Saskatchewan SINP: Employer Position Assessment (EPA)

Saskatchewan replaced the Job Approval Form with the Employer Position Assessment on April 23, 2026. Employers submit EPAs through OASIS; candidates must validate within 10 days of approval.

Last updated: July 2026.

Effective April 23, 2026, the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) officially retired the Job Approval Form (JAF) and replaced it with the Employer Position Assessment (EPA). This is one of the most significant process changes to the SINP employer pathway in years, and both employers and candidates need to understand how it affects their applications.

The change is not only administrative. The EPA introduces hard deadlines that did not exist under the old system – including a 10-day candidate validation window that, if missed, closes the application entirely. That single rule has become the most common reason otherwise sound files fail.

Table of Contents

What Has Changed?

Under the previous system, employers submitted a Job Approval Form (JAF) to the SINP. Upon approval, they received a Job Approval Letter (JAL) authorising them to support a foreign worker’s permanent residency application. The candidate then used the JAL to apply for provincial nomination.

Under the new system, that two-step process is consolidated into a single Employer Position Assessment. The EPA is an approval authorising an employer to hire an international worker who can then apply to the SINP.

	Old process (to April 22, 2026)	New process (from April 23, 2026)
Employer submission	Job Approval Form (JAF)	Employer Position Assessment (EPA)
Approval document	Job Approval Letter (JAL), issued separately	EPA approval issued directly
Candidate involvement	Candidate received the JAL from the employer	Candidate notified by email and must validate in OASIS
Candidate deadline	No formal validation step	10 calendar days to validate; 60 days total to apply
Submission system	–	OASIS (the same account used for the employer’s COR)

Key Features of the New EPA System

Combined submission. Employers submit job details and candidate information together in one application, removing the two-step JAF-then-JAL sequence.
Direct EPA approval. The approval is issued on assessment rather than as a separate second document.
Candidate email notifications. Both the employer and any identified candidates are notified by email when an EPA is approved.
Mandatory candidate validation. The candidate must log in to OASIS and confirm the information the employer submitted. This is a new step with a hard deadline.
Multi-candidate coverage in non-capped sectors only. A single EPA can cover up to 10 current employees – but this applies to non-capped sectors. Capped sector employers may submit one current employee per EPA.
A published service standard. SINP’s stated processing standard for an EPA is six weeks.

The EPA Timeline: Three Deadlines That Matter

This is the part of the new system that catches people out. All three clocks run from the date the EPA is approved.

EPA validity: 60 calendar days. An approved EPA is valid for 60 calendar days from the date approval is issued.
Candidate validation: 10 calendar days. Once a candidate is identified on an approved EPA, that candidate must validate the EPA information within the first 10 calendar days. If validation does not happen inside that window, the application is closed.
Application submission: within the 60-day window. After validating, the candidate uses the remaining time to submit their SINP application. If the application is not submitted within 60 calendar days of EPA approval, the EPA expires and the candidate can no longer apply.

There is one relief valve. If the candidate you intend to support has not yet been recruited or is not currently working for you in Saskatchewan, the EPA may be eligible for a one-time 30-day extension from the expiry date. The extension request must be submitted 15 days before the EPA expires.

The practical consequence for employers: do not submit an EPA until you can be confident your candidate will act on the email within 10 days. Check that the candidate’s contact details in OASIS are current, and tell them the notification is coming before it arrives.

Why Did Saskatchewan Make This Change?

Saskatchewan received an allocation of 4,761 nominations for 2026 – the same figure it finished 2025 with, but roughly 40% below the allocation available in 2024. With a smaller allocation and a new sector-based distribution model, the province needed a process that closes stale files quickly and keeps nomination spaces moving.

The 2026 allocation is divided three ways:

Priority sectors – minimum 50% (2,381 nominations). Healthcare, Agriculture, Skilled Trades, Mining, Manufacturing, Energy and Technology. Within this allocation, 750 nominations are reserved for graduates of Saskatchewan designated learning institutions working in priority sectors.
Capped sectors – maximum 25% (1,190 nominations). Accommodation and Food Services (NAICS 72) at 15% or 714 spots; Trucking (NAICS 48-49) at 5% or 238 spots; Retail Trade (NAICS 44–45) at 5% or 238 spots.
Other sectors – the remaining 25%.

Priority sectors may exceed the 50% minimum if demand warrants, which would reduce the share available to other sectors. SINP has said it will conduct a mid-year assessment and may reallocate unused capped-sector portions within the year.

The EPA change also sits alongside two other 2026 updates: a $500 application fee for all worker applicants, effective April 1, 2026, and enhanced compliance oversight of employers.

One change worth noting in the other direction: unlike 2025, there is no federal requirement in 2026 that a set percentage of nominees be temporary residents already in Canada. Overseas candidates remain eligible in priority and other sectors – though not in the three capped sectors.

What This Means for Employers

Registration and Submission

You must hold an Active Certificate of Registration (COR) to submit an EPA. If your COR expires or is cancelled at any point during the EPA process, the EPA will be found ineligible.
EPAs are submitted through your OASIS account – the same account used for your COR – via the “Create New Employer Position Assessment Application” button.
Valid photo identification is required from the person submitting, along with their organisational role and contact information.
Incomplete EPAs, including submissions with blank or missing documents, will not be accepted. There is no correction cycle.

Position and Location Requirements

The position must be permanent, full-time (minimum 30 hours per week), non-seasonal, with no end date or at least two years in length at the time of assessment.
The place of work must be a physical location inside Saskatchewan, zoned 100% commercial or at minimum 50% commercial with regular operating hours, public access and clear separation from attached residential space. Exceptions apply for farms, day cares and care homes.
Work-from-home arrangements, non-exclusive co-working spaces and home offices are not approved.
Independent contractors, temporary agency workers, business owners (shareholders and equity holders) and their immediate family – parents, spouse and children – are not eligible.
The position must not conflict with existing collective bargaining agreements or labour disputes.

The Wage Test

The wage must be fair relative to what Canadians and permanent residents are paid in the same role. SINP uses the National Job Bank Regional Median Wage for that occupation in Saskatchewan as the benchmark, across six economic regions: Northern, Prince Albert, Regina–Moose Mountain, Saskatoon–Biggar, Swift Current–Moose Jaw, and Yorkton–Melville.

The wage offered cannot fall below the regional low wage for the occupation.

There is one exemption, and it now applies to priority sectors only. Employers of Post-Graduation Work Permit holders and study permit holders who have completed their programme can be approved with a wage below the Regional Median Wage – but not below the Regional Low Wage. This exemption is no longer extended to other sectors.

Capped Sectors: Different Rules Entirely

If you operate in Accommodation and Food Services, Retail Trade or Trucking, most of the flexibility above does not apply to you:

EPAs may be submitted only during a designated intake window. Submissions outside the window are not accepted.
One current employee per EPA. The multi-candidate feature is not available to you.
The employee must be added to the EPA before submission, must be a current employee, and must have six months or less remaining on their work permit at the time the EPA is submitted. Applications for candidates with more than six months left will not be accepted.
Overseas candidates cannot be supported in these sectors in 2026.
Intakes occur roughly every two months, with six windows across 2026.
A Second Review process is available. A completed second review form must be submitted within 30 calendar days of an ineligible decision.

Capped Sector Intake Windows for 2026

Window	Date	Status
1	January 13, 2026	Closed
2	March 2, 2026	Closed
3	May 4, 2026	Closed
4	July 6–7, 2026	Closed
5	September 7, 2026	Upcoming
6	November 2, 2026	Upcoming

Windows open for only a short period – the July intake ran across July 6 and 7 with staggered start times by sector. Within each window, Trucking and Retail Trade are each allotted 20% of the available positions, reflecting their 5% share of the annual allocation.

Confirm exact dates and times on the SINP Processing Statistics page before relying on them. Your EPA should be complete and ready to submit before the window opens, not drafted during it.

Trucking: Additional Requirements for NOC 73300

Truck driver positions carry their own rules:

Only heavy vehicles registered, licensed and insured in Saskatchewan are considered, and only vehicles registered to the organisation applying for the EPA.
A maximum of two truck drivers will be approved per registered qualifying vehicle.
Employers must supply lease agreements where applicable, a current carrier profile, and a current National Safety Code (NSC) certificate.
Only companies with a carrier profile rated Satisfactory Audited or Satisfactory Unaudited will be considered.
The job offer must specify the vehicle type – power units and semi-trailers, trucks towing units above 4,600 kg gross weight, or another transport truck type.

Priority Sectors: Year-Round Access

Employers in Healthcare, Agriculture, Technology, Skilled Trades, Energy, Mining and Manufacturing can submit EPAs at any time, may include up to 10 current employees on a single EPA, and may support non-employee temporary residents or overseas candidates to fill recent existing vacancies.

For non-capped sectors, a candidate may be identified at the time of EPA submission or within 60 calendar days following approval. If no candidate is identified within that period, the EPA approval expires.

Expedited Processing

SINP will expedite EPA processing in two situations:

Candidates in priority sectors whose work permits expire within three months. SINP does not guarantee the EPA will be processed before the permit expires.
Nominees affected by a recent job loss who have secured a new job offer.

Expedited processing must be requested by email to the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training.

What This Means for Candidates

Watch your email and your OASIS account. You will receive direct notification from SINP when an EPA naming you is approved. The 10-day validation clock starts then.
Validate first, gather documents in parallel. Validation is a confirmation step, not the application. Missing it closes the file regardless of how strong your documents are.
Confirm your employer holds an active COR before the process begins, and that it will remain active throughout.
Have your documents ready: valid language test results, an Educational Credential Assessment where required, and employment reference letters with duties matching your NOC.
If you are in a capped sector, watch your work permit expiry closely. You must have six months or less remaining when the EPA is submitted, and you must be a current employee of the business.
Check which SINP category you are actually eligible for. Spousal Open Work Permit holders cannot apply under the Student or Existing Work Permit categories. Post-Graduation Work Permit holders are limited to the Student, Health Talent, International Skilled Worker: Employment Offer and Agriculture Talent pathways. Study permit holders are not eligible unless they hold a permanent full-time job offer from a priority sector employer and can document completion of their studies.

Our guides on PNP eligibility criteria and documents required for PNP applications cover the supporting evidence in more detail.

What Happened to Unused 2025 Job Approval Letters?

SINP confirmed that unused Job Approval Letters held by capped sector employers would be closed ahead of the 2026 intake rounds. If you are a capped sector employer who was holding a 2025 JAL, it is no longer a live authorisation and the position must be resubmitted as an EPA during an intake window.

Employers outside the capped sectors should confirm the status of any outstanding 2025 approval directly with SINP rather than assuming it remains valid under the new framework.

Beware of Misinformation

With any major process change, misinformation spreads quickly. Nobody can fast-track an EPA approval outside the published expedited-processing criteria, and no representative can secure a place in a capped sector intake window ahead of the published schedule.

Verify information directly from the Government of Saskatchewan website or through a licensed immigration consultant. Anyone promising guaranteed EPA approval, priority access to an intake window, or a workaround for the 10-day validation deadline is not describing a process that exists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What replaced the Job Approval Form in Saskatchewan?

The Employer Position Assessment (EPA), effective April 23, 2026. The EPA consolidates the previous JAF submission and JAL issuance into a single approval, submitted by the employer through OASIS.

How long is an approved EPA valid?

60 calendar days from the date approval is issued. Within that period, an identified candidate must validate the information in the first 10 calendar days and submit their SINP application before the 60 days elapse.

What happens if the candidate misses the 10-day validation window?

The application is closed. There is no partial credit for a late validation – the employer would need to begin the process again, which for capped sector employers means waiting for the next intake window.

Can one EPA cover more than one worker?

In non-capped sectors, yes – up to 10 current employees on a single EPA. In the capped sectors of accommodation and food services, retail trade and trucking, an EPA may cover only one current employee.

How long does an EPA take to process?

The published service standard is six weeks. Expedited processing is available for priority sector candidates whose work permits expire within three months, and for nominees affected by a job loss who have a new job offer.

When is the next capped sector intake window?

Four of the six 2026 windows have closed. Two remain, scheduled for September and November 2026. Confirm exact dates on the SINP Processing Statistics page – windows are short and EPAs submitted outside a designated window are not accepted.

Do I need to be in Saskatchewan already to apply?

It depends on your sector. In the three capped sectors, yes – you must be a current employee of the business with six months or less remaining on your work permit. In priority and other sectors, overseas candidates remain eligible in 2026, as the federal 75% in-Canada requirement that applied in 2025 was not carried forward.

How much are the SINP fees in 2026?

A $500 application fee applies to all worker applicants across all categories, effective April 1, 2026. This is separate from federal permanent residence fees charged by IRCC.

How Earnest Immigration Can Help

At Earnest Immigration and Citizenship Services Inc., our RCIC-licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants help you navigate every step of the Canadian immigration process. For Saskatchewan files specifically, that means assessing whether a position meets EPA eligibility before an employer submits, confirming which SINP category a candidate actually qualifies for, mapping capped sector timing against work permit expiry, and preparing complete applications inside the 60-day EPA window.

We maintain an office in Regina and work with employers and candidates across the province. Explore our provincial nominee program services, or read more on Saskatchewan’s immigration pathways for skilled workers.

SINP rules, allocations and intake schedules change frequently. Confirm current requirements before acting.