NSNP Express Entry – Skilled Worker

The NSNP Express Entry – Skilled Worker stream helps employers in Nova Scotia recruit and hire foreign workers and international graduates with skills that are in short supply in the province.

NSNP Express Entry – Skilled Worker overview

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP)The Skilled Worker stream offers a Canadian immigration route for foreign nationals with skills needed for positions the province cannot fill with permanent residents or Canadian citizens. The Skilled Worker stream is not linked toExpress Entry, meaning foreign nationals may apply for Canadian permanent residence even if they are not eligible for the federal Express Entry pool.

The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) does not publish a specific list of occupations or skills in short supply for the Skilled Worker stream. The NSOI does, however, use theNational Occupational Classification (NOC)to distinguish between three categories of occupation: Skilled Workers, Semi-Skilled Workers and Low-Skilled Workers.

Skilled Workers

This category is for individuals with experience in an occupation classified at NOC level 0, A or B, also known as highly skilled occupations. Priority is given to these highly skilled candidates.

Semi-Skilled Workers

This category is for workers whose occupation is classified at NOC level C. Applications in this category are considered only if all eligibility criteria are met and the candidate has worked for at least six months with a Nova Scotia employer supporting their permanent residence application.

Low-Skilled Workers

This category is for individuals whose occupation is classified at NOC level D. Applications in this category are considered only if all eligibility criteria are met and the candidate has worked for at least six months with a Nova Scotia employer supporting their permanent residence application. Strong employer support is required, such as contributions towards immigration fees, accommodation/housing, language training and a career training plan.

The NSOI does not consider applications from individuals holding a federal Post-Graduation Work Permit whose occupation is classified at NOC D.

Eligibility requirements for the Nova Scotia Skilled Worker stream

Minimum requirements for candidates

In addition to the general eligibility criteria set out above, all candidates, regardless of work experience, must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• If living in Canada, provide evidence of legal status;
• If applying from outside Canada, provide evidence of legal status in their current country of residence.
• Be aged between 21 and 55 at the time of application;
• Hold a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer (priority is given to NOC 0, A or B occupations). NOC C and D occupations are considered on the basis of labour market requirements/conditions, six (6) months of work with the same employer, and indicators of success in the application;
• Have completed at least secondary education (12 years of schooling);
• Hold the education, training and licence/certification needed to perform the work in Canada, where applicable;
• Have at least 12 months of relevant work experience in the past five years;
• Meet the language requirement for the programme:
  • For NOC level 0, A or B – CLB 5 in English or French. If the candidate’s first language is English or French, that is sufficient evidence. If the candidate’s first language is neither English nor French, they may submit the following as evidence of language ability:
    • Educational transcripts or other documents indicating that English or French was the language of instruction or the main language of communication;
    • Employment history and reference letters showing English or French as the main language of communication;
    • Internationally recognised test results demonstrating CLB/NCLC 5.
  • For NOC level C or D – CLB 4 in English or French. Semi-skilled and low-skilled workers must provide test results demonstrating that they meet CLB 4, even if their first language is English or French;
  • The NSOI considers test results only from the following designated bodies:
    • IELTS General Training
    • CELPIP General
    • TEF
• Demonstrate the intention and ability to settle in the province of Nova Scotia; and
• Demonstrate sufficient settlement support and financial resources to cover immigration and travel costs (where applicable) and to establish themselves successfully in the province.

Minimum requirements for employers

Employers sponsoring candidates through this programme must meet the following requirements:

• Be permanently established in Nova Scotia;
• Have operated in Nova Scotia, under current management, for at least two years;
• Issue a full-time, permanent job offer to the individual candidate;
  • The job must:
    • Be located in Nova Scotia;
    • Offer wages and benefits meeting provincial employment standards and prevailing wage rates;
    • Be a position for which there is a shortage of qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents;
    • Not breach any bargaining unit agreement or applicable employment agreement/standard, or relate to any labour dispute; and,
    • Job offers for occupations at NOC level C or D are considered on the basis of local labour market requirements and conditions;
• Demonstrate recruitment efforts to fill the position, with evidence predating the candidate’s current job offer. Evidence may be:
  • Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)a current active
  • Evidence that the position offered or the worker is considered LMIA-exempt; or
  • Three advertisements and related information meeting the stated conditions.
• Have a good history of workplace and business practice, and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Nova Scotia Skilled Worker stream application process

1. The principal candidate must gather and prepare the application package according to the document checklist provided by the NSNP.
2. The supporting employer must prepare the Employer Form.
3. Candidates submit the NSNP application online or by post. If documents are missing, not translated by a certified translator, or illegible, the application will not be assessed.
4. Applications are assessed by the NSOI beginning with a completeness check. During assessment, the NSOI may request an interview with the candidate and/or contact the employer to gather information or seek clarification.
   • If approved, the candidate receives a letter from the NSOI confirming their nomination.
   • If an application is under consideration for refusal, the candidate (or their representative) receives a letter of intent to refuse. The candidate has 10 working days to provide further information to the NSOI.
5. Nominated candidates may choose to apply for a temporary work permit, or to extend an existing work permit, with the NSOI’s support. The support letter replaces the LMIA when applying for a new work permit. The work permit allows the candidate to continue working in Nova Scotia while the Canadian permanent residence visa application is processed.
6. Candidates must submit a complete permanent residence visa application within 6 months of receiving the Nomination Letter. IRCC makes the final decision on issuing the permanent residence visa on the basis of the candidate continuing to meet the eligibility requirements and passing medical, criminal record and security checks.
7. Once Confirmation of Permanent Residence is issued to the candidate, their spouse and dependants, the candidate must contact the NSOI within 30 days of arriving in Canada.

Those not eligible

Foreign nationals should not apply under this stream if they:

• Are individuals who have received a nomination under the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program within the past 12 months;
• Are applying on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, are refugee claimants or failed refugee claimants;
• Are not lawfully present in their current country of residence;
• Are in Canada unlawfully, are subject to a removal order, or are inadmissible to enter or remain in Canada;
• Are individuals without legal status; they are not eligible to apply until their status is restored;
• Are international students currently studying at a Canadian post-secondary institution;
• Are international graduates who studied in Canada whose programme was funded by an agency or government and who are contractually obliged to return to their country of origin;
• Hold a federal Post-Graduation Work Permit for an occupation at NOC skill level D;
• Are individuals with unresolved child custody or child support disputes concerning any dependant;
• Are seasonal, part-time or casual workers;
• Work in a sales position remunerated on commission only;
• Are individuals in Canada taking part in a Caregiver Programme;
• Hold a job that is not located in Nova Scotia;
• Are passive investors (individuals intending to invest in a business in Nova Scotia with very limited or no involvement in its day-to-day management);
• Base their application on a job offer in which they are self-employed in Nova Scotia;
• Base their application on a job offer in which they are a principal shareholder in a business in Nova Scotia;
• Base their application on a job offer in which they intend to start a business and/or become self-employed in Nova Scotia.