Nova Scotia Nominee Program
Nova Scotia, located on Canada’s east coast on Atlantic Ocean, is surrounded by the natural beauty of the rolling sea, lush green forests, lakes, and farmland. A diverse history of aboriginal, Celtic, Acadian, and African cultures that dates back hundreds of years and, in the case of the Mi’kmaw, thousands of years, makes Nova Scotia home to more than 100 cultures and ethnicities from all over the globe. With the scenic splendor, disparate cultural history, and enormous natural resources, the province offers quality and affordable living in addition to the growing demand for more highly skilled workers. The five key regions (Halifx, Annapolis Valley, Northern & Southern Nova Scotia, and Cape Breton) have numerous opportunities across various industries and businesses in the provincial labor market. The Nova Scotia Nominee Program targets prospective immigrants with the desired skills and experience for nomination.
The NSNP is Nova Scotia’s Provincial Nominee Program. Through this program, prospective immigrants with the skills and experience targeted by the province may receive a Nova Scotia Provincial Nomination Certificate.
The Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) launched in 2003.
- It launched to help address economic and labour market needs through immigration to the province.
- Immigration to Nova Scotia has tripled over the last 20 years because of the introduction and continuous development of the NSNP, as well as the introduction of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) in 2017.
- Nova Scotia is now welcoming over 7,000 new immigrants every year.
- The province has a retention rate of over 70 per cent. The province’s retention rate has improved because the Nova Scotia PNP and the AIP are looking to match newcomers with job opportunities. Both the PNP and AIP also help make it easier for international graduates and temporary workers to transition to permanent residence.
Nova Scotia Immigration Streams:
Nova Scotia has enhanced streams and base streams. The following streams are enhanced.
- Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
- Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
- Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians
Enhanced means that the sub-category is aligned with the Express Entry system. The federal government uses the Express Entry system to manage permanent residence applications through Canada’s main economic class immigration programs. Candidates in the Express Entry system are given a point score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Canada regularly holds Express Entry draws, where they invite the highest-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence.
If you get a nomination from an enhanced provincial program, you get an extra 600 CRS points, practically guaranteeing getting an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. You also get your nomination through your Express Entry profile. The majority Nova Scotia’s immigration streams are base streams. This means that they are not aligned with the Express Entry system. Candidates who get a provincial nomination are required to apply directly to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). For many NSNP streams, you must meet the minimum language requirements. This will be according to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB). This is a scale between 1 and 12, that measures your language ability.