Last Updated:September 24, 2026
Supervised by Toko Gould (Immigration Consultant)
What is the Health Talent Pathway?
The Health Talent Pathway is a category established to address the severe shortage of health care workers in Saskatchewan and to strengthen the province’s health care system. It is intended for health care workers who hold a job offer in a skilled or intermediate-skilled occupation from a health care employer in the province. Compared with the standard skilled worker categories, it opens a path to permanent residence for a much broader range of health-related occupations.
Health Talent Pathway Requirements (Non-Express Entry)
This route is for applicants residing outside Canada, or holding legal status in Canada (refugee claimants are excluded).
Job Offer Requirements
- You must hold a job offer for permanent, full-time employment from an employer in Saskatchewan’s health care sector.
- The employer must be registered with the SINP and hold a valid Employer Position Assessment (EPA) for the position.
Work Experience
You must have full-time work experience (30 hours or more per week) meeting one of the following conditions.
- If applying from within Saskatchewan: you must currently be working in the province and have a total of at least 6 months (780 hours) of work experience with the employer that obtained the Employer Position Assessment (EPA) (the experience does not need to be continuous).
- In all other cases: you must have a total of at least 1 year of work experience in your intended occupation within the past 5 years.
Eligible Occupations (NOC List)
The health-related occupations listed below are eligible. A wide range of health care occupations is designated, from physicians, nurses and various technologists through to caregivers.
View the full list of 47 occupations
21100
Physicists and astronomers (in a medical setting)
30010
Managers in health care
31100
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
31101
Specialists in surgery
31102
General practitioners and family physicians
31103
Veterinarians
31110
Dentists
31111
Optometrists
31112
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
31120
Pharmacists
31121
Dietitians and nutritionists
31200
Psychologists
31201
Chiropractors
31202
Physiotherapists
31203
Occupational therapists
31204
Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
31209
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
31300
Nursing coordinators and supervisors
31301
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
31302
Nurse practitioners
31303
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
32100
Opticians
32101
Licensed practical nurses
32102
Paramedical occupations
32103
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32104
Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
32109
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
32110
Denturists
32111
Dental hygienists and dental therapists
32112
Dental technologists and technicians
32120
Medical laboratory technologists
32121
Medical radiation technologists
32122
Medical sonographers
32123
Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists n.e.c
32124
Pharmacy technicians
32129
Other medical technologists and technicians
32200
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
32201
Massage therapists
32209
Other practitioners of natural healing
33100
Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33101
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
33102
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
33103
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
33109
Other assisting occupations in support of health services
41300
Social workers*
41301
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies*
42201
Social and community service workers*
44101
Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations**
*Occupations such as social workers may also be eligible under other categories.
**NOC 44101 (home support workers, etc.) is not eligible where the position is live-in. Please use the federal caregiver programs instead.
Language Ability
You must have a score of CLB 5 or higher on an English or French language test designated by IRCC, taken within 2 years before the date of application. Use the table below to check whether your score meets CLB 5.
| Test | Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 5 | IELTS | English | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| CELPIP | English | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| PTE Core | English | 42-50 | 51-59 | 39-49 | 51-58 | |
| TEF (from December 11, 2023) | French | 352-392 | 330-378 | 352-392 | 387-421 | |
| TEF (previous) | French | 350-399 | 350-399 | 350-399 | 350-399 | |
| TCF | French | 375-405 | 6.0 | 369-397 | 6.0 |
Education
You must have completed post-secondary education related to the position offered (a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, a degree of 3 years or longer, or a diploma of 2 years or longer from a trade or technical school). For credentials obtained outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) must be submitted. Depending on the occupation, you may also need to meet the requirements for professional licensing in Saskatchewan.
*For the non-regulated occupations listed below only, post-secondary education of 2 years or longer may be accepted even if it is in an unrelated field.
- NOC 33101 – Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 33103 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- NOC 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health services
- NOC 44101 – Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations
Health Talent Pathway Requirements (Express Entry)
This route is for applicants who are already in IRCC’s Express Entry pool. Federal processing is prioritized, making this a faster route in which permanent residence can normally be expected within 6 months.
Express Entry Requirements
- You must be accepted into IRCC’s Express Entry pool.
- You must hold a valid Express Entry profile number and job seeker validation code.
Job Offer Requirements
- You must hold a job offer for permanent, full-time employment from an employer in Saskatchewan’s health care sector.
- The employer must be registered with the SINP and hold a valid Employer Position Assessment (EPA) for the position.
Work Experience
Whether you apply from inside or outside Canada, you must have a total of at least 1 year of high-skilled related work experience in your intended occupation within the past 5 years.
Eligible Occupations (NOC List)
Under the Express Entry route, the high-skilled health-related occupations listed below are eligible. A total of 46 occupations is designated.
View the full list of 46 occupations
21100
Physicists and astronomers (in a medical setting)
30010
Managers in health care
31100
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
31101
Specialists in surgery
31102
General practitioners and family physicians
31103
Veterinarians
31110
Dentists
31111
Optometrists
31112
Audiologists and speech-language pathologists
31120
Pharmacists
31121
Dietitians and nutritionists
31200
Psychologists
31201
Chiropractors
31202
Physiotherapists
31203
Occupational therapists
31204
Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment
31209
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
31300
Nursing coordinators and supervisors
31301
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
31302
Nurse practitioners
31303
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals
32100
Opticians
32101
Licensed practical nurses
32102
Paramedical occupations
32103
Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists
32104
Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians
32109
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
32110
Denturists
32111
Dental hygienists and dental therapists
32112
Dental technologists and technicians
32120
Medical laboratory technologists
32121
Medical radiation technologists
32122
Medical sonographers
32123
Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists n.e.c
32124
Pharmacy technicians
32129
Other medical technologists and technicians
32200
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists
32201
Massage therapists
32209
Other practitioners of natural healing
33100
Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
33101
Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
33102
Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
33103
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
33109
Other assisting occupations in support of health services
41300
Social workers*
41301
Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies*
42201
Social and community service workers*
*Occupations such as social workers may also be eligible under other categories (for example, Employment Offer).
Language Ability
You must have a score of CLB 7 or higher on an English or French language test designated by IRCC, taken within 2 years before the date of application. Use the table below to check whether your score meets CLB 7.
| Test | Language | Reading | Writing | Listening | Speaking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB 7 | IELTS | English | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| CELPIP | English | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | |
| PTE Core | English | 60-68 | 69-78 | 60-70 | 68-75 | |
| TEF (from December 11, 2023) | French | 453-498 | 449-502 | 453-498 | 512-558 | |
| TEF (previous) | French | 450-499 | 450-499 | 450-499 | 450-499 | |
| TCF | French | 453-498 | 10-11 | 458-502 | 10-11 |
Education
You must have completed post-secondary education related to the position offered (a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, a degree of 3 years or longer, or a diploma of 2 years or longer from a trade or technical school). For credentials obtained outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) must be submitted. Depending on the occupation, you may also need to meet the requirements for professional licensing in Saskatchewan. *For the non-regulated occupations listed below only, post-secondary education of 2 years or longer may be accepted even if it is in an unrelated field.
- NOC 33101 – Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
- NOC 33102 – Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 33103 – Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- NOC 33109 – Other assisting occupations in support of health services
Who Cannot Apply and When Applications Are Refused
Who Cannot Apply Under This Category
Individuals who have made a refugee claim to the Government of Canada cannot apply under this category.
Cases in Which an Application May Be Refused
Please note that an application may be refused (or closed) in the following cases.
- Not all required documents were submitted with the application.
- You cannot demonstrate an intention to live and work in Saskatchewan.
- The applicant or their representative deliberately provided false information (misrepresentation) in order to gain points or pass assessment.
Health Talent Pathway Application Process
01Obtain a job offer from an employer
Secure a job offer from an employer such as a health care facility in Saskatchewan. When looking for openings, you can also use the official job board Saskjobs.ca.
02The employer obtains an Employer Position Assessment (EPA)
The employer registers with the SINP and obtains an Employer Position Assessment for the position being offered. This document is mandatory for the application and must be provided to you by the employer.
03Submit the application through your SINP online account
Create an account on the SINP online portal, upload the required documents as PDFs and submit your application. Applications submitted on or after April 1, 2026 require payment of a CAD 500 application fee.
04SINP assessment and provincial nomination
The SINP assesses your application. Incomplete applications are returned, so check that all documents are in order. Once the application passes, the province issues a nomination.
05Apply for permanent residence with IRCC
After receiving the provincial nomination, formally submit your permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Applications under the Express Entry route are processed on a priority basis.
06IRCC assessment and receipt of the CoPR
IRCC carries out the final assessment. Once the application is approved, a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) is issued.
07Landing
Applicants outside Canada complete the landing procedure on entry, and applicants inside Canada complete it online, finalizing registration as a permanent resident.
08Receive your PR card
Several months after landing is completed, your PR card is mailed to the address you provided.
Free Consultations and Inquiries
Feel free to get in touch!
Immigration Consultant
Toko Gould
Born in Japan. Worked as a registered dietitian in hospitals and other facilities. Moved to Vancouver, Canada in 2001 on a Working Holiday. Later utilized her professional background to obtain a work visa, then Canadian permanent residency as a skilled worker. Studied Oil and Gas Administration at a college in Alberta, then worked at a U.S.-based oil company. Later studied accounting and transitioned into an accounting role.
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