Saskatchewan Proposes Stricter Immigration Laws

Saskatchewan Immigration Minister Rob Norris proposed new legislation that would tighten SINP rules for family sponsorship

Saskatchewan’s Immigration Minister Rob Norris announced that the province will be tightening rules for the family sponsorship category of its Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. Saskatchewan’s family nominee program is considered to be easier for immigrants than those of other provinces, but it has also had problems with abuse.

The new rules include a cap of one application for the family nominee program per household. Mr. Norris described the current situation as one where “we’ve even heard stories of up to 20 applications” per household.

The Saskatchewan government is also requesting that the federal government increase the number of immigrants the province can nominate every year through its Immigrant Nominee Program from 4,000 to 6,000. Government officials say the province needs immigrants to fill its jobs.

Norris’ proposed legislation also includes a requirement for recruiters and immigration consultants to be in good standing in Saskatchewan to represent SINP applicants.

9 comments

  • Aamir Mahmood

    When will this be applied? Also if SINP bringing people to Canada and in Saskatewan then why do you want to make it tight? If someone abuse it they dont get immigration right? By tightening the rules you will have less people coming to your province and people will use other province or may be other countries.

    • CICS Immigration editor

      These changes are in effect now. The provincial government is tightening the rules due to some individuals sponsoring up to 20 individuals, and taking up space from other potential applicants. Also it was urged to make changes by the federal government.

  • Orfi Yturralde

    In addition to one application per household, it also required Job Offer for the applicant. My brother has been preparing for his application since 2010 and it’s just very disappointing that, he needs to have a job offer before we can file his application. He saved so that he could have the required proof of funds under his name for at least 3 mos. and just before we are about to file his application the changes effective on May 1, 2012 took place. I’m not sure if there are companies out there in Saskatchewan that are willing to hire someone they haven’t seen in person. I for one, as a professional immigrant here in Canada is having a hard time landing a job that suits my qualifications. My brother is a licensed engineer and I’m positive that he can contribute to the growth and development of the province, but with the new rules on hand, I think bringing professional family members here in Canada has now become almost impossible.

  • Hello ,
    I have got my sinp in saskatchewan and I have thought of calling my brother to saskatchewan and live here permanently.With change in rules now made impossible for me to call my brother here so I am leaving saskatchewan and moving to a different province which is more developed and less cold than Saskatchewan. I totally condemn the amendments made my ROB NORRIS . Everyone who have got there immigration here will move back to Ontario and BC now.
    I agree to the fact there are people who have sponsored 20 people in there family but the rules should be tighten for only those people who try to take advantage of the system not for all other people.I am a mechanical Engineer and I was providing skilled labour to SK.
    I wanna add that no employer in canada wants to hire someone who is a different country so there is no what you can get the offer letter from employers for skilled jobs. So this is totally make no sense of providing a job offer from an employer.

    • I hundred percent support your concern. I am also mechanical engineer and planning to settle there with my sister and brother in law but the changed rules made it really tough to process in family sposorship immigration. If somebody is qualified and keeps the potential to find a job according to his/her qualification and talent, then why they came up with these stuffs.Better punish them who are doing against the system. why do we all be part of their wrong doings.

  • Canada’s immigration laws need to be ammended to protect the people born in Canada first. We cannot just go out willy nilly and bring over every Yussaf, Sandeep and Bruce Lee out there. At present, Canada is bringing in immigrants that the present Canadian population is supporting through welfare and employer assistance. We have enough internal problems without bringing in immigrants looking for handouts. Our ancestors came here with nothing and made lives and that is how these immigrants need to be treated. They have to prove they belong here!! I Agree with tighter controls on immigration as should all Canadians! If we continue to bring in more foreigners who do not have the same goals and want to live in Canada but with their own schools, their own laws and force Canada to change, then we may as well change the name of Our Country to suit these people as well, change our National Anthem, submit to Allah or Buddah or who the hell else they worship! Our country is becoming too divided and it needs to stop before it is too late. Having “families” come to Our Beautiful Country and be able to have their dozen wives/concubines is an absolute disgrace! The erosion of the Family here in Canada is destroying our Country. It won’t be long before Shari Law will be able to be enforced and then our Country will be no better than the places we imported these immigrants!

  • Changing the SINP rules is the decision of the provincial government. We don’t have any right to make them change the new law. But we are more than disappointed only for that reason that why the government is making some injustice for everyone who are not guilty. If somebody abused the system by sponsoring 20 applicants at a time, I am sure they must had to get the nomination from the provincial government first; and if they were not qualified for those applications why they had not been cancelled? My next question if that supporting family did some fraudulence or cheating with the SINP process or wanted to take some unlawful advantages from the immigration process and they were found guilty by the government did government take any necessary action against them? If not why? They deserved to loose their own immigation status. Not all other Saskatchewan immigrants need to be punished only for the misconduct of a few dishonest persons. Like my husband and me just moved from Alberta to Saskatchewan only to get some preference to help our beloved siblings, nephew, nieces and our parents. My husband has lost his awesome job, I had to change my job. A lot of srtuggling to get a daycare and suitable environment for my son; a fully settled family in Edmonton after moving to Regina seem like sinking into an ocean. My husband is a mechanical engineer, I am an IMG. We went through a long process to get a good job. Still we were not a burden for the government. We were not idle and did not go through the government social help. We tried a lot for being honest and eventually we went through. So if we sponsor people like us, for sure they will be honest too. But how come they will get any job offer from outside of Canada while a competent immigrant after living here in Canada for several years is not able to get a skilled professional job? For sure if the law has been in effect like one supporting family can sponsor 5-10 house hold at a time and no criteria for the job offer then it would be way more better for Saskatchewan’s booming economy. Dear honorable minister please try to consider that; we love our family and we are absolutely lonely without them. Make the immigration law tighter after people landing here and let them try to explore their expertise so that they can contribute their efforts in building Saskatchewan as a model province.

  • Hi i want to know that in sacksawan my cousin brother is there shall i apply for family class or family categery and how much quota for that please reply me ASAP.

  • Sorry to hear that people misuse the system. You will find this kind of people everywhere in the world. Instead of taking action against them, make a strict rule does not a solution. It seems like that if somebody had a headache he cut his head instead of taking medication. If somebody do something wrong authority has the right to take action against that person only rather than giving punishment to all. I can give another example: A boy went to a store to buy a box of mango. Each box contains 20 mangoes. Boy can’t open the box to check the conditions of mangoes. Boy bought that box and when he came home he opened that box and he found two or three mangoes were bad, boy was upset and wanted to return that box of mangoes. But he realized that for food item there is no return policy. The boy was so mad and garbage the box of mangoes and promised himself he will never buy anything form that store and never eat mangoes. But that is not a good solution for that situation. Bad situation happens and bad people comes in life but we can take lesson form that situation or from that person. But the boy did not garbage all mangoes he just garbage two or three rotten or bad mangoes and enjoyed the rest 18 mangoes with his family and friends and he did not stop going to shop because he learnt a lesson from this situation and whenever he went to that store to buy mangoes he talked with the store person and the store person opened that mango box for him and the boy checked all 20 mangoes and buy the box of mangoes and enjoyed 20 mangoes with his family and friends. So, stopped going to store or not to eat mangoes is not a solution. In the same way making rule stricter because of bad people who misuse the system is not a solution. There are many good people who wants to sponsor his or her qualified relative(brother/sister) in this province. Because of stricter immigration laws they cannot sponsor them.

    Few ideas I can share:

    1. Give a chance to those people who does not have any relative(brother/ sister) in Canada they can sponsor one or two relative in Saskatchewan? This relative should be well educated and should be committed to stay in Saskatchewan.

    2. Give a chance to sponsor at least one family member for those people who lives here in Saskatchewan more than 2 or 3 years but could not sponsor any relative(without job offer letter)?
    In both cases they have to provide enough document which shows the relationship with the applicant and the level of education. In this case Saskatchewan government can take the birth certificate, Church certificate, certificate from educational institution. They can verify those information by giving a call to Church and talk with the pastor or call to educational institution

    Saskatchewan always welcome new comer or immigrant people, if you introduce a new rule for those people who does not have any relative in Canada that will be great for them.

    Note: I just wanted to share my thoughts and ideas for that reason I just make a comment here.

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