Nova Scotia is a land of opportunities and stunning beauty.
Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces, consisting largely of a peninsula with several outlying islands. In the summer, water sports like as kayaking and paddleboarding are popular, and the province is home to numerous adorable puffins and seals.
The Bay of Fundy, one of Canada’s most popular tourist sites, is also located in the province and is known for its dramatic high and low tides as well as whale viewing. Halifax is recognized for its vibrant waterfront, the star-shaped Citadel, and the Mooseheads, a famed ice hockey club.
Nova Scotia Immigration Streams
Nova Scotia is a pleasurable and cheap area to live because of its low cost of living and great quality of life. The Nova Scotian government established organisations with the mission of assisting new immigrants in finding employment, improving their language skills, and enrolling in university, so easing their assimilation. Nova Scotians are kind and inviting, and they live in safe neighbourhoods. People are prioritised in their healthcare system, which is based on need rather than financial position. The provincial labour market also offers numerous chances in a variety of industries. Here’s all you need to know about the PNP in Nova Scotia. Prospective immigrants to Nova Scotia who possess the skills and expertise sought by the province may be nominated for immigration through the Nova Scotia PNP. Candidates who get a Nova Scotia Nomination certificate may be eligible for a fast-tracked application, which will expedite the immigration procedure. You have various options for obtaining a Provincial Nomination. Find out which of these programs is best for you by reading on.
| Nova Scotia PNP Categories |
|---|
| Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities |
| Labour Market Priorities for Physicians |
| Entrepreneur Stream |
| International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream |
| International Graduates In Demand Stream |
| Skilled Worker Stream |
| Occupations in Demand Stream |
| Nova Scotia Demand Express Entry |
| Nova Scotia Experience Express Entry |
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream
You must first be accepted into the federal Express Entry pool to be considered for this stream. If you fulfil Nova Scotia’s labour market demands at a given moment, the province will choose you from this pool. You can only apply if the Nova Scotian Office of Immigration sends you a Letter of Interest.
| You also need to meet the following requirements: |
|---|
| Issued a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Nominee Program; |
| You must meet the work experience requirements of the Express Entry you qualified for; |
| You must have enough funds to successfully support and establish you and your dependents in the province; |
| You must have legal status in your country of residence; and |
| The last requirement will change depending on the needs of the province, for example, the last round targeted registered and psychiatric nurses and you had to have work experience in that occupation to qualify. |
Physicians stream
This stream was established to recruit health professionals to work in the province, such as general practitioners, family physicians, and specialists. The Physician Stream enables trained medical professionals to become permanent residents of Nova Scotia, with the help of two medical authorities, the:
- Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA); and the
- Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK)
The stream was created to help the province deal with its shortage of skilled and experienced medical practitioners.
What NOC (National Occupational Classification) Do You Need
| To apply for the Physicians Stream you must have a: |
|---|
| NOC 3112 as either a general practitioner or family physician; or a |
| NOC 3111 as a specialist physician |
Please note that you must have a signed Approved Opportunities with the province’s IWK or NSHA. An Approved Opportunity must :
- Be signed and dated by you and by the person who has authorized it, from either the NSHA or IWK;
- Show that you can apply for a license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the province; and
- Show that you can apply for credentials through the NSHA and IWK
Labour Market Priorities for Physicians
This new stream identifies physicians who will be eligible to apply through the Express Entry mechanism. The major advantage of this stream is that you might get permanent residency in as little as 6 months, whereas the Physicians stream takes 18-24 months to finish. The Express Entry stream has the disadvantage of being much more administratively intensive.
Entrepreneur stream
The Entrepreneur Stream is made for experienced business owners and managers who want to live in Nova Scotia. You can start a business or buy an existing one and after you have continued to actively manage your company for longer than one year, you may be nominated for permanent residence in the province.
| To qualify you must: |
|---|
| Be 21 years of age or older; |
| Be interested in living permanently in Nova Scotia, while owning and actively running a business in the province; |
| Have a net worth of at least $600,000; |
| Be able to invest at least $150,000 of their own money to establish a business in Nova Scotia |
| Have at least three years of experience in actively managing and owning a business or five years experience in a senior management position; |
| Have at least a score of 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, and writing for English or French; |
| Have completed a diploma from a Canadian high school or have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA), which is not older than five years; |
| Complete an Expression of Interest (EOI); and |
| Receive an Invitation to Apply from the Nova Scotian Office of Immigration |
International Graduate Entrepreneur stream
This stream is for foreign graduate entrepreneurs who have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a Nova Scotia institution or university. You must have purchased or founded a business that has been in operation for at least one business year.
You must intend to settle in Nova Scotia and operate your business there for the most of your time. When successful applicants get a nomination from the province, they can apply for permanent residency.
| To Apply You Must: |
|---|
| Be interested in living permanently in Nova Scotia, while owning and directly running a business in the province; |
| Have at least one year of experience in owning and managing your current Nova Scotian business; |
| Have completed a degree or diploma after at least two academic years of full-time study at a university or community college in Nova Scotia; |
| Have a valid post-graduation work permit; |
| Have at least a score of 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in speaking, listening, reading, and writing for English or French |
| Complete an Expression of Interest (EOI); and |
| Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration |
International Graduate In Demand Stream
The International Graduates in Demand stream is a new initiative aimed at assisting recent graduates who have earned a degree in one of the following career categories:
- (NOC 3413) Nurses aides; and
- (NOC 4214) Early Childhood educators and assistants
To be eligible for this program you will need to meet the following requirements:
| You Must: |
|---|
| Have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotian employer; |
| Have at least one year of work experience related to the job; |
| Be 21 to 55 years old; |
| Have a high school diploma; |
| Have a certificate, diploma or degree (NOC3413) or diploma or degree (NOC4214); |
| Have met the requirements for completing a course of study within three years of your application. The program must’ve been at least 30 weeks in length and you must have completed at least 50 percent of the program in Nova Scotia.; |
| Score at least a 5 for the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English or French if you are a skilled worker; or |
| Hve certifications issued by NS regulatory bodies required for job; and |
| Prove you have enough funds to support yourself and your dependents in Nova Scotia. Applicants must have at least CAD$11,000 and an additional CAD$2,000 per dependent |
Skilled Worker stream
Employers can use this stream to discover and hire overseas employees and recent graduates. This stream was developed to address a scarcity of qualified employees in areas where local Canadians lacked the necessary abilities to do these tasks. As a skilled (NOC 0,A or B), semi-skilled (NOC C), or low skilled worker (NOC D), you can apply for permanent residency through this stream if you match the following criteria:
| You Must: |
|---|
| Have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotian employer; |
| Have at least one year of work experience related to the job; |
| Be 21 to 55 years old; |
| Have a high school diploma; |
| Have the right training, skills, and accreditation for the job; |
| Score at least a 5 for the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English or French if you are a skilled worker; or |
| Score at least a 4 for the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for English or French if you are a semi-skilled or low skilled worker; and |
| Prove you have enough funds to support yourself and your dependents in Nova Scotia. Applicants must have at least CAD$11,000 and an additional CAD$2,000 per dependent |
The Occupations in Demand stream
This stream is designed for jobs that are semi-skilled (NOC C) and in high demand in Nova Scotia. These vocations are subject to change based on the province’s labour demands. Currently, the following jobs are eligible for this stream:
- Nurse aids, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 3413); and
- Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511)
| To be considered eligible you must: |
|---|
| Have a full-time offer of employment in one of the occupations listed above; |
| have at least one years of experience in the same field; |
| be between the ages of 21 and 55; |
| have the equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma; and |
| Have the appropriate training or experience for the job offered; |
| Achieve at least a 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark test; |
| Have the minimum specified balance to move and settle in Nova Scotia |
Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry programme allows highly talented professionals to apply to work and live in the province, with the possibility of obtaining permanent residency later. This curriculum is divided into two categories: Category A and Category B.
Category A is for applicants with a job offer. Currently, this category is still open.
Category B is for applicants who have experience in an opportunity occupation. Please note that this program opens and closes throughout the year, depending on the needs of the province’s labour markets.
| For Applications Under Category A, You Must: |
|---|
| Have a profile that is registered with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Express Entry system; |
| Score at least 67 points based on the six selection factors; |
| Have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotian employer; |
| Have one year of skilled work experience related to the job; |
| Have a Canadian high school degree or a foreign degree that meets the same standards; |
| Show enough financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia; and |
| Score at least a 7 on the CLB for both French and English |
What Is A Valid Job Offer
To qualify for a valid job offer in category A, the job offer must:
- Be made by a legal employer in Nova Scotia;
- Be for a full-time job, with working hours of at least 30 hours a week;
- Be offered at least one year after you get permanent residence in Canada;
- Be for a job that is skill type 0, A, or B
Please note that some jobs do not require an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment).
| For Applications Under Category B, You Must: |
|---|
| Have a profile that is registered with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Express Entry system; |
| Score a minimum of 67 points on the six selection factors; |
| Score at least a 7 on the CLB for English and French for CELPIP and IELTS General Test; |
| Have one year of skilled work experience in one of the required occupations; |
| Have a Canadian high school degree or a degree that meets the same standards; |
| Show you can support yourself and your dependents with enough financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia |
Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
Applicants in this stream must have at least one year of experience working in a skilled vocation in the province. You can become a permanent resident of Nova Scotia by following this path. Please keep in mind that this is a test programme, and the Nova Scotia government may modify it at any time.
| To Apply You Must: |
|---|
| Have at least one year of full time/part-time work experience in Nova Scotia for a skilled job three years before you apply; |
| Have gained legal work experience in the province through for example, a work permit; |
| Be 21 to 55 years old; |
| Have completed a Canadian high school degree or have a degree that is equal to this qualification; or |
| Have completed an ECA (Educational Credential Assessment) and have a degree that is acknowledged by a recognized institution; |
| Have the funds needed to support yourself and your dependents in the province; |
| Have the intention to live in the province permanently; |
| Prove your language ability in English or French with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 7 for NOC 0 and A, or score a CLB of 5 for NOC B. Please note that acceptance tests are the CELPIP and IELTS General Test and TEF; and |
| Have a profile that is registered with the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Express Entry system |
Experience
You need the following work experience to qualify. You must have:
- Worked for a Nova Scotian employer;
- Applied within three years of your application with the NSOI and IRCC;
- Worked at least one year or 1,560 hours as either a full-time or part-time worker;
- Worked a job that belongs to Skill Type 0, A, or B; and
- Proved that you meet all the main duties of the above Skill Type you applied with
Labor experience obtained through self-employment, volunteer work, unpaid internships, and co-op programmes does not qualify as genuine work experience.
