The federal government has consented to reduce duplicate efforts in the processing of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) nominations. IRCC has agreed to modify federal regulations and the Canada-Saskatchewan Immigration Agreement to grant Saskatchewan exclusive authority over evaluating a candidate’s potential for economic establishment and their intention to reside within the province. Furthermore, IRCC has consented to increase the yearly allocation of provincial nominees for 2023, while also revealing enhanced notional allocations for 2024 and 2025.
While these modifications offer some progress, they do not entirely fulfill the Government of Saskatchewan’s demand for increased autonomy over immigration, as outlined in the Saskatchewan Immigration Accord. Consequently, the province will persist in advocating for and negotiating with the federal government to gain more control over immigration matters.
In July 2022, the Government of Saskatchewan put forth the Saskatchewan Immigration Accord, aiming to grant the province greater autonomy in immigration affairs. This proposed agreement, inspired by the existing arrangement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec, would enable Saskatchewan to determine its immigration levels, select skilled immigrants in line with labor market demands, re-introduce a family class immigration stream, and manage the design and implementation of settlement and integration services.
Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce CEO, Jason Aebig, emphasized the need for more workers to fill job vacancies across various economic sectors in Saskatchewan. He stated that federal immigration programs and settlement services are not adequately addressing the province’s labor market requirements. Aebig urged the federal government to expedite the negotiation process for the Saskatchewan Immigration Accord, allowing the province to set immigration levels and provide services that effectively support newcomer retention and integration.
In 2022, Saskatchewan utilized its entire federal allocation under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. For 2023, the province requested and was granted its largest allocation in the SINP’s history, with 7,250 nominations. This increase is expected to bring around 18,000 newcomers to Saskatchewan this year, including nominees, their spouses, and dependents. The notional allocation for the province in 2024 is set at 8,000 nominees, followed by 8,500 in 2025, resulting in a total increase of 42% compared to the 2022 allocation.
Immigration is crucial in supporting Saskatchewan’s expanding economy and addressing labor demands. At present, over 15,600 job vacancies are listed on SaskJobs and the National Job Bank. Over the next five years, Saskatchewan is projected to have approximately 135,800 job openings.
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