The Majestic province of Nova Scotia is unique in its own sense. The Atlantic Ocean and numerous small islands in the eastern part of the province surround the Nova Scotia peninsula. The major economic benefit for the province comes from the province’s capital, Halifax. There are about 400,000 people living in the metropolitan city.

Nova Scotia is indeed a beautiful province and the vast coastline presents delicious seafood delicacies. Many foreigners wish to immigrate to Nova Scotia. Fortunately, the province has its immigration program called the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program Express Entry system. The good news is that many people are already actively migrating to Nova Scotia and the province is ready to invite more.

Nova Scotia Express Entry

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) is for skilled professionals. The program is designed to increase immigration to the province. The program selects skilled foreign nationals who can be beneficial in increasing the province’s economy. An individual can immigrate to Nova Scotia through two different ways.

One of the two ways is from outside of Express Entry, the candidate can submit his Express of Interest (EOI) to the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI). Assessment is based on the points system and eligible candidates are invited to apply for Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NS PNP or NSNP).

If the individual is nominated through NSNP, he or she can then move forward to create an Express Entry profile. The other option for an individual to migrate to Canada is by creating an Express Entry profile and expresses his/her interest in the province. Express Entry begins looking for profiles that have the necessary required skills and candidates meeting the criteria are contacted by NSNP.

Candidates invited to apply for Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program upon being nominated are instantly awarded 600 CRS score. This score is mostly enough to get a candidate selected to apply for Canada Permanent Residence in the next Express Entry Draw.

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program

The Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program is designed to speed up the immigration process. Immigration is not an easy process and involves a lot of complexity. Through Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program, a candidate and his family members can easily migrate to Canada within 6 months after being nominated for immigration.

In the current year, Nova Scotia has several migration streams that individuals can choose to migrate to the province.

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program includes the following streams:

• Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Stream
• Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry Stream
• Skilled Worker Visa
• Family Business Worker Stream

Over the past few years, Nova Scotia has made many changes to their immigration programs. Even though the Express Entry system is very new, Nova Scotia opted to embrace it and it is good news for candidates wishing to migrate to Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia is continuously introducing new immigration streams like the latest Entrepreneur streams.

The streams discontinued by Nova Scotia include the Non-Dependent Child of Nova Scotia Nominees Stream and the Agri-Food sector stream. Nova Scotia is even currently in the process of introducing new immigration streams for inviting skilled professionals.

Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia is going to witness a huge growth in the economy. The Halifax Shipyard won a CAD$25 Billion Federal Government contract. This amount will be used to set up the Royal Canadian Navy. As building of new ships will be required, this also opens doors for mechanics and shipbuilding experts.

All of the Nova Scotia immigration categories have their own set of rules and requirements which every candidate needs to comply with. These categories are explained below. This information shared now will benefit you in understanding if you will be eligible to apply for a particular immigration program.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program is mainly employer-driven. It is designed to fill the labor market needs of specific industries and jobs with qualified employers.

Nova Scotia Immigration Categories

There are several immigration categories that individuals can use to apply for Nova Scotia immigration. Although, Express Entry makes reaching NSNP quicker and facilitates for smooth and faster processing.

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program Demand: Express Entry

The Nova Scotia’s Nova Scotia Immigration Express Entry Demand came into effect on January 1, 2015. This stream is for the skilled professional having post-secondary or other qualifications.

In order to qualify for the Nova Scotia Express Entry immigration selection system, a candidate must secure a minimum of 67 points, which are based on certain human factors. The maximum points a candidate can secure are as follows:

• Education – 25 Points
• Work Experience – 15 Points
• Language ability in English or French – 28 Points
• Adaptability – 10 Points
• Age – 12 Points
• Employment Prospects – 12 Points

The candidate must have a minimum of one year of full-time working experience in the last five years in one of the eligible occupation.

Currently, there are 29 eligible occupations under this particular stream including –

The eligible occupations currently include:

• Financial Auditors and Accountants
• Financial and Investment Analysts
• Human Resources Professionals
• Purchasing Agents and Officers
• Geo-scientists and Oceanographers
• Civil Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers
• Electrical and Electronic Engineers
• Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers
• Computer Engineers
• Information Systems Analysts and Consultants
• Database Analysts and Data Administrators
• Software Engineers
• Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers
• Web Designers and Developers
• Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Drafting Technologists and Technicians
• Engineering Inspectors and Regulatory Officers
• User Support Technicians
• Registered Nurses
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Medical Laboratory Technologists and Pathologists’ Assistants
• Licensed Practical Nurses
• Psychologists
• Family, Marriage and Other Related Counselors
• Financial Sales Representatives

Please be noted that Canada has said to change these eligible occupations list anytime.

Apart from meeting these criteria, candidates must also secure a Canadian Benchmark Score of CLB7 in each of different components of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Additionally, Nova Scotia advises candidates not to apply for the Express Entry stream if:

• The candidate is not a citizen of the current country of origin or does not have a passport or any other supporting documents
• If the candidate is willing to work in an occupation that is lower than a NOC level C or D
• The candidate is a grandparent, parent, spouse of Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• If the candidate falls under the humanitarian and compassionate grounds, a refugee claimant, or a failed refugee claimant
• If the candidate is living in Canada illegally
• If the candidate is an international student studying post-secondary education at a university in Canada
• If you are a student who studied in Canada but are asked to leave Canada due to contractual obligations
• If the candidate has unresolved custody or child support dispute
• If the candidate is working as a salesperson based on commission
• If you are a seasonal, part-time or casual worker
• If the candidate is intending to start a business or self-employment
• If the candidate is unable to produce proof of funds

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program Experience: Express Entry

The Nova Scotia provincial nominee program express entry experience is for candidates who have worked for an employer in Nova Scotia for 12 or more months. The program allows these candidates to become permanent residents. Even though candidates who seem eligible for the program must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be in the age group of 21 to 55
• The candidate should have a minimum 1 year of work experience working for an employer in the province of Nova Scotia in the last 3 years
• The candidate should have worked for the employer under proper authorization and work permit
• He should have completed his education from a Canadian institute or a recognized Canadian university (Educational Credential Assessment required)
• Should be proficient in English or French
• Should be able to demonstrate the reason to live and work in the province of Nova Scotia

You should not apply for Nova Scotia Experience Express Entry if you are:

• Not a citizen of their country of residence
• Planning to take up a job as classified by National Occupation in code of C or D
• A refugee claimant, a humanitarian, a parent, a grandparent, spouse or Canadian permanent citizen living in any other country
• Living illegally in Canada or under a removal order
• An International student enrolled in Canadian institution or university
• A graduate who has been sponsored studies in Canada by a foreign government
• A holder of work permit in for a job of NOC level C or D
• Spouse of an international graduate currently studying at a Canadian educational institution but not in his final academic year
• A person involved in child custody dispute that is not yet resolved
• Practicing sales job and relies solely on commission
• A person whose qualified 1 year of work experience was not based in Nova Scotia
• Living in Canada under the Caregiver Program
• Self-employed or intending to start a business in Nova Scotia
• A passive investor in Nova Scotia businesses without being actively involved in day-to-day operations

Skilled Worker Stream

After the PNP Express Entry demand, the second most popular PNP category is the Nova Scotia Skilled Worker Stream. This stream helps provincial employers to recruit and hire foreign skilled workers who can fit in the workforce demand in Nova Scotia. The Skilled Worker Stream is furthermore divided into three sub-categories. Each of these categories has their own eligibility criteria.

Skilled Workers

The first sub-category under the Skilled Worker Stream is the Skilled Workers. This category is for candidates who hold work experience in a NOC level of A, O or B occupation. Priority is given to these highly skilled candidates.

Semi-Skilled Workers

The second sub-category under the Skilled Worker Stream is the semi-skilled workers. This category is for candidates who hold work experience in a NOC level of C occupation. The candidate will need to meet all the eligibility criteria and should have worked at least for 6 months with a Nova Scotia employer in order to be considered eligible.

Low-Skilled Workers

The third sub-category under the Skilled Worker Stream is the low-skilled workers. This category is for candidates who hold a work experience in a NOC level of D occupation. Again, the candidate will need to meet all the eligibility criteria and must have worked for at least 6 months with an employer in Nova Scotia.

These are the eligibility criteria that Skilled, Semi-Skilled and Low-Skilled workers:

• The candidate should have a proof of legal status if they are living in Canada
• The candidates should be in the age group of 21 and 55
• The candidate should have a full-time, permanent job offer from an employer in Nova Scotia
• The prospective candidate should have completed at least a high school level of education
• Should have at least one year of relevant work experience
• Should have proof of language proficiency
• Should be willing to settle in Nova Scotia

The employer sponsoring the candidate must also meet certain eligibility criteria. They are as follows:

• The employer should be established in Nova Scotia permanently
• The employer should have operated in Nova Scotia for at least two years
• Should have offered a full-time, permanent job to an applicant
• Jobs offered are in Nova Scotia
• The job offered should have a salary and benefits that meet Nova Scotia employment standards
• Should have a shortage of qualified Canadians and permanent residents for the job offered
• Should have demonstrated efforts in finding qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents for the job position

Family Business Worker Stream

The Family Business Worker Stream allows employers running a business in Nova Scotia to invite their close relatives like a spouse, son, daughter, brother, sister, niece, nephew, uncle, aunt or grandchild to the province.

International Graduate Stream

The International Graduate Stream is designed to help Canadian employers to hire international graduates from recognized Canadian Universities. However, the skills that the graduate possesses should be in limited supply with the employer.

Like all other Nova Scotia provincial nominee program, the International Graduate Stream is employer driven. The student will only be eligible if the employer offers him a full-time, permanent job. Furthermore, the student must be offered a job that is closely related to his education.

The candidate must also meet certain eligibility criteria for age, education, work experience, and language ability.

Entrepreneur Stream

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream is still under development and is the latest entry into the program. Candidates will need to have a net worth of CAD $400,000 or must make a minimum equity investment of CAD $150,000. The candidate will also need to enter Canada under a temporary work permit of 2 years and must demonstrate their intent in staying and doing business in Nova Scotia.