NSNP Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities

The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities target Express Entry candidates who meet specific labour market needs in the province.

The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream is one of several immigration streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities is intended for the Express Entry candidates who are having an experience in extremely high-demand occupations or those with proficiency in the province’s language priorities. This unique stream of NSNP is flexible and the specified occupations and criteria may vary from draw to draw, depending on Nova Scotia’s Labour market and social needs.

Candidates interested in applying under this stream must have a valid federal Express Entry profile under one of the three federal economic immigration programs – Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades (FSTC) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Aligned with the federal Express Entry system, successful applicants to the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream receive a 600 point boost to their Express Entry profiles, virtually guaranteeing them an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence. The program sometimes announces occupations in advance of intake, but sometimes occupations are not announced and candidates are invited directly from the Express Entry pool.

Eligibility Requirement

Express Entry

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream, applicants must be registered in the federal Express Entry pool. To submit a profile to the pool, applicants must be eligible for at least one of three federal Economic programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker requires candidates to have, at minimum, a high school diploma, as well as at least one year of continuous full-time, skilled work experience.
• Canadian Experience Class has no minimum education requirement. CEC candidates must have a minimum of one year of full-time Canadian skilled work experience and have been obtained within the three years prior to application.
• Federal Skilled Trades has no minimum education requirement. FST candidates must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade occupation. Candidates must also have either an offer of employment to work in a skilled trade in Canada or a certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian authority.

Settlement Fund

To be eligible for Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream candidate must demonstrate sufficient funds to successfully establish yourself and your family in Nova Scotia and to pay your immigration costs and travel expenses.

Language Proficiency

Candidates for this stream must meet the minimum language proficiency and education requirements of their Express Entry program. The candidates with high French-Language proficiency may have more chances to be selected for the nomination.

Work Experience

The candidate must meet the minimum work-experience requirements of the Express Entry stream for which they have qualified. The program often requires applicants to have work experience in a specific occupation. Eligible occupations change regularly and are announced by the province.

Application Procedure

To be considered under this NSNP stream, candidates must have a registered profile in the federal government’s Express Entry selection system. To apply under the Labour Market Priorities Stream, Express Entry candidates must first receive a Letter of Interest through their federal Express Entry profile. Candidates with a Letter of Interest from the Government of Nova Scotia will have 30 days to submit a complete application with required supporting documents online to the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI).

A list of the draw-specific supporting documents required for the application process will be posted on the NSNP website. All supporting documents must be provided as a portable document format (PDF) files. If documents are not in English or in French, the candidate must submit a copy of the original document and a copy of the certified translation. Candidates will need to provide the letters of reference to support the work experience listed in the Express Entry profile as well as the requirements outlined by the NSOI. Other documents include official banking statements to show proof of settlement funds and a copy of a valid passport or temporary resident visa if the applicant is not a citizen of their country of residence (including Canada).

If an application is approved, the candidate receives a letter from the NSOI through their online Express Entry profile. The NSOI will also provide the candidate (or representative) with a Nomination Certificate via email. Applications that are being considered for refusal will receive a letter of Intent to Refuse from the NSOI. These candidates will have 10 business days to submit further documents to be re-assessed.  If an application is refused, there is no appeal process and the decision made by the NSOI is final.

Candidates will have 30 calendar days to accept the nomination from Nova Scotia. Once accepted, the next step is to obtain an Invitation to Apply from IRCC in a federal draw. Candidates in the Express Entry pool who receive a provincial nomination certificate from Nova Scotia will be awarded an additional 600 points towards their Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.

When a permanent residence is granted, foreign nationals must contact the NSOI within 30 days of arrival in Nova Scotia. This can be done by providing the NSOI with a copy of the Confirmation of Permanent Residence, a copy of your passport and your Nova Scotia contact information such as a current address, phone number(s) and email address.

Ineligible Applicants

Foreign nationals are not eligible for this stream if they:

• have received a nomination under the NSNP dated within the last 12 months; or
• are a refugee claimant or a failed refugee claimant who has not yet left Canada.

Recent Intake Rounds

Below is the information regarding past intake rounds for the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream.