How To Immigrate To Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces and one of its three maritime ones. Having just surpassed a population of one million in December 2021, it is the most populous Canadian Atlantic province. Interestingly, it is also the second smallest province by area.

So the fact that a lot of people are flocking to this small province is a sign that it’s a great place to live. It’s therefore not surprising that as the COVID-19 restrictions ease, immigration in the province is soaring even higher.

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How to Immigrate to Nova Scotia

Under the Nova Scotia Nominee Programme (NSNP), there are 9 immigration streams. These are:

• Nova Scotia Experience – Express Entry

This immigration stream is for skilled immigrants who have experience in Nova Scotia. To be eligible for this stream, you have to:

• Have at least one year of Nova Scotia work experience in an occupation that falls under NOC 0, A, and B
• Be between 22 and 55 years of age
• Have a Canadian high school diploma or its equivalent
• Have a profile in the federal Express Entry pool
• Be proficient in English or French to a level of at least Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5

• Skilled Worker 

Aimed at international graduates and foreign workers, the Skilled Worker stream helps employers who have trouble filling positions with Canadian citizens and permanent residents. There’s a caveat though – they can only use this stream if they have a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). To be eligible for this stream, immigration applicants need to:

• Be between 22 and 55 years of age
• Have a permanent full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer
• Have at least a high-school diploma
• Have at least one year of work experience related to the job offer
• Have the financial means to comfortably settle in Nova Scotia
• Have English/French language proficiency of at least CLB level 4

• Nova Scotia Labor Market Priorities – Express Entry

Designed to allow Nova Scotia to single out specific occupations for immigration, this stream primarily focuses on early childhood educators. To be eligible, you need to:

• Prove that you have the necessary funds to settle you and your family in Nova Scotia
• Be living legally in your current country of residence
• Get a letter of interest from the NSNP through the Express Entry system
• Attain the work experience required for the Express Entry stream you have qualified for

• Nova Scotia Labor Market Priorities for Physicians – Express Entry

This stream provides a way for Nova Scotia to select qualified doctors from the Express Entry pool. To be eligible, physicians must:

• Have a job offer from the IWK Health Center/Nova Scotia Health Authority as a Specialist Physician/Family Physician
• Be willing to live and work in Nova Scotia for at least two years
• Have enough funds to settle you and your family in Nova Scotia
• Have legal status in the country you currently reside in
• Have the minimum work experience required for the Express Entry program you have qualified for
• Get a letter of interest from the NSNP via the Express Entry system and send your application within 30 days of you receiving it

• Occupations In-Demand 

The Occupations In-Demand pilot targets jobs that are in high demand in the province. While the targeted occupations can change depending on demand, the stream usually targets occupations under NOC C. These include transport truck drivers, food servers, food counter attendants, and nurse aides. To be eligible, you must:

• Be 21 to 55 years of age
• Have a high school diploma and the required level of language proficiency
• Have a permanent full-time job offer in one of the eligible occupations
• Have at least one year of work experience
• Have enough funds to comfortably settle in Nova Scotia

• Physician  

The physician stream helps the province recruit doctors for positions that they have had trouble filling with Canadian citizens and permanent residents. To be eligible, physicians must:

• Have received an offer to work as a specialist physician/general practitioner and family physician at the Izaak Walton Killam Health Center/Nova Scotia Health Authority
• Have legal status in the country they are living
• Have proof of medical training and education/Education Credential Assessment
• Proof of language proficiency in English/French

• Entrepreneur 

Nova Scotia’s entrepreneur stream was created for applicants who live in Nova Scotia, have business ownership experience, and want to start/buy a business in the province and run it. Once you express interest in this stream and are found eligible, you will receive an invitation to apply and will be called for interviews if you’re successful.

If you make it, you will get a temporary work permit that you will use to operate your business for one year before you can apply for permanent residence.

• International Graduate Entrepreneur

This immigration stream is similar to the entrepreneur one. The only major difference is that it targets recent international graduates of Nova Scotia universities/colleges who have started/bought a business in the province and run it for a year on a post-graduation work permit.

• International Graduates In Demand

Like the previous stream, this one targets international graduates. Its eligibility requirements include:

• Being 21 to 55 years of age
• Receiving a permanent full-time job offer that is related to your field of study from a Nova Scotia employer in NOC codes 4214 or 3413
• Having a high school diploma
• Having the financial resources to comfortably settle in Nova Scotia
• Having a language proficiency of at least CLB level 5 in English/French

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