Saskatchewan SINP 2026: The EPA Replaces the Job Approval Letter

Saskatchewan SINP 2026: The EPA Replaces the Job Approval Letter

As of 23 April 2026, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) retired the Job Approval Form and Job Approval Letter model and replaced it with the Employer Position Assessment (EPA). Under the EPA, the employer submits job and candidate details together in a single application and SINP issues an EPA approval rather than a separate letter. A valid EPA is now required for job-offer-based streams, and two short deadlines follow: the candidate has 10 calendar days to log in to OASIS and validate the EPA, and 60 calendar days from being named on an approved EPA to submit the application.

Key Takeaways

  • The EPA replaced the JAF and JAL on 23 April 2026. Employer and candidate details are now filed together.
  • Deadlines: 10 calendar days to validate the EPA, then 60 calendar days to submit the application.
  • Saskatchewan’s 2026 allocation is 4,761 nominations, with a minimum of 50 per cent (2,381) reserved for priority sectors and 25 per cent allocated to capped sectors.
  • Priority-sector applicants can apply year-round, can apply from overseas, and are not subject to the six-months-remaining work permit rule that constrains capped sectors.
  • Employers in capped sectors must submit at the next intake window and may submit up to three candidates per EPA.
  • Secondary review must be requested within 30 days of refusal, is subject to a fee, and is decided only on the existing record.

What changed on 23 April 2026

Under the old model, an employer obtained a Job Approval Letter for a position, and the candidate then used it to support an application. The EPA merges the two steps.

The process now runs: employer registration, review of the job offer details in the portal, then naming the candidate to generate a personalised EPA. Employer Position Assessments verify that the employer and the position are bona fide, meet wage standards, and fall within eligible occupations.

Two consequences matter in practice. First, the candidate must be identified at the point the EPA is created — the employer can no longer secure a generic approval and find a worker afterwards. Second, employers holding outstanding 2025 Job Approval Letters in trucking, accommodation, retail or food services must start again through the EPA system during an active intake window.

Employer registration is mandatory

Under the Immigration Services Act, in force since 1 July 2024, all Saskatchewan employers hiring foreign workers must register with the province — including employers using federal LMIA processes. The Act regulates recruiters, representatives and employer registration.

Importantly, the Act does not codify the SINP selection criteria. Those rules are set administratively and maintained on the SINP website, which means NOC lists, caps, draws and procedures can change without notice. Checking the current posting before filing is not optional.

The three-tier intake structure

Saskatchewan now manages intake in three tiers.

Tier 1 — priority overseas recruitment. Health, agriculture and designated skilled trades accept employer-supported positions without quota limits or waitlists.

Tier 2 — in-Canada temporary residents. Workers and students already in Canada receive expedited processing and priority allocation of nomination spaces.

Tier 3 — capped sectors. Accommodation and food services, retail trade and trucking operate under annual caps, with queues and possible intake pauses once limits are reached.

The 2026 allocation of 4,761 is divided so that a minimum of 50 per cent (2,381 nominations) goes to priority sectors — healthcare, agriculture, skilled trades, mining, manufacturing, energy and technology — with 750 of those spaces specifically reserved for Saskatchewan post-secondary graduates working in priority sectors. Capped sectors take 25 per cent: accommodation and food services 15 per cent (714), trucking 5 per cent (238) and retail trade 5 per cent (238).

As at 30 June 2026, 2,628 nominations had been issued, about 55 per cent of the allocation, with 1,466 going to priority sectors.

One change from 2025 is worth noting: there is no federal requirement in 2026 that a set percentage of nominees be drawn from temporary residents already in the province.

The categories that are actually open

Traditional SINP categories are International Skilled Worker, Saskatchewan Experience, and Entrepreneur and Farm. The Entrepreneur and Farm Owner/Operator streams were closed to new nominations in March 2025 and are not accessible to new entrants.

Within International Skilled Worker, the core subcategories are Employment Offer, Occupation-In-Demand and Saskatchewan Express Entry. Occupation-In-Demand and Saskatchewan Express Entry are dormant, with the last known draw in September 2024.

What is active are the sector-specific Talent Pathways, which function as job-offer-based International Skilled Worker streams with priority processing:

  • Health Talent Pathway — for healthcare professionals with a permanent, full-time job offer in an eligible health occupation. Requires eligibility for Saskatchewan licensing where regulated, related post-secondary education, and a commitment to live and work in the province. The non-Express Entry route generally requires at least CLB 5.
  • Agriculture Talent Pathway — for permanent, full-time offers in specified agricultural and agri-food occupations such as farm machinery operators, livestock workers and food-processing roles. Typically at least CLB 4, secondary school or higher, and one year of experience in the past three years, or six months with the supporting employer.
  • Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway — for IT and innovation professionals with permanent, full-time offers in designated technology occupations. Usually at least CLB 5 and related post-secondary education.

The Saskatchewan Experience Category targets in-province workers holding valid work permits and permanent, full-time job offers, and for many clients already in Saskatchewan it is simpler and faster than overseas-oriented streams.

International Skilled Worker subcategories use a 110-point grid requiring at least 60 points, based on education and training, skilled work experience, language ability and age, with additional points for a Saskatchewan employment offer or provincial ties such as relatives, prior work or prior study.

Work Permit Support Letters and nomination conditions

Many job-offer streams provide a Work Permit Support Letter, which supports an LMIA-exempt work permit once the employer files an LMIA-Exempt Offer of Employment and pays the employer compliance fee. Our LMIA-exempt work permit guide explains how that federal step operates.

Two cautions follow. SINP has begun reviewing and in some cases withdrawing nominations where nominees do not obtain and activate their work permits promptly, although no precise public deadline is defined. And conditions are added to nomination documents, so the nomination is not the end of the obligation.

If an application is refused

A secondary review must be requested within 30 days of refusal and attracts a fee that varies by category. The review is based only on the existing record — applicants cannot add new evidence — and only one application can be active at a time.

Separately, the Program Compliance Branch conducts intensive verification, including direct checks with employers, educational institutions, credential assessment bodies and language test providers. Applications can be deemed ineligible where the applicant is a refugee claimant, fails to meet criteria, submits fraudulent documents, or resubmits without significant change. Document quality and internal consistency are therefore not merely good practice; they reduce exposure to a misrepresentation finding. Employers should read this alongside their immigration compliance obligations.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need a Job Approval Letter?
No. The JAF and JAL model was retired on 23 April 2026 and replaced by the Employer Position Assessment. A valid EPA is required for job-offer-based streams.

How long do I have once an EPA is approved?
Ten calendar days to log in to OASIS and validate the EPA, and 60 calendar days from being identified on the approved EPA to submit the application.

Can a capped-sector employer apply at any time?
No. Employers in accommodation and food services, retail trade and trucking must submit at the next intake window, and may submit up to three candidates per EPA. Priority-sector employers can apply year-round.

Are the Entrepreneur and Farm streams still available?
Saskatchewan closed the Entrepreneur and Farm Owner/Operator streams to new nominations in March 2025. Confirm the current position on the SINP website before planning around either.

Can I add new documents to a secondary review?
No. Secondary review is decided only on the record as it stood, and new evidence is not considered. It must be requested within 30 days of refusal and a fee applies.

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    Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Immigration law and IRCC/ESDC policy change frequently, and every case turns on its own facts. Reading this article does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Obtain advice tailored to your situation before you act.

    Talk to a Canadian immigration lawyer. BridgePoint Law advises individuals and businesses across Canada — and on Canada–US–China cross-border matters — on the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program and employer-supported immigration. Book a consultation with our team in Toronto and Kingston. We work in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

    Posted in Canadian Immigration and Refugee Law Work Permits

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