Sask. NDP says pause of skilled worker program ‘hurts our province’

WATCH: Some Saskatchewan employers say they’re facing labour uncertainty after changes to the Immigrant Nominee Program. Wayne Mantyka explains.

Pressure is being put on the Sask. Party government to bring back the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, (SINP), a program that recruits skilled workers and speeds up their move to permanent Canadian residency.

On Friday, a group of Saskatchewan employers and NDP MLAs gathered at the legislative building in Regina to share their concerns.

One of those employers sharing their concerns was Nicholas Mastromattero, director of Insul Fibre.

“We’re working on seven of the schools in the last year my company has worked on, so if my company is not on site, the drywallers are behind. We’re getting yelled at by many contractors that we don’t have enough staff on site,” he said.

Mohammad Alamir is a mechanical insulator on a joint use school project in Regina. He may be forced to leave because of changes to the program.

“My work permit will expire this July, the 10th of July, so if I didn’t apply for the SNIP it will be a problem so I will be illegal to stay by the middle of July,” he said.

In a news release sent the same day, the Saskatchewan NDP said small businesses in the province are reeling after the government paused the program, noting the pause “hurts our province.”

“Our local businesses depend on SINP to keep their doors open,” NDP MLA and opposition critic for Immigration Noor Burki said in the release. “Cancelling this program without any notice hurts our province … They are failing all the skilled workers who have done everything right, waited for years, but now can’t make Saskatchewan home.”

Ottawa has cut the number of available positions in half to 3,600. Of those, the majority must go to permanent residents, leaving only 900 at the discretion of the provincial government. It has temporarily paused the program while it chooses which professions are most needed.

“I don’t want to presume where that is right now. I don’t want to prejudge anything the ministry comes back with but that’s what they will have to look at so that we’re targeting with a very very restricted number of spots,” Deputy Premier and Minister of Immigration and Career Training Jim Reiter said on Friday in Regina.

“We want to make sure we’re targeting the right ones.”

Reiter indicated the pause of the program is temporary and said he is hoping to have the pause lifted by the end of March.

The provincial government first paused the program on Feb. 18, with the province not accepting any applications, new or in progress.

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Deputy Minister of Immigration and Career Training Drew Wilby is a government official assessing the situation.

“It will have a significant impact on the province. It will have a significant impact on employers and we are working with them at this point in time to figure out what the future looks like,” he said.

NDP MLA and opposition critic for Jobs and Economy Aleana Young said businesses in the province need certainty and stability more than ever.

“This is the worst possible time to break this promise and pull the rug out from under the feet of our local small business owners,” she said.