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Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP): categories, points grid and 2026 limits

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program lists four categories: International Skilled Worker, Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience, Entrepreneur, and Farm Owner and Operator. Some sub-categories use a 110-point grid with a 60-point minimum. Saskatchewan says it makes the final choice on nominations, and its FAQ describes 2026 sector caps and intake windows. Check saskatchewan.ca before applying.

The SINP is the Government of Saskatchewan's nominee program, and the province's own site is the only place its rules are set. Saskatchewan's pages describe a 2026 allocation, priority sectors, and capped sectors with set intake windows, so older guides may be out of date.

This guide describes the SINP as saskatchewan.ca presents it on 10 October 2026: the categories and sub-categories, how to apply, the points grid, language rules, the 2026 allocation and caps, and what happens after nomination. It is general information. It does not tell any reader whether they would qualify, which category or pathway suits them, or when intake opens. Several of the SINP pages carry no date; the FAQ page that holds the allocation details is dated 19 December 2025, and this guide labels figures from it accordingly. Provincial streams open, close and change often, so check the SINP pages on the day you apply. Nothing here predicts an outcome.

The four categories

Saskatchewan's "Browse SINP programs" page lists four program categories: - International Skilled Worker. - Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience. - Entrepreneur. - Farm Owner and Operator.

That page states no pause, closure or limit. The sub-categories sit on the pages for each category.

The International Skilled Worker page lists these sub-categories: - Employment Offer, for skilled workers with an offer of employment in Saskatchewan. - Occupation In-Demand, for skilled workers in an in-demand occupation. - Saskatchewan Express Entry. - Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway. - Health Talent Pathway. - Agriculture Talent Pathway.

The same page also lists related items, including an International Healthcare Worker EOI Pool, an International Skilled Worker EOI System for Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand, and a page on occupation restrictions and requirements covering ineligible occupations and possible professional requirements.

The Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience page lists: - Saskatchewan Experience Categories (procedures and guidelines). - Skilled Worker With Existing Work Permit. - Agriculture Talent Pathway. - Students, for people who graduated from a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution. - Health Talent Pathway. - Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway.

Names matter here. Sources outside saskatchewan.ca sometimes use different sub-category names or describe sub-categories that are paused. This guide follows the province's names. Whether a specific sub-category is accepting applications, and under what conditions, is stated on that sub-category's own page; the category pages state no pause.

The SINP is a provincial program inside the federal framework described in Provincial Nominee Program explained.

How to apply, as Saskatchewan describes it

Saskatchewan's "How to apply" page sets out a sequence. It says to confirm that you meet the criteria for one of two categories, International Skilled Worker or Saskatchewan Experience, and then to apply through OASIS, the SINP's online system. The steps that follow, in the page's order: - Submit an accurate application with valid documentation. - The SINP checks that the application is complete. If it is not, the applicant receives a letter and must submit a new application. - If it is complete, the SINP may request more documents within a time limit. If they are not provided, the application becomes ineligible. - The SINP makes a recommendation, and a final decision follows: approved, ineligible (a secondary review may be requested), or misrepresentation (processing pauses while the SINP investigates). - If approved, the applicant receives a nomination package, and, the page says, "The applicant will have to apply to IRCC within six months of nomination." The applicant may also receive a letter of support for a temporary work permit.

Two statements on the same page are worth reading closely. "The Government of Saskatchewan makes the final choice on SINP nominations." And: "However, no immigration consultant is given an immigrant quota from the Province of Saskatchewan." The second sentence is the province's answer to a common sales claim. Anyone who says they hold a quota or a guaranteed route into the SINP is not describing how the program works. See unlicensed consultant warning signs.

The page notes that misrepresentation pauses processing while the SINP investigates. Misrepresentation has federal consequences too, covered in misrepresentation and the five-year ban.

The SINP's fee for each application type is not covered here. Check the SINP site for the current fee before you apply.

The points grid

Saskatchewan's "Assess your eligibility" page describes a points grid. As read on 10 October 2026, it has two factors and a total of 110 points: - Factor I, Labour Market Success, 80 points, made up of education and training (23), skilled work experience (10 for the past five years, plus 5 for years six to ten before that), language ability (20 for the first language plus 10 for a second language) and age (12). - Factor II, Connection to Saskatchewan Labour Market and Adaptability, 30 points, made up of a high-skilled employment offer from a Saskatchewan employer (30, for the Employment Offer sub-category only), a close family relative in Saskatchewan (20), past work experience in Saskatchewan (5) and past student experience in Saskatchewan (5).

The page states the pass mark: "You need at least 60 points to apply." It marks the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories as the ones the grid applies to. The page also states: "Points that you claim will be confirmed by the documents you show later." Applications without the required documents attached are closed and returned, according to the page.

Three observations, all about what the page says. The 60 points are a condition for applying, not a score that earns a nomination; the page does not say reaching 60 guarantees eligibility or nomination, and the province says it makes the final choice. The points claimed must be proved by documents, which makes accuracy more important than optimism. And the grid the page shows is not the same as the federal Comprehensive Ranking System, which has different factors and numbers; see CRS score explained.

The page also notes that a Program Selector tool was archived "effective January 2, 2026", so older references to that tool are no longer current.

Language rules

Saskatchewan's page on language requirements says a language assessment is required for the International Skilled Worker sub-categories, the Agriculture Talent Pathway, the Health Talent Pathway, the Tech Talent Pathway where applicable, Skilled Worker with Existing Work Permit where applicable, job offers in NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupations, and regulated occupations where the regulatory body may require a test.

Exemptions listed include citizens or permanent residents of an English- or French-speaking country who are native speakers, though not for applicants in the Express Entry pool, who must meet federal requirements, and the Tech Talent Pathway (non-Express Entry) for applicants working for the employer that made the offer.

On levels, the page recommends CLB 4 as a minimum for most jobs and says the SINP minimum scores for the tests it accepts are equivalent to CLB 4. Express Entry sub-categories must show valid results matching the language level in their Express Entry profile. Tests must come from a designated testing agency and be less than two years old when you apply to the SINP. The page says the SINP accepts only the tests it lists: IELTS, PTE Core, CELPIP-General, TEF Canada and TCF Canada, with its own minimum scores for each.

Those SINP minimums are not IRCC's. The federal tables, covered in language tests for Canada PR, set higher levels for the federal programs. Meeting the SINP's CLB 4 equivalent does not mean meeting a federal minimum, and the reverse is also true. For the SINP's score table itself, read Saskatchewan's page and confirm the numbers with the province before relying on any of them.

For credentials, a foreign education may need to be assessed. Where an educational credential assessment is needed, see educational credential assessment for the federal rules. The SINP's own document requirements are on its pages.

The 2026 allocation, priority sectors and caps

The SINP's immigration FAQ page (updated 19 December 2025) holds the most specific figures on how the province is allocating nominations in 2026. As at that page date: - The initial 2026 SINP allocation was 4,761 nominations. The page says additional nominations may become available throughout 2026 at the discretion of IRCC. It adds that, unlike 2025, there are no federal requirements specifying that a certain percentage of nominees must come from temporary residents. - At least 50% of nominations are reserved for priority sectors. - Three sectors are capped: Accommodation and Food Services (714), Trucking (238) and Retail Trade (238). - 750 priority-sector spots are reserved for Saskatchewan post-secondary graduates. - Capped sectors have six planned intake windows in 2026, in January, March, May, July, September and November. Priority and other non-capped sectors have continuous intake. - Applicants in capped sectors may only apply during the last six months of their work permit's validity. - The caps are reviewed annually. If a capped sector reaches its allocation, employers may be unable to submit additional applications for the remainder of the year. A mid-year assessment reviews priority-sector progress, and the SINP may reallocate unused capped-sector nominations. - Employers must notify the SINP within 15 calendar days of a nominee's termination, resignation or move to a new position. - The page also records that same-day work or study permit applications at the border, known as flagpoling, ended on 23 December 2024.

Saskatchewan's processing statistics page shows how this is playing out: processing times in weeks for the main categories, intake window figures updated each weekday during windows, and nominations issued so far in 2026 against the annual allocation. Processing times are updated every three months, according to the page, and the latest period shown when read was the third quarter of 2026 (1 July to 30 September).

These are rules as of those page dates. Intake windows and caps are exactly the details that change, so check the statistics page and the FAQ page before planning around any of them.

After nomination, and what to check before applying

The SINP's nomination package sets the next step: apply to IRCC within six months of nomination. The page also mentions a possible letter of support for a temporary work permit. The federal application then follows IRCC's process, described in Provincial Nominee Program explained, including the 600 additional points IRCC describes for nominated candidates in the Express Entry pool.

Federal fees are separate from anything the province charges; see Canada PR fees 2026.

A checklist of what to confirm on saskatchewan.ca, on the day: - the exact category and sub-category name, and whether it is open; - whether the route starts with an expression of interest or a direct application in OASIS; - the points grid and whether it applies to your sub-category; - the occupation restrictions page, which lists ineligible occupations and possible professional requirements; - the language test list and minimums; - the FAQ and statistics pages for current caps, windows and times; - the fee for your application type.

Several features of the SINP depend on an employer: job offers, employer position assessments in some routes, and employer notification duties after nomination. Those are questions about specific facts, and about your relationship with your employer. If you want help with them, that is advice only a lawyer or a licensed immigration consultant may give for a fee under section 91 of the Act. Using a representative is optional; if you hire one, check the licence on the public register. For other provinces' programs, see the BC PNP overview and the Alberta streams guide.

Find a regulated adviser

If you want a licensed immigration consultant or a lawyer to look at whether a Saskatchewan category fits your own situation, use the Migratio directory to find a regulated adviser, and check their licence on the official register before you sign anything. Migratio is a directory and booking platform. It does not give immigration advice, does not choose a program for anyone and has no connection to IRCC or any province.

Questions people ask

What are the SINP categories?

Saskatchewan's Browse SINP programs page lists International Skilled Worker, Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience, Entrepreneur, and Farm Owner and Operator. Each category has sub-categories described on its own page.

How many points do you need for the SINP?

Saskatchewan's Assess your eligibility page says: "You need at least 60 points to apply." The page applies this to the Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories and shows a 110-point grid. The page does not say 60 points guarantees a nomination.

How long do I have to apply to IRCC after an SINP nomination?

Saskatchewan's How to apply page says the applicant will have to apply to IRCC within six months of nomination. The dates in your own nomination package are the ones that apply to you.

Does the SINP have caps on sectors?

Saskatchewan's FAQ page, updated 19 December 2025, describes caps for 2026 on Accommodation and Food Services, Trucking and Retail Trade, with six planned intake windows. Check the SINP statistics and FAQ pages for the current position.

Can a consultant get me a nomination?

No consultant has a quota. Saskatchewan's How to apply page says no immigration consultant is given an immigrant quota from the Province of Saskatchewan, and that the Government of Saskatchewan makes the final choice on SINP nominations.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Provincial Nominee Program explained: provincial streams and the two paths to PR — Under the Provincial Nominee Program, a province or territory nominates people it wants to settle, and IRCC handles the permanent residence application. IRCC describes two paths: an Express Entry path, where a nomination adds 600 points to a profile, and a non-Express Entry path. Each province sets its own streams and numbers, and Quebec and Nunavut have no program.
  • BC Provincial Nominee Program: how the streams, fees and invitations work — The BC PNP has two main branches on WelcomeBC: Skills Immigration for workers (the Skilled Worker and Health Authority streams) and Entrepreneur Immigration (Base, Regional and Strategic Projects). Workers register and may be invited to apply; the worker application fee on the page read was $1,750. Streams change, so check WelcomeBC on the day you apply.
  • Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP): the streams and how selection works — The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program lists four worker streams (Tourism and Hospitality, Alberta Opportunity, Alberta Express Entry and Rural Renewal) and four entrepreneur streams. Alberta says its draws are not regularly scheduled, that score is not the only selection factor, and that it does not disclose recent draw parameters. Check Alberta's updates page before applying.
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  • Unlicensed Immigration Consultants: How to Check Before You Pay — Only RCICs and RISIAs licensed by the College, lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a law society, and Quebec notaries may charge for Canadian immigration advice. IRCC says it won't deal with unauthorized paid representatives and may return or refuse an application that uses one.