Candidates in the Express Entry selection pool have another potential option to secure a provincial nomination certificate, with both categories of the nova Scotia demand stream having opened for new applications as of May 8, 2017. Nova Scotia has proven to be an increasingly popular Canadian immigration destination over recent years.
Soon after opening, however, intake under Category B of the stream (for eligible applicants without a job offer) was paused. Staff member at the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration said that this was because the online application system was experiencing technical difficulties. Once these issues have been overcome, it is expected that applicants will be able to submit their application.
The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream is a PNP program for this province The government of Nova Scotia welcomes new permanent residents who have the ability to settle in the province.
As this is an Express Entry-aligned stream, successful applicants are awarded 600 additional points and issued an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a subsequent draw from the pool.
For the current application intake period, the NSNP has announced that it will accept 250 new applications for Category B of the stream. This category is for applicants with experience in one of 16 opportunity occupations. A job offer is not required for this category.
Category A will remain open indefinitely. This category is for applicants with a job offer in Nova Scotia.
Applications under either category are submitted online through the NSNP’s unique online system.
Eligibility requirements: Category B
Express Entry candidates who wish to apply to Category B of Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry must:
• Have a profile in the Express Entry pool;
• Have their foreign education credentials assessed, authenticated, and given an equivalent value in Canada by one of the four designated credential assessment agencies;
• Demonstrate, by way of a standardized language test acceptable to the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, at least an adequate intermediate language proficiency in English or French (Canadian Language Benchmark: 7);
• Obtain at least 67 points on the Nova Scotia pointing system based on language proficiency, age, work experience, education, and adaptability; and
• Have at least one year of full-time (or equivalent part-time) skilled work experience in the last six years in one of the 16 ‘opportunity’ occupations considered by Nova Scotia. The list includes eight occupations that were not on the previous list, which was in effect for previous application cycles. These eight occupations are in bold in the table below.
Eligibility requirements: Category A
Express Entry candidates who wish to apply to Category A of Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry must:
• Have a profile in the Express Entry pool;
• have a full-time permanent skilled job offer from a Nova Scotia employer; • have at least one year of skilled work experience related to the job;
• Have their foreign education credentials assessed, authenticated, and given an equivalent value in Canada by one of the four designated credential assessment agencies;
• Demonstrate, by way of a standardized language test acceptable to the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia, at least an adequate intermediate language proficiency in English or French (Canadian Language Benchmark: 7); and
• Obtain at least 67 points on the Nova Scotia pointing system. Points are awarded based on language proficiency, age, work experience, education, and adaptability.
