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Few temporary foreign workers need to leave Saskatchewan

Apr 1, 2015 | 4:04 PM

Very few temporary foreign workers will be forced to leave Saskatchewan because it much easier to apply for permanent residency here under the Immigrant Nominee Program.

“The impact in Saskatchewan is going to be very very minimal,” said Saskatchewan Minister of Immigration Jobs, Skills and Training Jeremy Harrison.

“Our program has been able to process any applications from temporary foreign workers who are looking to stay in Canada, who are looking to secure permanent residency and I hope eventually citizenship.”

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program currently boasts no back-log in processing applications for permanent residency. Depending on the stream of immigration people apply under, it only takes two months to finish processing a permanent residency application in Saskatchewan compared to Alberta where there is a two year back-log.

Skilled workers in the trades can apply for permanent residency immediately. Lower skilled or entry-level workers in the hospitality and service sector only have to work in Saskatchewan for six months before they are eligible to apply.

In 2014 the Saskatchewan government said there were approximately 11,700 temporary foreign workers employed in the province with about 2,756 of those working in sales and service sector. The Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy could not provide numbers of how many of those people may be forced to leave the country this year.

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