Nova Scotia’s contribution to economic recovery by increasing immigration levels

The coastal province of Nova Scotia ended 2020 by accepting more immigrants than planned at the beginning of the year. By approving a growing number of immigrants in 2020, Nova Scotia is paving the way for economic recovery over the next few years. A total of 3,517 immigration applicants were approved last year, many of whom, like medical staff, specialize in essential services or are currently resident in Canada. People currently living outside the country are expected to enter Canada once travel restrictions due to the coronavirus are lifted. The focus on essential services this year means that the bulk of the treatment workforce, such as physician assistants, nurses and doctors, have continued to reside in the province.

Due to the pandemic, immigration levels in 2020 were lower than in 2019. Despite this, Nova Scotia continued to review applications for the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). This province seems to be focused on attracting specialized foreign talent or specialized jobs suitable for labor shortages. In addition, Nova Scotia seeks to retain international students after graduation. Last year, 1,018 students stayed in Nova Scotia after graduation, a significant increase from 2014, when only 35 graduates remained in the province.

Nova Scotia immigration procedures Applicants for permanent immigration to Nova Scotia have two options: the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) and the Nova Scotia Selective Program (NSNP). The AIP allows employers in Atlantic Canada to hire foreign workers for jobs that could not be done locally. Employers do not need a labor market impact assessment (LMIA) in this case. Atlantic Canada includes four provinces: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. Applicants who enter Canada through the AIP program must have a job offer from an accredited employer and submit their residence plan. Applicants who receive a job offer from an employer in Atlantic Canada are referred to one of the residence service centers through the employer to submit their residence program. In the NSNP program, applicants can choose their appropriate subgroup from eight different immigration streams:

Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry, for Express Entry applicants who have worked in Nova Scotia for at least one year.

Nova Scotia Labor Market Priority, for Express Entry applicants who meet specific labor market needs.

Nova Scotia job market priority for physicians, for Express Entry applicants with a job offer as a family physician with a specialty physician.

Physician stream, for physicians who have a job offer in Nova Scotia and are not enrolled in the Express Entry system.

The flow of specialized labor, for the specialized labor who have received a job offer in this province.

In-demand job flow, for the workforce with a job offer in an occupation that is identified as “in-demand”.

Entrepreneurship stream, for people who want to start a business in this province.

Entrepreneurship stream for international graduates, for graduates who want to start a business in this province.