The province of Saskatchewan is covered with yellow wheat fields, and it has everything to offer, such as quality education with a promising professional career, competitive tuition and living expenses, safe and friendly communities, and naturally serene landscapes where people from around the globe come to integrate, learn, reside, and permanently settle in the province. It is a place where one can live and lead a life without extra hustle and bustle. Everything is affordable, such as housing; taxes are low; and it is a great career opportunity, of course.
Like many other provinces, Saskatchewan is unique, and it lets us discover a region that perfectly aligns with quality education seekers to meet educational objectives. And this province undoubtedly attracts a great number of international students, which reflects Canada’s welcoming spirit. The article principally tailors itself to providing the grounds on why the province of Saskatchewan is a great place to study, reside, and evolve as an ideally looked-up professional.
World-class education with a promising career:
Saskatchewan is home to a great number of educational institutions, ranging from vocational and technical institutions to research-based universities. They have a broad spectrum of academic programs with excellent educational standards, which pave a better career path for every aspirant who wishes to be a part of a globally recognized credential.
The most well-thought-out educational establishments are the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, and the Saskatchewan Polytechnic, and these institutions offer programs in academic disciplines that lead to diplomas, certificates, and degrees at the bachelor’s level and master’s and doctoral levels. Apart from these programs, they also conduct globally recognized research, which has a significant contribution to generating new knowledge and innovative ideas for the world.
The graduates from these establishments will have a wider range of career prospects in the field, as they are the unparalleled education providers in the province and on a global stage. Due to their state-of-the-art research, innovation faculties, and top-quality educators, the overall quality of the graduates contributes to their having a competitive edge in the global job market.
Affordability:
Saskatchewan is relatively inexpensive in comparison to other Canadian provinces, which incorporates a lower cost of living, tuition fees, housing, and everyday expenses, which attracts more international students. Particularly, this province is 1.12 times less expensive than the average in Canada. Despite its affordable expenditures, this province has ranked itself 9th most livable and 8th most inexpensive in Canada.
Thanks to its affordable expenditures, this western Canadian province is successful in attracting numerous international students to its world-class educational institutions. Besides, this province is brimming as the top Canadian province for immigration, employment opportunities, relatively higher salaries, and low housing expenses without compromising on the quality of life that one expects to have in Canada. Interestingly, the survey conducted by Statistics Canada showed that Saskatchewan is the 7th in the country in respect of the highest life satisfaction. Moreover, international students do not have to be anxious about expensive health care as they are eligible for Saskatchewan health coverage.
Ample Employment Opportunities:
Most people tend to make their first move to the provinces like Ontario and British Columbia without knowing that Saskatchewan has infinite job opportunities for newcomers such as international students, workers, permanent residents, or locals. The report forwarded by Statistics Canada in 2022 further proved that the Saskatoon unemployment rate was 4.1%, which was below the national average threshold of 4.9%, evidencing that this province has the lowest jobless ratio in the country.
Additionally, foreign students graduating from one of the province’s educational establishments can find many in-demand jobs in sectors like Agriculture, Manufacturing, Energy, Fishing, Tourism, and Hospitality to gain real-world experience, expand networks, and ultimately end up applying for long-term settlement, i.e., permanent residency.
More importantly, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Advanced Education conducts a “Graduate Outcomes Survey” every five years with the purpose of gathering information about Saskatchewan’s graduate perceptions, experiences, level of satisfaction, source of funding for their education, pre- and post-graduate mobility, education, and employment opportunities. The latest survey carried out for batch of 2019 showed that over 86% of 2019 had found employment, while just 3% had not engaged in any job since graduating. Such an astounding figure validates that graduating from any postsecondary Saskatchewan institution is more likely to be employed within a short span of time thanks to its high standards, industry-focused education, and Saskatchewan Graduate Retention Program.
Flexible Immigration Program for Permanent Residency:
It is evident that all Canadian provinces and territories have their own set of pathways for foreign nationals to permanently settle in Canada. Saskatchewan is one of the most welcoming provinces when it comes to permanent relocation for those who intend to reside, work, and contribute significantly to the provincial economy. Canada’s western province has a renowned pathway program known as the “Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program”, designated to retain qualified candidates in the province along with the “Government of Canada’s Express Entry”. The SINP has principally 4 categories, such as International Skilled Workers, Workers with Saskatchewan Work Experience, Entrepreneurs, and Farm Owners and Operators.
Among the categories under SINP, graduated international students are more likely to be eligible for “Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience”. There are six categories under which the candidate who is currently working and living in the province with a valid work permit. Out of six different streams, this article primarily focuses on “Worker with Saskatchewan Work Experience and Entrepreneur”. To be eligible under WSWE stream, a student must have graduated from one of the Canadian educational institutions or Saskatchewan and have a minimum of 6 months of work experience, equivalent to 780 hours of paid employment in Saskatchewan. Additionally, it is required to prove that the prospective applicant has received a permanent and full-time employment offer in the field of study from the province-approved employer, and the occupation should fall under the National Occupation Classification (NOC), TEER Levels “0”, “1”, “2”, and “3” with a valid SINP job approval letter, for which the employer must register with the SINP and obtain it. Besides, candidates must fulfill the language requirement based on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
In addition, the Entrepreneur stream has a category known as “International Graduate Entrepreneur”, for which an international student graduating from a Saskatchewan institution who wants to become an entrepreneur. Through this program, candidates can start, obtain, and partner in business while actively managing it while residing in the province. There are various requirements to meet for this stream; however, a few requisites are: a candidate must be 21 years of age with 2 years of full-time postsecondary education completed in the province; have at least 2 years of a valid Postgraduate Work Permit remaining; and with a Canadian Language Benchmark of 7. Those who meet the requirements are invited to apply and must be able to show knowledge of their Business Establishment Plan (BEP).
In conclusion, opting to pursue further education in Saskatchewan is a personal choice, and it is unquestionably a great idea if one chooses this western Canadian province, where everything from the high quality of education, on-budget expenses, a wide array of employment opportunities, and long-term settlement upon graduation are truly lucrative aspects for all aspirants. In a jumble of broader alternatives, an aspirant could possibly get stuck in deciding the best way out; thus, the International Career Counseling Centre (ICCC) comes into play to precisely illuminate the way, and conveniently, anyone can reach their academic and professional yearning in Canada.
The ICCC team consists of certified, experienced, and dedicated professionals from whom anyone can find the best and most suitable programs, unparalleled Canadian educational institutions, visa application guidance, and ultimately assist the aspirant with a PR application with direct aid from the ICCC, which has a direct alliance with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC). The intrinsic value that comes from working with the ICCC from the initial study application is that after graduating from the chosen field of study and applying for permanent residency, the ICCC will not have to dig deeper to find out the previous documentation to understand how they were arranged, which fundamentally prevents a blunder at the time of a PR application. Hence, the ICCC is where anyone can receive end-to-end services without extra hassle.
