Sask. reboots foreign worker nominee program with focus on health care, ag and trades
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The province is rebooting its Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) with stricter criteria, ending a five-week pause in applications that started after Ottawa slashed the number of available spots for foreign workers in the province.
SINP is meant to address labour shortages by having immigrants fill vacant positions.
The rebooted SINP moves nominees in three sectors to the front of the line and reworks rules to deal with the federal government's new, lower nominee allocations for provinces, according to a news release from the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training.
The province said it is prioritizing applications from workers in health care, agriculture and skilled trades.
Saskatchewan's allocation for 2025 is 3,625, the lowest level since 2009, the province said. The federal government also now requires that 75 per cent of all nominees are already living in Canada as temporary residents.
Ottawa's new immigration plan for 2025-27 cut immigration levels to provide "well-managed, sustainable growth" in the face of national challenges around housing, infrastructure and social service, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson said last month.
The province is "disappointed with the federal government's decision" to slash nominee allotments by 50 per cent, but said "the changes announced today will ensure that our reduced number of nominations is used effectively and in a way that prioritizes building our economy," said Immigration and Career Training Minister Jim Reiter in the news release.
New SINP rules include:
The province will prioritize overseas candidates working in health care, agriculture and trades.
For all other jobs, applicants must already be temporary Canadian residents on a valid visa.
A 25 per cent cap on nominations in the hospitality, food services, retail trade and trucking sectors.
The province no longer takes nominations for spas, salons and pet care services (veterinarians remain eligible).
The categories for entrepreneur, international graduate entrepreneur and farmer owner/operator are closed.
The retooled SINP means the province will return applications for the Saskatchewan Express Entry and Occupations In-Demand sub-categories. Candidates who get their applications returned can request a fee refund.
More than 90 per cent of the province's economic immigration happens through the SINP, according to the Immigration and Career Training ministry.
What is SINP?
Employers are allowed to hire foreign nationals through the program once they're able to prove they can't find anyone else in the province to fill a position.
Once a business is qualified, they are provided with a job approval form allowing them to hire a foreign national via SINP.
That person must then work full-time for that employer for at least six months to qualify for the program and stay in the country.
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Canada Standard
15 minutes ago
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"Khalistanis surrounded me, threatened violence," says Canadian journo who was assualted
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'This has been very stressful for me because this was done by an individual who has been harassing me for a very long time online using dehumanizing language against me, doxing my whereabouts,' he said. Bezirgan told ANI that he had been covering Khalistani protests and being an independent journalist, his works irk them. He added that they try to bribe him, and if that doesn't work, they threaten violence. 'I've been covering the Khalistani protests in Canada, US, UK, New Zealand. Since last year, I've been to about 30 of their events. And my only goal is to do independent journalism and record and report what's going on. And because I'm editorially independent, this frustrates some people. They want to influence me. They want to buy me. If they can't buy it, they want to threaten violence towards me. That's what this individual did,' he said. Bezirgan added that this Khalistani stalker of his is a UK citizen who is threatening him- a Canadian citizen for simply doing his job. 'He's not even a Canadian citizen. He is from the UK. He is in Canada, threatening me, a Canadian citizen trying to do his job. And yeah, I was just there reporting on the event,' he said. He said that he was reporting an event which was honouring their so-called martyrs- killers of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and minor suicide bombers. 'Khalistanis gathered to honor their so-called martyrs, including the assassins of Indira Gandhi and suicide bombers, child suicide bombers. And I was reporting on that. This was a public event in a public location. And I was within my rights to do what I was doing,' he said. He further recounted the chilling details where he was verbally threatened first and then was assaulted. 'But there was this one individual who was not even a Canadian citizen. He came up to me and started asking me questions. He was very close to my face. And I said, listen, if you want to have a conversation, sure, let's talk, but you need to keep your distance. And he would keep saying, let's go around the corner. Let's go around the corner. I'll show you around the corner if you're not scared. And I told him, yeah, I'm not scared, but let's speak here,' he said. 'If you want to say something, because I'm an independent journalist, I have to be accountable. I accept challenges and I'm okay with conversations, but this individual, this was not a conversation,' he added. Bezirgan then said that as this assailant drew closer, more people joined him and the stalker kept throwing questions at him. 'He keeps coming at my face, very close proximity. I'm stepping one step back, he's stepping forward. I'm telling him to keep his distance. He's not keeping his distance. He's asking loaded questions and won't even allow me to answer. Interrupting, advancing towards me, keeping his finger and hands towards my face. This is becoming very threatening. And then all of a sudden I had two, three people surrounding me with the same physical closeness. I have nowhere to go,' he said. 'And they're saying, so you're talking, you're talking about Sikhs, huh?' he added. Bezirgan said that as he started recording the incident, the other assailants hid their faces out of fear and walked away. But there was one Khalistani who kept asking him questions. He even grabbed his phone and stopped the recording and assaulted him despite police's warning. 'At that moment, I was recording secretly from my main camera because I felt that something physical is about to happen. I was recording, but to get a better view, I started recording from my phone as well. As soon as I started recording, they turned their faces away. They are scared. But this one individual, he keeps walking towards me. I walk away, he keeps walking. And then eventually he grabbed my phone out of my hand for a moment. It stopped my recording. And when I turned back on, the police was engaging with him and telling him to stop his harassing behavior,' he said. 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On top of a bicycle, he followed me to the train station, and that's how I departed from the area,' he said. He added that the assailants are trying to portray him as a weakling who is running away from questions. He refuted the claims and said that this is not how someone asks questions, this was threatening. 'But, now on online platforms, they are trying to frame it as, Mocha is afraid of conversation or they are always resorting to disinformation and they are trying to portray me as someone who's afraid to have conversation when I'm being assaulted, I'm being threatened, I'm being surrounded. My phone is being grabbed from my hand,' he said. 'That's not how you have a conversation. You don't go up to someone's face and don't give them any space and you keep talking and not letting them, that's not conversation. Very uncivilized and yeah, it's been, it's quite shaken me because I felt my safety was threatened,' he added. In a post on X, he said, 'I've been surrounded by a group of Khalistanis who grabbed my phone out of my hand and threatened me. Naturally I'm a bit shaken, but not deterred. Footage coming.' (ANI)
Canada Standard
15 minutes ago
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India-Canada ties will improve as Carney invited PM Modi to G7 Summit: Canadian journalist
Vancouver [Canada], June 8 (ANI): Canadian investigative journalist Mocha Bezirgan who documents Khalistani demonstrations across Canada, US, Britain and New Zealand on Sunday said that those linked to the separatist movement are 'putting a lot of pressure' on the new Prime Minister Mark Carney to resincd his invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the upcoming G7 Summit. Despite ongoing tension between the two countries on the issue of extremism, Bezirgan said he expects warmer ties henceforth as Carney has invited Prime Minister Modi for the G7 Summit. 'Well, I feel it [the relations between both the countries] will improve. I mean, it's a big step that Prime Minister Carney invited Prime Minister Modi to Canada to G7. And we'll see how that goes, because there's lots of pressure building on Prime Minister Carney right now from Khalistani elements, from World Sikh Organization, that he should cancel the invitation,' he said in a conversation over phone with ANI. Bezirgan said that this is an interesting time because the dates of G7 almost coincide with Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing, the Golden Temple incident, and Air India bombings. 'It's a big step that PM Carney invited PM Modi to Canada to attend G7 Summit and we'll see how that goes because there's lots of pressure building on PM Carney right now from Khalistani elements and from World Sikh Organization that he should cancel the invitation. Even if he doesn't cancel the invitation, we will see how the meeting actually goes. We need to wait and see, but one thing is certain, Khalistani elements will be protesting and it's going to be a very interesting time in Alberta where the G7 is taking is going to be where the whole world will focus because the date of the G7 Summit coincides with Hardeep Singh Nijjar's assassination date by one day. I don't think there has ever been a time this risky...' The Canadian journalist alleged that Khalistani extremist movement is headed by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). 'They are the ones organising it, and most of the time, it's the same people attending these protests, whether it be in Ontario, British Columbia, US, UK, New Zealand. They mobilise people to come from local Gurudwaras to create a little bit of crowd, but there are bigger political organizations like the World Sikh Organization which is based in Canada and they are they have a troubled history and they do the political cover in Canada. Because of the tensions between Canada and India, it's a very highly political subject, but I feel like we are disregarding what's happening underground.' 'What these people are saying, how they are exercising their free speech while they are celebrating the assassins of Indira Gandhi and saying that they are going to ambush and kill Indian Prime Minister Modi's politics at the G7. I asked them are you going to kill his politics the same way you killed Indira Gandhi's politics? Because they refer to the assassins as their forefathers. They say we are the descendants of the killers of Indira Gandhi, and they are glorifying these acts of violence...'Bezirgan said. Earlier today the Canadian journalist alleged he was assaulted by a group of Khalistani supporters at a rally in Vancouver. Detailing the incident, Bezirgan said, '...One individual came up to me and started asking me questions. He was very close to my face... Then, all of a sudden, I had 2-3 people surrounding me with the same physical closeness, like I had nowhere to go. I was recording secretly from my main camera because I felt that something physical was about to happen. I started recording from my phone as well. As soon as I started recording, they turned their faces away, but this one individual kept walking towards me, and then eventually he grabbed my phone out of my hand for a moment. It stopped my recording, and when I turned back on, the police were engaging with him and telling him to stop his harassing behaviour...I have filed police reports about this specific individual before for his harassment, and him being allowed to walk free is a big disappointment. I think he should be deported back to the UK...I have more footage I'm about to upload on my channel. He continued following me throughout the followed me to the train station, and that's how I departed from the area...' 'It just happened two hours ago and I am still shaking. I was surrounded by multiple Khalistanis who acted like thugs. They surrounded me, threatened me, and got physical with me, and they grabbed my phone out of my hand,' he said. 'This was done by an individual who has been harassing me for a long time online using dehumanising language against me. I have been covering Khalistan protests in Canada, UK, US, New only goal is to do independent journalism and record and report what's going on and because I'm editorially independent, this frustrates some people. They want to influence me, they want to buy me. He is not even a Canadian citizen. He is from the UK. I was just there reporting on the event. Khalistanis gathered to honour their so-called martyrs, including the assassins of Indira Gandhi...' the Canadian journalist said. However, Bezirgan said despite what has happened with him, he is optimistic about the security that will be in place for G7 Summit. 'I feel that Canadian police institutions will take this event very seriously because after all, it's about Canada's reputation,' he said. Bezirgan said that it is not just about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but leaders from all over the world. He added that all police forces are mobilized for the events and trainings are on. 'And we already have the military there at the events. We have military helicopters flying all over the place. It's a major mobilization of police resources. And this is not just about Modi, but we have many world leaders attending this event. So I feel like security will be top notch. Calgary police have been organizing convoy training for their officers throughout the weeks, local police are prepared. Lots of training going on. I feel that they will not let anyone get harmed,' he said. Bezirgan said that he hoped that the government upholds the law. 'Unfortunately, I guess I am too small for Carney government to care. And that's just the way it goes. You know, if I was maybe a mainstream media reporter, then many organizations could rally to my support and politicians may condemn the actions of this individual. But because I am independent, I am not controlled. I have my own editorial independence. Then, you know, they don't want to rally behind someone who also exposes liberal corruption, exposes conservative corruption. It's, I guess I'm too unpredictable. I guess I'm a wild card. But I don't expect any special treatment, I just expect the law to be upheld,' he said. Earlier in the day he had posted on his social media platform X on how he was physically assaulted and threatened by a group of Khalistani supporters at the Vancouver rally. 'I've been surrounded by a group of Khalistanis who grabbed my phone out of my hand and threatened me. Naturally I'm a bit shaken, but not deterred. Footage coming,' he said in a post on X. (ANI)
