Nova Scotia Provincial
Nominee Program (NS PNP)
Nova Scotia is one of the smallest Provinces in Canada and is situated in the Maritime Region of the Country. The province, comprising Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia peninsula, and more than 3000 smaller islands, is popular for its high standard of living. The province’s proximity to the sea coupled with its delicious cuisine and coastal beauty makes it all the more popular. Likewise, it is also renowned for arts and culture.
The NSNP refers to the Provincial Nominee Program of Nova Scotia. Prospective immigrants possessing Nova Scotia’s targeted skills and experience may receive a Provincial Nominee Certificate through this Program. Launched in 2003, NSNP aims to address the labour and economic market needs via immigration to the province.
Immigration to Nova Scotia has tripled in the course of the last 20 years as the Province has been accommodating a growing number of new permanent immigrants. This is partly due to the continuous enhancement of NS PNP and partly due to the introduction of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP).
There are seven Nova Scotia Immigration Streams under which applicants can apply for faster Canadian Immigration.
Nova Scotia Immigration Streams
The seven Nova Scotia Immigration streams are -
- Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
- Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry Stream
- Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
- Physician
- Entrepreneur
- International Graduate Entrepreneur
- Skilled Worker
1. Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
In order to apply under category A, the candidate must -
- Have a Canadian high school qualification or equivalent
- Have 1 year of skilled work experience in the field
- Exhibit sufficient financial capability to settle in the province successfully
- Score at least 67 points on the six selection components of the stream
- Have a registered profile in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry System
- Possess a valid job offer from an employer of the Province for full-time skilled work for at least a year from the date of the issue of the permanent resident visa
- Demonstrate language ability in French or English at Canadian Language Benchmark 7
In order to apply under category B, the candidate must -
- Have a Canadian high school qualification or equivalent
- Be in one of the Nova Scotia Demand Express Entry target occupations
- Have 1 year of skilled work experience in one of the target occupations
- Exhibit sufficient financial capability to settle in the province successfully
- Score at least 67 points on the six selection components of the stream
- Have a registered profile in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry System
- Possess a valid job offer from an employer of the Province for full-time skilled work for at least a year from the date of the issue of the permanent resident visa
- Demonstrate language ability in French or English at Canadian Language Benchmark 7
2. The Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry Stream
In order to apply under the Critical Impact Worker category the candidate must -
- Have a Canadian high school qualification or equivalent
- Have 1 year of work experience in Nova Scotia
- Be 21 to 55 years of age
- Have a registered profile in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry System
- Demonstrate language ability in French or English at Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for NOC 0 and A and Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for NOC B.
3. Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
Candidates who meet Nova Scotia’s labour market demands are selected under this stream. Only those candidates may apply under this stream who receive a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration.
In order to apply under the Nova Scotia Labour Market category the candidate must -
- Meet the eligibility criteria at the time of issuance of the Letter of Interest
- Have legal status in the country of current residence
- Exhibit sufficient financial capability to settle in the province successfully with your family along with expenses related to immigration and travel
- Possess minimum work experience needed by the respective Express Entry Stream
- Receive the Nova Scotia Nominee Program Letter of Interest within the Express Entry Stream
4. Physician
The Physician Stream eligibility -
- The physician stream is only open for the specialist physicians, family physicians and general practitioners who have the signed and approved opportunities with either IWK Health Centre or NSHA.
- The opportunity must - Be dated and signed by an authorized person having the authority over hiring physicians at IWK or NSHA
- Be on the official letterhead of either NSHA or IWK
- Be dated and signed by the applicant who wishes to accept the opportunity
- Designate licensure eligibility with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
- Show the eligibility of the applicant to seek credentials and privileges with IWK and NSHA
5. Entrepreneur
In order to apply under the Entrepreneur Stream, the candidate must -
- Be at least 21 years or older
- Willing to permanently reside in nova Scotia while actively managing and owning a Nova Scotia business
- Have a net worth of a minimum of $600,000 CAD
- Be able to establish a business in Nova Scotia by investing a minimum of $150,000 CAD from your own money
- Score a minimum of 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in either French or English
- Fill online Expression of Interest
- Possess a minimum of 3years worth of experience in owning and actively managing a business with ⅓ ownership or over 5 years worth of experience as a senior business management
- Receive application invitation from the Immigration Office Of Nova Scotia
6. International Graduate Entrepreneur
In order to apply under the International Graduate Entrepreneur, the candidate must -
- Be willing to permanently settle in Nova Scotia while actively managing and owning a business in Nova Scotia
- Score a minimum of 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in either French or English
- Fill online Expression of Interest
- Receive an invitation from the Immigration office of Nova Scotia to apply for the same
- Have a completed diploma or degree of a minimum of 2 academic years of full-time and in-person study at a Nova Scotia university or Nova Scotia Community College
- Have a post-graduation work permit that is valid
- Have a minimum of one year of experience in owning and actively running a current Nova
- Scotia business with 100% ownership
7. Skilled Worker
With the help of Skilled Worker Stream, employers can recruit recently graduated international students and foreign workers having the skills that are in demand in Nova Scotia. Employers can hire for only those positions which they have not been able to fill with Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
In order to apply under the Skilled Worker Category, the candidate must -
- Be 21 to 51 years of age
- Have an offer from a Nova Scotia employer for a full-time permanent job
- Demonstrate language ability equivalent to Canadian Language benchmark 5 for skilled workers and Canadian Language Benchmark 4 for semi-skilled or low-skilled worker
- Possess sufficient financial resources to settle in Nova Scotia successfully
- Possess a high school diploma
- Have at least 1 year of work experience related to the job. Low-skilled or semi-skilled workers must already have six months of experience with the employer
- Possess the skills, training and accreditation for the job
Nova Scotia PNP FAQs
Nova Scotia, a small Province in Canada, is a participant in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). This means that the Nova Scotian Government can nominate foreign workers that qualify for the PNP. Candidates will receive an NS PNP certificate that speeds up the Canadian PR Visa application process. Applicants can apply for Nova Scotia PNP under one of the 7 streams.
A candidate requires a minimum of 67 points out of a possible 100 to qualify for the Nova Scotia Express Entry stream PNP. The score is calculated by a points grid measuring language ability in English or French (28 points), education (25 points), age (12 points), work experience (15 points), employment prospects (10 points, )and adaptability (10 points).
There are plenty of occupations that are in demand in Nova scotia. The top two that are extremely in demand are physicians and registered nurses.
There are several jobs in demand in Nova Scotia. However, the top five jobs in demand are –
- Information Systems Analysts and Consultants
- Deck Officers
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Financial and Investment Analysts
- Database Analysts and Database Administrators.
Yes. A person outside of the express entry can submit an Expression of Interest to the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration. Applicants are then assessed according to points grid and then invited tao apply for NS PNP.
There is not a permanently fixed period for processing of the Nova Scotia PNP. However, the average processing time of selected applications is three months or more. The time required for processing depends largely on the visa category, the stream that you have opted for, etc. Once you have the Provincial Nominee Receipt, you need to submit an application to IRCC for Canadian PR.