Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot is for intermediate and low-skilled workers in eligible in the following high-demand occupations. Obtain a Job Offer and Apply for PR.
New Occupations are being added to the list from time to time. Explore Job Opportunities by clicking each of the links below.
Industrial butchers and meat cutter poultry preparers and related workers (*New As of 16-Sep-2022)
Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related labourers (*New As of 16-Sep-2022)
Storekeepers and partspersons (*New As of 16-Sep-2022)
Machining Tool Operators (*New As of 16-Sep-2022)
Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers (*New As of 16-Sep-2022)
Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents
Construction trades helpers and labourers
Heavy Equipment operators (except crane)
Food counter attendants
Home support workers, housekeepers
Hotel front desk clerks
Food and beverage servers
Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities
Labourers in food, beverage and associated Products processing
Labourers in Metal fabrication
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
Industrial painters, coaters and Metal finishing process operators
Mechanical assemblers and inspectors
Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated processing
Metalworking and forging machine operators
Other assisting occupations in support of health services
FAQ
1. What is the Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot?
The Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot was a SINP immigration pathway designed to help Saskatchewan employers fill persistent labour shortages in specific occupations by allowing international workers with a job offer to apply for provincial nomination.
2. Who could apply under this pilot?
Eligible applicants needed:
• A permanent full-time job offer from a Saskatchewan employer with a SINP Job Approval Letter,
• At least one year of relevant work experience in the past three years (or 6 months with the same employer),
• CLB 4 language proficiency in English or French,
• At least high school education (or higher) and, if foreign-educated, an ECA.
3. What types of jobs were included?
The pilot focused on occupations considered hard to staff locally — many involving labour, manufacturing, construction, transport, hospitality, healthcare support, and more. Examples included transport truck drivers, material handlers, hotel front desk clerks, nurse aides, cleaners, and industrial machine operators.
4. Is the Hard-to-Fill Skills Pilot still open?
Yes — the pilot is re-opening on January 6, 2026. After that date, new applications were no longer accepted, though applications submitted before the closure with a valid Job Approval Letter continue to be processed.
PubSask Development
5. What can prospective applicants do now?
Individuals who planned to apply under this pilot but did not submit before the closure may explore other SINP streams, such as:
• Hard-to-Fill alternatives under other categories
• Skilled Worker with Existing Work Permit
• Occupations In-Demand or Express Entry pathways — depending on their situation and qualifications.