In March 2015, the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration launched a
new provincial immigration stream – Nova Scotia Experience:
Express Entry.
This stream was created in response to concerns that some
highly-qualified individuals with work experience in Nova Scotia
who applied under the federal Canadian Experience Class were not
being drawn from the federal Express Entry pool as they did not
have either a provincial nomination or a Labour Market Impact
Assessment (LMIA) to support a job offer.
This new provincial stream will allow applicants who are currently
working in Nova Scotia on an LMIA-exempt Work Permit or who have
worked in Nova Scotia in the past to apply for permanent
residence.
The eligibility criteria for this stream are that the
applicant:
- Must be between the ages of 21 and 55;
- Must have at least 12 months of full time (or an equivalent amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Nova Scotia in the 3 years before applying;
- Must have at least a high school education as demonstrated by an Educational Credential Assessment;
- Must demonstrate English or French language skills through a recognized language test; and
- Must demonstrate a commitment to live in Nova Scotia permanently.
Note that qualifying work experience cannot be gained through
unpaid internships, co-op placements or volunteer work. It must be
paid work experience.
As this program targets skilled immigrants, the work experience
must be in an occupation that is classified under the National
Occupation Classification ("NOC") matrix as NOC O, A or
B. Work experience in low-skilled jobs classified as either NOC C
or D will not qualify.
This new stream will not require an employer's involvement at
any stage of the process. No recruitment or advertising is required
and there are no financial requirements. This is an exciting
development.
The Office of Immigration is only accepting 750 applications under
this stream. If you or someone you know qualifies for the Nova
Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream, now is the time to prepare
and submit your application.
As always, our immigration team here at Cox & Palmer is ready,
willing and able to provide advice on whether you qualify under
this new stream and to assist in making an application for
permanent residence.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.