New NOC Codes Now Eligible Under Saskatchewan Innovation And Tech Talent Pathway From January 2026

As of January 1, 2026, the Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway under the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program is being applied with an updated NOC structure and clarified criteria. Anyone who submits an application on or after January 1, 2026 will be assessed under this new framework, which makes it essential to confirm that both the NOC code and the job offer match the current list before proceeding.

NOC update for the Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway

The pathway is still aimed squarely at highly skilled talent in technology, engineering and innovation, but from January 1, 2026 it casts a much wider net. Program guidance confirms that the list of eligible NOC codes has been formally reviewed and expanded, so more specialized tech and science roles can now qualify. For your website, you can still show this as two comparison tables, with the core lists coded as:

Old eligible NOC codes (before January 1, 2026):

New eligible NOC codes (from January 1, 2026):

In total, 16 new occupations have been added to the Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway as of January 1, 2026:

This expansion means that applications filed on or after January 1, 2026 are checked against this longer list, not the older eight code list. In practical terms, many candidates who previously sat just outside the pathway now have a clear route, as long as their job offer and work history match one of the new eligible NOC codes on the updated list.

What is the Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway and who can apply

The Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway is a provincial immigration route for high skilled workers in eligible technology and innovation occupations who have a permanent, full time job offer from an employer in Saskatchewan. It operates in two formats: a Non Express Entry stream and an Express Entry stream that is aligned with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry system.

At a basic level, a candidate may qualify if they live outside the country or have proof of legal status inside the country, are not a refugee claimant, and hold an eligible job offer supported by a valid Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program Job Approval Letter. Employers must register with the program, obtain the Job Approval Letter for the specific role, and then provide the letter to the candidate. In day to day practice, this employer registration and Job Approval Letter step is often the first bottleneck, so it is wise for both sides to confirm timelines and documentation early.

For the Non Express Entry pathway, the core eligibility requirements can be summarized as follows:

Work experience

For applicants already in Saskatchewan, the pathway is built around ongoing local employment. The candidate needs to be working in Saskatchewan in the position that matches the Job Approval Letter and must have completed at least six months (780 hours) of full time work, meaning 30 or more hours per week. Those 780 hours do not need to be back to back; what matters is the total time in that specific job.

Where the six month mark has not yet been reached, the program allows another option. In that case, the candidate must show at least one year of work experience in the same occupation within the last five years. The same one year in the last five years requirement also applies to candidates applying from inside or outside the country who are not relying on recent Saskatchewan work, as long as the experience is high skilled and directly related to the eligible occupation they are applying under.

Language

Language expectations depend on how closely the candidate is already integrated with the hiring employer. When the person is already working in the job being used for the application, the language bar is set directly by that employer and written into the job offer. The employer then evaluates whether the candidate meets that level in practice.

Where the candidate has not yet started working for the offering employer, the rule is more formal. In those cases, the person needs valid language test results in English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 or higher. This creates a clear, measurable minimum that officers can verify at the nomination stage.

Licensing (if required for the occupation)

Some occupations under this pathway are regulated and cannot be approved without proof of professional status. For NOC 21112 in professional or technical agrology, the candidate must either present evidence of licensure from the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists or official documentation from the SIA Admissions and Registration Committee confirming conditional approval or articling membership.

Engineering roles under NOC 21310, 21311, 31320, 21322, 21330, 21331 and 21332 require a separate step with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan. The file must include a letter from APEGS showing that registration as an Engineer in Training has been approved, or a letter confirming that Confirmatory Exams have been assigned. In practice, this licensing layer often takes time, so it is usually best started well before the SINP application is filed.

Education and settlement

Candidates are expected to show post secondary education aligned with the job being offered. Acceptable levels include a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, a three year degree at a university or college, or a diploma that required at least two years of full time study at a recognized university, college, trade or technical school, or other post secondary institution. The closer the program content is to the occupation and job duties, the stronger the file tends to be.

On top of this, the person must confirm a genuine intention to live and work in Saskatchewan and hold a permanent, full time job offer in the tech or innovation sector. That job offer must be backed by a valid SINP Job Approval Letter from the employer, which officers use as proof that the position has already been screened at the provincial level.

Experience from similar nomination streams shows a pattern: many refusals come down to unclear proof of the 780 hours or one year of work, or weak explanations of how the education connects to the role. Files that clearly tie together job duties, experience, education and NOC code, with consistent documentation, tend to stand up much better to detailed program review.

Express Entry stream and who is affected after January 1, 2026

For those already in the federal Express Entry pool, the same pathway is available under an Express Entry aligned stream. To qualify, the candidate must have a valid Express Entry profile number and Job Seeker Code and must meet the federal language requirements for the relevant Express Entry program. The work experience, licensing, education and settlement rules mirror the Non Express Entry stream: at least six months (780 hours) of full time work with the supporting employer in Saskatchewan or, if that is not yet completed, at least one year of high skilled related work experience in the last five years in one of the eligible NOC occupations, plus the required licensing proof, education, intent to reside in Saskatchewan and a permanent, full time job offer with a Job Approval Letter.

The key practical advantage of the Express Entry version is processing speed at the federal stage. Once a nomination is obtained and the permanent residence application is filed through Express Entry, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada aims to finalize most cases in about six months or less, which can make a significant difference for tech workers and employers facing tight project timelines.

The January 1, 2026 update mainly affects anyone who submits an application on or after that date. New applicants will be assessed against the NOC list and rules as they exist from January 1, 2026, even if their work experience or job offer started earlier. This particularly matters for candidates whose duties straddle two NOC codes. Officers will expect the chosen NOC to appear on the updated list and for the reference letters and job description to clearly match the main duties of that NOC. In many cases, a careful NOC analysis before applying prevents later findings of ineligibility.

The pathway also has clear exclusions. Refugee claimants inside the country who are seeking refugee status from the government cannot apply under this program. A candidate may also be refused if required documents are missing, if they cannot convince officers that they genuinely plan to live and work in Saskatchewan, or if they or their representative have intentionally misrepresented any information. From a consultant’s perspective, misrepresentation and weak evidence of intent to reside are preventable issues that can have serious long term consequences, so they must be treated with particular care.

Because of the changing NOC framework, strict work experience calculations such as the 780 hours threshold, and the added complexity of professional licensing with SIA and APEGS, many qualified tech professionals find this pathway challenging to navigate alone. These same issues often lead to refusals or long delays. That is why some candidates and employers choose to work with an immigration consultant to help with tasks such as reviewing the correct NOC, assessing whether Non Express Entry or Express Entry is more strategic, coordinating Job Approval Letters, and preparing a complete, well documented application. Our services can support you with preparing, advising and representation the immigration applications from immigration consultant so that your Innovation and Tech Talent Pathway file is as strong and accurate as possible under the 2026 rules.