How to Become a Social Worker in Saskatchewan

Written November 13, 2026

The short answer

Saskatchewan social workers register with the Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers. You need a certificate or degree in social work from an approved program, a criminal record check no more than six months old, a signed character reference, and a transcript sent directly from your school. The application fee is $100. For 2026, full-time registration is $400 and part-time registration is $265.

SASW holds its authority under The Social Workers Act. Registration is what gives you the right to use the title social worker in Saskatchewan, and SASW sets the requirements through the Act, its bylaws, and Council policies.

Step 1: Hold an approved social work credential

Any person who holds a certificate, bachelor, master, or doctoral degree in social work from an approved social work education program may apply. One limit is specific to Saskatchewan: SASW only accepts Certificates in Social Work and Indigenous Social Work from the Faculty of Social Work, University of Regina and its affiliate programs.

If your education was assessed by the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW), that assessment changes the paperwork in Step 3: you do not need to order a transcript from the institution that awarded your degree.

Step 2: Pick your registration category and pay

There are three categories, and the category follows your hours of paid social work practice:

• Full time: employed 21 hours per week (84 hours per month) or more.
• Part time: employed no more than 20 hours per week (80 hours per month).
• Non-practising: on full-time educational leave, on maternity or parental leave, not employed, or employed but not in the practice of social work as defined by the CASW scope of practice statement. SASW encourages members on parental leave to stay registered, because the fee drops and non-practising members are exempt from continuing education reporting for that period.

Complete the online application and pay in full by credit card for your category. The one-time application fee is $100 and non-refundable. The 2026 registration fees are $400 full time and $265 part time for a full year, pro-rated to $240 and $159 if you first register between July 1 and December 31. Non-practising registration is $92 for the full year and is not pro-rated.

Step 3: Send the document package

The remaining documents go in together, in one package:

• An original, current criminal record check, no more than six months from the date of issue, from your local police or RCMP detachment. If you want an online check, contact the SASW office at registration@sasw.ca to request one.
• A character reference on the SASW Character Reference Form. It must be signed and dated. SASW does not accept any form of electronic signature on this form.
• A Verification of Registration/Licensure in Any Professional Jurisdiction form, if you have been a registered member of any profession, social work or otherwise.

You can email the package in one email to registration@sasw.ca, and keep the originals in your possession. Photos of documents are not accepted. Or mail the originals, not photocopies, in one package to the SASW office at 36-395 Park Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4N 5B2.

Separate from that package, order your transcript. SASW policy requires an original transcript of marks showing the date your social work certificate or degree was conferred, forwarded directly from your institution to the SASW office by regular mail or by email to registration@sasw.ca. If your university uses MyCreds, you can share the document through that network to the same email address. If the name on your application differs from the name on your transcript, complete the Name Change form as well.

Step 4: Good character and approval

It is the Registrar who decides whether an applicant is of good character. The documents above are collected so the Registrar can judge character and capacity to practise social work with integrity and honesty, and in line with The Social Workers Act and the bylaws. Once your application is approved, you pay the registration fee for your category if you have not already paid it as part of the online application.

Coming from another province

If you hold active practising registration with another social work regulatory body in Canada and will provide in-person services in Saskatchewan, SASW runs a separate page for you. The core is the same online application and payment, plus a Verification of Registration form for each Canadian body you hold practising registration with. Do not use the new-graduate package if this is your situation.

What the opened pages do not state

The SASW pages opened for this guide state the 2026 fees, the three categories, and the document list. They do not state a processing time for a complete first application, a salary range for Saskatchewan social workers, or tuition for social work programs, so this guide gives none of those. They also do not set an entry-to-practice exam for first-time registrants.

Related guides:

• How to Become a Social Worker in Canada — the national picture, province by province.
• How to Become a Social Worker in Ontario — Ontario College registration, with its own fees and certificates.
• How to Become a Social Worker in British Columbia — the BC College route, which adds a licensure exam Saskatchewan does not use.
• How to Start Getting Your Foreign Credentials Recognized in Canada — the first steps for internationally educated applicants.

Sources

• Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers, New Graduates — First Time Registrants — self-regulation under The Social Workers Act, the $100 non-refundable application fee, the three registration categories and hour thresholds, the 2026 fee schedule of $400 full time, $265 part time and $92 non-practising with second-half pro-rating, the criminal record check, character reference and verification forms, and the direct-from-institution transcript rule with the CASW exception.
• Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers, Become a Registered Member — who may apply with a certificate, bachelor, master or doctoral degree in social work from an approved program, and the limit on Certificates in Social Work and Indigenous Social Work to the University of Regina Faculty of Social Work and its affiliates.
• Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers, SASW Fee Bylaws, 2026 — the $100 application fee in bylaw form and the annual licence fees in force from January 1, 2026.
• Saskatchewan Association of Social Workers, Current Practising Registration — the route for applicants who already hold practising registration with another Canadian social work regulator and will provide in-person services in Saskatchewan.