On May 1, 2024, Saskatchewan updated and expanded the occupations that are to be excluded from applying to the Occupations In-Demand and Express Entry program sub-categories. The exclusion list now contains 158 occupations that are not eligible for these programs. Eight of these were added to the exclusion list in the recent update.
Principal Learnings
- Veterinarians and veterinary technicians are now qualified for the Occupations In-Demand and Express Entry subcategories since they were taken off the exclusion list.
- The following professions are no longer eligible for Saskatchewan’s Occupations In-Demand or Express Entry PNP subcategories: sheriffs and bailiffs, correctional services officers, bylaw enforcement, estheticians and related occupations, transport truck drivers, bus drivers, and other transit operators, pest controllers and fumigators, and heavy equipment operators.
- Additionally ineligible for these programs are workers in NOC TEER 4 and 5 vocations.
- The changes do not impact the Federal Express Entry eligibility or criteria.
- Saskatchewan has increasingly been targeting select occupations, and even countries, in its PNP draws.
Which Programs Are Affected?
The Occupations In-Demand and Express Entry PNP category in Saskatchewan are affected by these modifications.
Candidates who work in these fields and intend to immigrate through Saskatchewan’s PNP would be negatively impacted by this. It will affect applicants in the Express Entry pool for certain occupations who hoped to utilize Saskatchewan’s PNP to increase their CRS for Express Entry or to immigrate through the PNP rather than Express Entry while their points are very high.
What Are The Updated Excluded Occupations and NOCs?
The list of professions that Saskatchewan has kept out of these programs is long. The full list, which includes journalists, aeronautical engineers, and forestry specialists, is shown below.
It further specifies that the NOC TEER 4 and 5 occupations are not qualified for either the Occupation In-Demand or Express Entry subcategories. This makes sense because better-skilled professionals are the target market for each of these segments.
What Occupations Were Added To the List?
It looks like Saskatchewan added 8 new occupations to the list that did not appear in the previous list. These are:
43200 Sheriffs and bailiffs
43201 Correctional Service officers
43202 By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
63211 Estheticians, electrologists, and related occupations
73300 Transport truck drivers
73301 Bus drivers, subway operators, and other transit operators
73202 Pest controllers and fumigators
73400 Heavy equipment operators.
This means applicants cannot use work experience under one of these NOC codes toward their SINP eligibility.
What Occupations Were Removed From the List?
Only 2 occupations were removed from the list. These are:
31103 Veterinarians
32104 Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
When the Lead NOC is now included on the Exclusion List, what will happen to SINP Expressions of Interest?
An applicant will no longer be able to have an active Expression of Interest if they discover that their lead NOC is one of the eight NOCs added to the exclusion list. Either manually withdrawing their Expression of Interest or receiving news that it has been withdrawn from the pool are the options available to them. If they have work experience under a NOC that is not on the list, they can then file a fresh Expression of Interest. A one, active SINP Expression of Interest may be held by an applicant at any given time.
The handling of SINP applications that have been submitted, where the lead NOC is now on the exclusion list, may also be a problem. Since SINP has only been accepting a small number of NOC codes and both impacted programs have application processing durations of around 30 business days, it is extremely improbable that any active SINP applications exist where the lead NOC is now listed as excluded.
Why Were These Changes Made in Saskatchewan?
Saskatchewan has not provided an explanation for these modifications. Since November 2022, this list hasn’t been updated, therefore the additions most likely suggest that there isn’t a significant need for professionals in these fields.
The PNP draw results for Saskatchewan also show a discernible trend toward immigration preferences that are more focused. It also targeted immigration from certain nations in a variety of country- and occupation-specific drawings in August 2023. Its latest draws all target-specific vocations.
When Can We Expect Another SINP Draw?
Nearly two months have passed since the previous SINP draw for the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand subcategories was held on March 7, 2024. We may anticipate another draw in May or June based on the previous several draw trends.
It is unclear whether these two vocations will be chosen in subsequent drawings given that they were taken off the exclusion list, allowing candidates with prior work experience in one of these fields to apply. It will take time to tell on this.
How Often Do The Eligible Programs Change?
This list looks to have been updated most recently in November 2022.
Nevertheless, the program pages mention that the standards are subject to modification at any time.
Furthermore, employment in a profession that qualifies for Saskwatchewan’s Occupations In-Demand or Express Entry subcategories does not guarantee an invitation to apply or nomination for Saskatchewan’s PNP, given the tendency towards more focused draws.
As previously mentioned, there is a discernible tendency toward more focused draws. Furthermore, while we will have to wait and see how the amended exclusion list affects these drawings, Saskatchewan may not choose to target any vocations other than those that are expressly prohibited.
