The Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre was the site of an announcement made by representatives of the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training on Thursday, May 16. 

The announcement was made by Martinsville-Warman MLA, Terry Jenson. 

“I’m pleased to announce that the Government of Saskatchewan is supporting settlement programming with an investment of $14.4 million for 2024-25,” said Jenson. 

“These services include language training, employment support or qualification recognition, and community program referrals that help newcomers settle in Saskatchewan.” 

Jenson highlighted the need for the support and expansion of services that assist the retention and integration of newcomers in the province: 

“Our province has grown by 31,369 people over the past year. The largest population growth in a single year in more than a century,” said Jenson. 

“Growing the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program, or SINP as it’s widely known, is part of how we are reaching our 2030 growth plan goals of growing the population to 1.4 million people and creating 100,000 jobs.” 

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) allowed the nomination of up to 7,500 skilled workers, with Jenson noting that it will result in more than 18,000 newcomers to Saskatchewan annually. 

This support is part of the Government of Saskatchewan’s continued advocacy for autonomy over settlement funding. Asserting that the increased autonomy would provide newcomers with streamlined access to settlement services that are better integrated with other provincially delivered services, such as health care, education and career services. 

“Our new Immigration Services Act will enhance the province’s ability to manage and monitor the immigration system in Saskatchewan.” said Jenson. 

For context, Saskatchewan has welcomed over 200,000 new residents from 186 countries since 2007, with 12,500 utilizing provincial settlement services in the last year alone.  

Participation in settlement programs increased nearly 140 per cent during 2021-2023, and demand is anticipated to grow, driven primarily by demand from employers within the province. 

More information about settlement services in Saskatchewan can be found at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/moving-to-saskatchewan/live-in-saskatchewan/language-training-and-settlement-services/settlement-services.