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Saskatchewan launches program to attract technology professionals

Saskatchewan is launching a new immigration program under the provincial nominee program to attract highly skilled technology professionals to the province.

The Tech Talent Pathway is being created under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

“The SINP is known around the world and is the leading immigration program for those relocating to Saskatchewan,” the province said in a press release. “Employers in Saskatchewan’s technology and innovation sectors will be able to attract more highly skilled talent to support expansion of this sector and increase Saskatchewan’s global competitiveness.

“As Saskatchewan emerges from the impacts of the global pandemic, our technology sector will be an important driver of economic growth,” Immigration and Career Training Minister Jeremy Harrison said. “The new Tech Talent Pathway provides our Saskatchewan employers with a dedicated stream for the attraction of highly skilled talent into our thriving technology sector.”

Program will also help expedite workers already in the province

This new stream will facilitate and expedite the permanent immigration of tech workers already working in Saskatchewan, as well as those who have been recruited outside Canada.

“The economy of Saskatchewan relies on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled immigrants who form critical anchors of specialized skills in our communities and workforce,” SaskTech president Aaron Genest said. “The Tech Talent Pathway offers a competitive advantage to Saskatchewan industries and is unique in Canada. It streamlines the immigration process and acknowledges that we want our immigrants to stay right here in our province to join us in creating innovative solutions for Saskatchewan to export to the world.”

Eligibility rules

To be eligible, applicants to the Tech Talent Pathway must have:

• An employer specific SINP Job Approval Letter for an eligible technology sector occupation;
• a minimum official language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 if the applicant is not working in Saskatchewan when they apply or CLB level 7 if applying for Express Entry;
• at least one-year of work experience in that occupation in the past five years; or six months working in Saskatchewan;
  post-secondary education; and
• be eligible for Saskatchewan professional licensing (applicable to eligible computer, software, electrical and electronics engineers).

The Tech Talent Pathway is scheduled to launch March 7, 2022. For more information, visit http://www.saskatchewan.ca/tech-applicants.