MORE NURSES TO CALL SASKATCHEWAN HOME

The province is making it easer for foreign-educated nurses to call Saskatchewan their home. Nurses practising under a temporary work permit will be allowed to apply for landed immigrant status through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP).

"We welcome nurses who choose to come to Saskatchewan from other countries and contribute to our health care system," Health Minister John Nilson said. "By making these changes to the SINP program, we help meet the need for health care providers in the province – a key goal of our Action Plan for Saskatchewan Health Care, released in December 2001."

Based on a pilot project for physicians with the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region, a Health Professions category was created under the SINP earlier this year. Applicants nominated under this category generally attain their landed immigrant status in a much shorter length of time than through the usual immigration processes. Further consultations with health stakeholders indicated that they were supportive of expanding the SINP Health Professions category to include nurses.

"We know that many of the immigrants and refugees coming to Saskatchewan have valuable skills to contribute," Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Eldon Lautermilch said. "The changes we've made to the SINP program will make it easier for immigrant nurses to be part of a sector providing quality health care in the province."

Saskatchewan has an immigration agreement with the federal government that allows the province to identify and nominate potential immigrants who meet provincial priorities and eligibility criteria. Provincial nominees are then expedited through federal immigration processing.

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For More Information, Contact:

Maureen Boyle Government Relations and Aboriginal Affairs Regina Phone: (306)787-5959

Mark Rathwell Health Regina Phone: (306)787-4083