Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has enlisted the help of the business community in persuading Ottawa to boost immigration to his Prairie province.<\/p>\n
At a Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce luncheon, the premier again highlighted his Saskatchewan Party\u2019s vision of a new relationship with the federal government where the province would be freer to set its own immigration targets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe are not short of jobs. We are short of people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Read More<\/b><\/p>\n Christine Frechette Takes Over Quebec Immigration Portfolio From Jean Boulet<\/a> The premier wants business people in his province to lobby Ottawa for a new, Canada-Saskatchewan immigration accord like the one the federal government has with Quebec. Under such a deal, Saskatchewan\u2019s immigration targets would be raised to 13,000 new permanent residents per year.<\/p>\n \u201cSaskatchewan requires more autonomy and flexibility over immigration in order to meet its economic needs and address gaps in the labour market,\u201d Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan\u2019s immigration and career training minister, said in a statement in July.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCanada should be focusing its efforts on reducing processing times for applications and let the provinces select immigrants and ensure their effective settlement.\u201d<\/p>\n In late July, Harrison met with federal and provincial immigration ministers and proposed a detailed plan to give Saskatchewan similar control over immigration as that enjoyed by Quebec.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dubbed the Saskatchewan Immigration Accord<\/i>, the proposal would give Saskatchewan sole authority to nominate newcomers moving to Saskatchewan, control over the family class of immigration<\/a>, and transfer federal resources for settlement services<\/a> to Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n It would also guarantee a provincial allocation of nominees each year proportionate to the population of Saskatchewan within Canada.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it comes to immigration Saskatchewan expects the same deal as Quebec<\/a>,\u201d said Harrison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cImmigration is a key component of our government’s plan to grow the province to 1.4 million people and create an additional 100,000 jobs by 2030. Provincial governments are in the best position to respond to local labour market needs with new Canadians. The provinces should not be limited by economic categories or caps on Provincial Nominee Programs<\/a> (PNP) set by the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n Saskatchewan expects to meet and exceed its current cap of 6,000 under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program<\/a> (SINP) this year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Without an increase to the federal cap, the province claims that international recruitment by employers will be delayed. A proportionate share of national immigration would see at minimum 13,000 positions allocated to the province this year, more than double the current rate of immigration to Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n Watch Video<\/b><\/p>\n
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\nCanada Finishes Sending 23,100 Invitations Through Parents and Grandparents Program<\/a>
\nSpousal Sponsorships Dipped In August But Program Still On Track To Welcome Record Numbers<\/a><\/p>\n
\nSaskatchewan Eying Immigration To Grow Population To 1.4 Million<\/h3>\n
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