Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot Employer Requirements

The SINP will waive the four-week advertising requirement for Job Approval Forms filed with a Ukrainian applicant identified as a temporary measure to help Ukrainian citizens. For further details on this interim measure, kindly reach out to employerservices@gov.sk.ca.

Please be aware that the SINP will accept some related work experience for applications under the Hard-to-Fill Skills (HFS) Pilot in certain occupations in order to benefit companies and lower barriers to recruitment. Further details are available in the eligibility section for Hard-to-Fill Skills.

Companies may hire workers in certain low- and intermediate-skilled occupations through the Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot if they can show that they have looked for candidates domestically before hiring foreign nationals, that they are ready to assist in the employee’s settlement as a permanent resident of Saskatchewan, and that the employment offer satisfies SINP requirements.

Recruitment Activities

It is required that you post job openings on SaskJobs for at least four weeks in a row during the three months before submitting the Job Approval Form (JAF) to the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

The information requested in the job announcement consists of:

• Company operating name
• Business address
• Title of the position
• Job duties (for each position, if advertising is for more than one vacancy)
• Skills requirements (includes education and work experience)
• Terms of employment (must be full-time (30+ hours), permanent position)
• Language of work
• Benefits package offered (if applicable)
• Location(s) of work (local area, city or town)
• Contact information, including telephone number, cell phone number, email address, fax number, or mailing address
• It is strongly recommended that the wage is included.

You can submit the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a foreign worker who is currently employed by your company, or you can upload a copy of the SaskJobs Job Order Information page that shows the duration and date the advertisement was posted, along with your SaskJobs ID. To print your SaskJobs order information, go to the Employers Guide to Printing SaskJobs Order Information.

While obtaining an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is not necessary, it is advised as it can assist in confirming that an overseas worker has the education needed for the position they plan to pursue in Canada.

Agreement

The employee you hired will be authorized and nominated to apply for a work permit if they satisfy SINP requirements. After your new hire is on the job, you have to complete program settlement criteria, which include matching the employee with an on-the-job mentor who understands their culture and carrying out any two of the following action items.

1. Participate in informational meetings, conferences, educational seminars, or intercultural training aimed at assisting and/or retaining recent immigrants. In Saskatchewan, there are a lot of groups that offer diversity education, anti-racism, and intercultural education programs. Resources from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion are also available to employers.
2. Provide recommendations to newcomers regarding clubs, associations, settlement assistance, and/or community organizations. Settlement organizations can tell you about services available to immigrants. For more about our Regional Newcomer Gateways or Programs, please visit Settlement Services. You may also use Settlement Services to look for resources based on your area.
3. Create a committee dedicated to workplace diversity and inclusion, or provide team-building exercises to encourage knowledge and understanding of other cultures. One of the many tools available on Saskculture.ca’s website is Building Culturally Competent Organizations.
4. Give new hires time off or a flexible work schedule so they may attend language classes, counseling sessions, school enrollment, health card applications, driver’s license applications, and other activities.

The following supports, which include appointing an on-the-job mentor who is culturally sensitive and the two chosen action items, must be given:

• Within three months of the nomination date, current workers nominated through the HFS Pilot may do so.
• Within three months following their arrival in Saskatchewan, new hires nominated under the HFW Pilot are eligible to apply.

The Employer Supports Form, which outlines the steps you will take to help the employee’s settlement, must be uploaded with your Job Approval Form.