The province of Nova Scotia is highly desired by immigrants seeking to become Canadian permanent residents, owing to the lucrative job opportunities, low cost and high standard of living in the region. Potential settlers can apply for the Nova Scotia PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) through various streams – dedicated towards specific immigrant profiles. The Labour Market Priorities stream draws candidates under the Express Entry System, who can fulfil the local labour market requirements of Nova Scotia.

The Labour Market Priorities draw conducted on January 24, 2019 by the government of Nova Scotia indicated a preference towards candidates who:

• Have at least 5 years of work experience as financial auditors and accountants (National Occupation Classification 1111).
• Filed their Express Entry profiles on or after 1^st July, 2018.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or have successfully finished a program lasting for at least three years, from a post-secondary educational institution.
• Achieved at least Canadian Language Benchmark 7 in English or French language skills.
• Scored between 400 to 450 points in the Comprehensive Ranking System – based on age, work experience, level of education, language proficiency, and adaptability factors.

Check Your Eligibility

300 aspirants who fulfilled this criteria were issued a Letter of Interest to apply for a nomination. This application must be submitted within 30 days of receiving the Letter. In order to apply, a candidate must:

• Fulfil the work experience requirements under the relevant express entry stream.
• Showcase adequate funds to cover immigration and travel expenses, and support themselves and dependents after arriving in the province.
• Possess legal status in their country of residence.
• Satisfy the eligibility criteria valid at the time of receiving the Letter of Interest.

Receiving a nomination contributes 600 additional points to the applicant’s CRS score. This drastically increases the likelihood of the application being selected from the Express Entry pool and receiving a Nova Scotia provincial nomination. Subsequently, the aspirant will receive an Invitation to Apply from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and can finally apply for permanent residence.

In 2018, the Nova Scotia PNP welcomed 5,970 immigrants to live as permanent residents in the province– a record high in comparison to previous years. Nova Scotia has a 71% immigrant retention rate – the highest in the region. With the introduction of the Labour Market Priorities stream in 2018, the prospect of transitioning smoothly to this abundant land is more attainable now than ever before.