Saskatchewan reveals schedule for first Expression of Interest draws
Saskatchewan's new Expression of Interest system took effect July 16, will hold first draws in September, November
The Government of Saskatchewan has announced the dates for the first two draws from its new Expression of Interest pool, which are scheduled to take place September 19 and November 21, 2018.
The Prairie province’s new Expression of Interest (EOI) system was introduced July 16 to manage candidate profiles for the popular Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories of the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).
Foreign nationals interested in immigrating to Saskatchewan through these popular International Skilled Worker sub-categories are required to register in the SINP’s online application system, OASIS, and complete an EOI profile.
The Express Entry sub-category allows the SINP to invite eligible candidates in the federal Express Entry pool to apply for a provincial nomination from Saskatchewan.
Express Entry candidates who apply for and receive a provincial nomination certificate from the province are awarded 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.
These additional points effectively guarantee an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence at a later draw from the federal Express Entry pool.
EOI pool candidates invited to apply for a provincial nomination under the Occupations In-Demand sub-category will have their applications processed outside the federal Express Entry system.
Candidates in both sub-categories are required to demonstrate work experience in an Saskatchewan in-demand occupation.
Saskatchewan’s new EOI system: How it works
The first step in applying for individuals interested in immigration to Saskatchewan through the Express Entry or Occupations In-Demand sub-categories is to submit an EOI profile.
To complete the profile, candidates are required to answer questions related to work experience, education and language proficiency in English or French, among other factors.
Candidates are assessed according to Saskatchewan’s unique assessment grid and are assigned a score out of 100. Candidates are entered into the pool if they obtain at least 60 points and satisfy other eligibility requirements for either the Express Entry or Occupations In-Demand sub-category.
The SINP says it takes the following steps to rank candidates in the EOI pool:
- Identify EOI candidates with the highest point score.
- When selecting among candidates with equal scores, the SINP will prioritize candidates with connections to the province. This includes candidates who receive points for having a close family relative in Saskatchewan, past work experience in Saskatchewan, and/or past study experience in Saskatchewan.
- The province will then prioritize candidates with the most work experience years declared and the highest language scores obtained.
A key improvement over the previous first-come, first-served model is the fact candidates issued an Invitation to Apply for a provincial nomination now have 60 days to submit a complete online application to the SINP.