Nova Scotia is well-known for its long history of immigration. Called Canada’s equivalent to New York’s Ellis Island, from 1928 to 1971 had more than one million immigrant arrive by boat at its Halifax Harbour.
Famous for its beautiful coastline, Nova Scotia is home to Halifax, it’s capital and largest city.
With its shrinking population and aging labour force, the province is eagerly looking for people to fill job vacancies and call the province their home. In 2018, the province welcomed a record number of newcomers and saw its population peak at its highest.
Express Entry-linked streams
The need for new immigrants is aided by the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP), which allows the province to select skilled worker for permanent residence.
The NSNP has a number of streams under the federal Express Entry system.
Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia receive 600 additional CRS points, thereby guaranteeing them an opportunity to apply for permanent residence.
Nova Scotia’s three streams are:
Nova Scotia Demand is for candidates with post-secondary education and experience in one of 11 occupations, divided into two categories:
- Category A is open year-round to Express Entry candidates with an eligible job offer in the province
- Category B opens occasionally to applications from Express Entry candidates without a job offer
Nova Scotia Experience is designed for high-skilled individuals who have one year of eligible work experience in the province.
The Labour Market Priorities Stream is for Express Entry candidates who have work experience in a specific occupation.
In order to apply for NSNP’s many nominations streams, it is mandatory to create a profile on the federal Express Entry system.
In order to be considered for any of the NSNP’s enhanced nomination streams, the first step is to enter a profile in the federal Express Entry pool.
Base Streams
The NSNP has many nominations streams that operate outside of the Express Entry system. These include:
- Skilled Worker
- Physician
- Occupations in Demand
Entrepreneur Streams
The NSNP also has two streams for those who want to establish a business in Nova Scotia:
- Entrepreneur
- International Graduate Entrepreneur
Atlantic Immigration Pilot
Nova Scotia also participate in the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, a program in collaboration with three other provinces (Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador)
The AIP helps employers hire foreign workers for job vacancies they haven’t been able to fill locally.
For more information on immigrating to Nova Scotia, contact Green Light Canada.
