Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) – Express Entry

• • What is Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)?

    The Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) is a provincial immigration program in Canada aimed at addressing Nova Scotia’s economic needs. It allows the province to nominate skilled individuals for permanent residency in Canada. The program offers various streams like Express Entry, Skilled Worker, and Entrepreneur, each with its own criteria. Successful applicants receive a provincial nomination, enhancing their chances of obtaining permanent residency. The NSNP attracts skilled workers and entrepreneurs who can contribute to Nova Scotia’s economy and communities, supporting the province’s growth.

    Through the NSNP, prospective immigrants can immigrate to Nova Scotia through one of the various available streams:-

    • – Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities – The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream identifies candidates within the federal Express Entry system who align with the province’s workforce requirements, allowing them to seek nomination. Eligible candidates must first obtain a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration before applying.

    • – Labour Market Priorities for Physicians – The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream for physicians identifies physicians eligible to seek nomination via the federal Express Entry system. Applicants must hold an approved job offer from either the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the IWK Health Centre and have received a Letter of Interest from Labour, Skills, and Immigration (LSI) to be eligible to apply.

    • – Physician – The Physician Stream assists Nova Scotia’s public health authorities, including the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK), in recruiting general practitioners, family physicians, and specialist physicians to practice in Nova Scotia. This initiative supports the NSHA and IWK in attracting and retaining physicians possessing the necessary skills for roles that have remained vacant despite efforts to fill them with permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

    • – Entrepreneur – The Entrepreneur Stream caters to experienced business owners or senior executives seeking residency in Nova Scotia. They are required to either establish a new enterprise or acquire an existing one, actively engaging in its daily operations. Following a year of business operation, the entrepreneur becomes eligible for permanent resident status through nomination. Application to this stream is strictly by invitation.

    • – International Graduate Entrepreneur – The International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is for recent graduates of a Nova Scotia university or the Nova Scotia Community College. They must have already started or bought a Nova Scotia business and operated it for at least a year. If they intend to settle in Nova Scotia, the graduate may be nominated for permanent resident status. Application to the stream is by invitation only.

    • – International Graduates in Demand – The International Graduates in Demand stream is for recent international graduates whose skills and education match specific National Occupational Classification (NOC) job categories. This stream is currently open to workers in these NOC job categories:

      • NOC 32102: Paramedical occupations.

      • NOC 32124: Pharmacy technicians.

      • NOC 33102: nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates.

      • NOC 42202: early childhood educators and assistants.

    • – Skilled Worker – The Skilled Worker stream facilitates employers in hiring foreign workers and recent international graduates who possess skills essential to Nova Scotia. Employers can only hire foreign workers solely for roles they have been unsuccessful in filling with permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

    • – Occupations in Demand – The Occupations in Demand stream targets specific TEER category 3, 4 or 5 occupations of the National Occupational Classification that are in high labour market demand in Nova Scotia. Labour, Skills and Immigration identifies occupations in demand based on labour market information and eligible occupations are subject to change.

    • – Critical Construction Worker Pilot – The Critical Construction Worker Pilot – Job Offer Pathway is only for people who have a permanent, full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in the construction sector. Your job offer must be in the list of approved NOCs.

    • – Nova Scotia Experience Express Entry – The Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream selects highly skilled individuals who wish to live in Nova Scotia permanently. Applicants must have at least one year of experience working in Nova Scotia in an occupation at TEER category 0, 1, 2, or 3 of the National Occupational Classification.