Saskatchewan holds first Expression of Interest draw for Express Entry candidates

The province of Saskatchewan has issued its first invitations to Express Entry candidates through the new Expression of Interest system introduced in July, and revised its In-Demand Occupation List in the process.

A total of 466 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination were issued to candidates in the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP)'s in this first draw. The minimum score was 68.

In its update, the SINP said all Expressions of Interest selected had an .

Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan are awarded an additional 600 points toward their (CRS) score.

In order to be eligible for the SINP's Express Entry sub-category, Express Entry candidates must register an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile with the SINP and are assigned based on their answers to questions concerning work experience, education and proficiency in English or French, among other factors.

Eligibility criteria for the SINP's Express Entry sub-category include:

A score of at least 60 points out of 100 on the ;
Post-secondary education, training or apprenticeship of at least one year in length that resulted in a diploma, certificate or degree.
- Degrees and diplomas obtained outside Canada must be accompanied by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization.
Have work experience in a high-skilled occupation in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) that is designated Skill Type O, Skill Level A or Skill Level B and is found on Saskatchewan's .
- Candidates must show proof of professional status or licensure for regulated occupations or those with professional certification standards in Canada and/or Saskatchewan if required by their occupation.

The first step toward pursuing the SINP's Express Entry sub-category is to enter a profile in the federal government's Express Entry pool.

Updated In-Demand Occupations

In its update on the draw, the SINP announced that it had revised the In-Demand Occupations List in order to ensure that "nominees with positive employment prospects in Saskatchewan are selected and nominations do no exceed employment demand."

The In-Demand Occupations List applies to both the SINP's Express Entry and sub-categories.

Of the 22 in-demand occupations on Saskatchewan's updated In-Demand Occupations List, three do not require candidates to obtain specific professional licensure. The Government of Saskatchewan requires professional licensure from the relevant organizations for the remaining 19 occupations.

No license required

NOC	Occupation
0821	Managers in agriculture
2123	Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists
8252	Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers

Professional license required

NOC	Occupation	Government-approved Organization
0822	Managers in horticulture
2154	Land surveyors
3111	Psychiatrists
3215	Medical Radiation Technologists
3234	Paramedics
4151	Psychologists
4212	Social and community service workers
4214	Early childhood educators and assistants
3211	Medical laboratory technologists
3216	Medical sonographers
6331	Meat cutters
7201	Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
7204	Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
7311	Industrial mechanics
7312	Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
7321	Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics
7322	Motor vehicle body repairers
7237	Welders
7384	Recreation Vehicle Service

The following occupations were removed from the SINP in-demand list of occupations:

NOC 0211 – Engineering managers
NOC 0911 – Manufacturing managers
NOC 0912 – Utilities managers
NOC 2131 – Civil engineers
NOC 2173 – Software engineers
NOC 2173 – Software designers
NOC 2242 – Electronic service technicians (household and business)
NOC 2175 – Web designers and developer
NOC 2147 – Computer engineers
NOC 2225– Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
NOC 4162 - Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts

The SINP has expanded, and contracted, its eligible occupation list at different times based on the applications it received and labour market demand.

SINP profiles are valid for one year. The SINP said the profiles of candidates whose occupations have been removed from the list will remain valid for that period and "could be pulled in another EOI draw if the occupation becomes in-demand once again."

EOI system focused on 'strong economic outcomes' of selected candidates

The move to an system in July brought an end to the first-come, first-served model that Saskatchewan had used for its Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories, which shut the door to many qualified applicants who couldn’t get their applications in on time.

Saskatchewan said the switch to an EOI system will now allow the to better target those most likely to succeed in Saskatchewan’s labour market. As the SINP says on the webpage outlining the new system, “a goal of the EOI system is to ensure strong economic outcomes and long-term retention in Saskatchewan for those invited to apply.”

The SINP says the size and frequency of EOI selections will be determined by its application inventory needs.

Draws will take place on a monthly basis, at minimum, the SINP says. The dates of the selections will not be posted.

Here's a hypothetical example of a candidate invited in this first Express Entry EOI draw:

Jacklyn is 34, has a high-intermediate English language proficiency and has been working as an Early Childhood Educator for eight years. She holds a Master's degree and has never worked or studied in Canada. Jacklyn has a profile in Canada’s federal Express Entry pool with a CRS score of 360.

Jacklyn also registered an Expression of Interest with the SINP and obtained a score of 68, which would have been sufficient for an invitation to apply for provincial nomination.

If approved for a provincial nomination certificate, Jacklyn’s Express Entry CRS score will increase to 960, putting her at the front of the line for an Invitation to Apply in a subsequent Express Entry draw.