Nova Scotia, known for its coastal beauty, culture, and arts offers prospective immigrants nine different streams to apply under:
- Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
- Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
- Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
- Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians
- Physician Stream
- Skilled Worker Stream
- Occupations in Demand Stream
- Entrepreneur Stream
- International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
This stream is linked with the federal Express Entry system and enables the province to nominate qualified candidates to apply for admission into Canada. This stream is broken down into two categories:
Category A: Arranged Employment in Nova Scotia
- This requires candidates to have a job offer that is NOC 0, A, or B from a Nova Scotia employer that is supported by a positive LMIA. The job is expected to last at least one year after applicant’s permanent resident visa is issued
Category B: Skilled Work Experience
- This requires one year of full-time or equal amount in part-time work experience in one of the target occupations (see table below)
Occupation Title | NOC | Skill Level |
---|---|---|
Financial Auditors and Accountants | 1111 | A |
Other financial officers | 1113 | A |
Professional occupations in advertising, marketing, and public relations | 1123 | A |
Administrative assistants | 1241 | B |
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 1311 | B |
Civil Engineers | 2131 | A |
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 3012 | A |
Licensed practical nurses | 3233 | B |
College and other vocational instructors | 4021 | A |
Paralegal and related occupations | 4211 | B |
Social and community service workers | 4212 | B |
Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
This stream also tied with the federal Express Entry system, candidates require at least one year of paid work experience in Nova Scotia in a NOC 0, A, or B job in the last three years before applying along with having an active Express Entry profile.
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
This stream is linked with the federal Express Entry (EE) system. Applicants who meet specific labour market needs may be able to apply for nomination. They must first receive a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration in their EE profile and meet the minimum work experience requirements for the Express Entry stream for which they qualified.
As Nova Scotia’s labour market needs may change, the eligibility criteria may be different for each draw. Candidates are encouraged to review the requirements for this stream on Nova Scotia’s website.
Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians
This stream selects candidates who are qualified doctors from the federal Express Entry pool. The following two National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes are targeted:
- NOC 3112 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 3111 – Specialist physicians
Applicant must have an approved job offer from the Nova Social Health Authority or the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Centre in Halifax and receive a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration to apply.
They must also commit to live and work in Nova Scotia for a minimum of two years.
Physician Stream
This stream is not tied to the federal Express Entry system. It allows the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) to recruit physicians from outside of Canada with the required skills to fill their open work positions that they were unable to do with Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
This stream is only open to:
- NOC 3112 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 3111 – Specialist physicians
They must have a signed approved offer letter on an official NSHA or IWK letter head.
Skilled Worker Stream
The Skilled Worker stream applies to workers in skilled, semi-skilled, and low-skilled occupations who have a permanent full-time job offer from an employer in Nova Scotia.
Skilled Workers are those with occupations classified as either NOC 0, A or B and as such these applicants are given priority.
Semi-Skilled is for workers whose occupation is classified as NOC C. They will be considered if they have met all the eligibility criteria, have worked for a minimum of six months in Nova Scotia, and their employer can support their application for permanent residence.
Low-Skilled workers’ occupation is classified as NOC D and will only be considered if they have met all the eligibility criteria and have worked for a minimum of six months with a Nova Scotia employer that will support their permanent residence application. Applicants in this category will have to prove a strong show of support from their employer, such as paying part of the immigration fees, their accommodation in the province, etc.
Individuals on a post-graduation work permit in a NOC D occupation will not be considered.
Occupations in Demand Stream
This stream targets specific individuals, particularly those in a NOC C, intermediate skilled occupations that are in high demand in Nova Scotia. Target occupations are subject to change based on the labour market demand at that time.
This stream is open to candidates in the following NOC C occupations:
- NOC 3413 – Nurse aids, orderlies, and patient service associates
- NOC 7511 – Transport truck drivers
Interested applicants must have one year of directly related work experience with the required training and skills for the job, obtain CLB 4, have a high school diploma, and provide proof of sufficient financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia.
Entrepreneur Stream
Under the entrepreneur stream, individuals with business ownership or senior management experience who wish to start a new business or acquire an existing one and settle permanently in the province may be eligible to apply.
Candidates under this stream first acquire a temporary work permit in order to operate the business in Nova Scotia continuously for a minimum of one year before they can be nominated to apply for permanent residence.
The Entrepreneur stream uses an Expression of Interest (EOI) format.
Furthermore, the candidate must have a minimum net worth of $600,000CAD, make a minimum investment of $150,000CAD to establish or purchase a business, and either have a minimum of three years of experience actively managing or owning a business or more than five years of experience in a senior management role.
International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
This stream is similar to the Entrepreneur stream, but is aimed at graduates from a university or community college in Nova Scotia. The program they graduated from must have been for at least two years of full-time study.
In addition, the candidate must have already started or purchased a business in Nova Scotia and operated it for a minimum of one year on a Post-Graduation Work Permit.