry profile, with eligibility under at least one of the federal programs (FSW, CEC, FST).
  • Have at least CLB 7 or above.
  • Both inside or outside of Canada Applicants: 1 year of high-skilled related work experience in the last 5 years, within the same offered occupation.

 

Tech Talent Pathway

There are further 2 sub-categories of this one: Non-Express Entry and Express Entry.

Requirements for both Express and Non-Express Entry applicants:

  • Currently working in Saskatchewan and have worked at least 6 months of full-time work experience in the job with the same employer that has provided you the Job Approval Letter. OR you must have at least 1 year of work experience in your offered occupation, within the last 5 years.
  • Post-secondary education related to the job you've been offered
  • Full details can be found here.
  • Have a SINP-approved permanent, full-time technology or innovation job in Saskatchewan.
  • The following high-skilled technology and innovation occupations are eligible through this stream:
NOCOccupation Titles
20012Computer and information systems managers
21310Electrical and Electronics engineers
21311Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
21211Data Scientist
21220Cybersecurity specialists
21221Business system specialist
21222Information System specialist
21223Database analysts and data administrator
21231Software engineers and designers
21230Computer systems developers and programmers
21232Software developers and programmers
21234Web developers and programmers
21233Web designers
22220Computer network and web technicians
22221User support technicians
22222Information systems testing technicians

 

Additional requirements for Non-Express Entry:

  • If currently working for the same Saskatchewan employer who offered you the job, your employer will be assessing your language ability as per the offered job requirements.
  • If not currently working for the same Saskatchewan employer who offered you the job, CLB level 5 or above is required.

Additional requirements for Express Entry:

  • Requires a valid IRCC’s Express Entry profile, with eligibility under at least one of the federal programs (FSW, CEC, FST).
  • Have a CLB level as per federal Express Entry language requirements.

     

Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience

This category is for individuals who are already working in Saskatchewan on a valid work permit and wish to apply for permanent residence. It is a great pathway for temporary foreign workers and students who have gained work experience in the province.

 

Skilled Worker with Existing Work Permit

  • Have a SINP-approved permanent, full-time job offer from a Saskatchewan employer.
  • Have a valid work permit issued by IRCC.
  • Have worked for at least 6 consecutive months of full-time work experience in the job with the same employer that has provided you the Job Approval Letter, with a valid work permit.
  • Have CLB 4 or above, if your job offer is of TEER 4 or 5.
  • Graduates on a Post-Graduate Work Permit are not eligible under this category.
  • Full details can be found here.

Students

  • Graduated from a recognized post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan.
  • Hold a valid post-graduation work permit
  • You must have worked for a minimum of 6 months in paid employment with a Saskatchewan employer in your intended occupation and that occupation should be relevant to your field of study. The following types of work experience are eligible:
    • On-campus.
    • Off-campus.
    • Co-op terms.
    • Graduate fellowships that can be verified by your institution.
    • Work experience gained on a post-graduate work permit.
  • Have a SINP-approved permanent, full-time job offer from a Saskatchewan employer, of TEER level 0, 1, 2, or 3.
  • Have CLB 4 or above, if your job offer is of TEER 4 or 5.
  • International students who graduated outside of Saskatchewan are not eligible under this category.
  • Full details can be found here.

 

Useful SINP Tips, Tools and Resources

  • All above mentioned program criteria can change at any time by the Saskatchewan government.
  • If you are not sure which category you fall into, you can use the SINP tool of program-selector. It will ask you a few questions and will let you know what categories you are eligible for.
  • You can calculate your SINP points from the point assessment grid.
  • Educational credential assessment (ECA) required for all education completed outside Canada. More details can be found here.
  • Check your CLB level through IRCC here.

 

Stay tuned for more updates on Canada's latest immigration news and application tips!

Also read Canada to Prioritize In-Canada Applicants in 2025 Express Entry Category-Based Draws