Review Sask Post-graduate immigration policy

The Saskatchewan government has made it difficult for international students who graduated from Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions to apply for immigration nomination. This is as a result of the amendment(s) to the previous policy which allows international graduates from Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions to apply for nomination after completion of study and who have worked for six months in Saskatchewan with any employer.

The current policy requires international graduates to secure full time employment in their field of study with an employer registered with SINP. Given the current economic climate, securing a job in one’s field of study is very challenging as evident by the crown’s freeze on hiring (except for very essential services such as healthcare) for about two years now. In 2015 nearly half of the SINP International skilled worker with employment offer category was left unfilled. As at April 1, 2016, less than 500 people have applied.

This policy risks alienating a vast majority of highly qualified graduates who due to the current economic situation are yet to find their footing and make their mark but are also working hard in other temporary areas to be better useful to the society. It also alienates would be entrepreneurs with great ideas who are hesitant to pursue the ideas being mindful of the fact that their continuous stay to pursue those ideas is in doubt.