Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry (Closed)

The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry is one of the streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), operated by the province of Nova Scotia. This stream is designed to target newcomers who will be able to fill shortages in Nova Scotia’s labour forces by quickly and easily integrating into the workforce.

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Aligned with the federal Express Entry system, successful applicants to the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream receive a 600 point boost to their Express Entry profiles, virtually guaranteeing them an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence. This stream is divided into two separate categories with unique program requirements and application procedures. Please read below to learn more about the various requirements for the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry categories:

Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry - Category A

The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Category A has one central requirement which distinguishes it from Category B. Category A requires all applicants to have a full-time, skilled job offer from a Nova Scotia employer. In addition, applicants also must meet the general program requirements which are largely aligned with requirements for Express Entry candidates.

Program Requirements

Requirement
Express Entry ProfileYes
Connection to ProvinceNo
Job OfferYes
Language ProficiencyCLB 7
Level of EducationHigh school
Work ExperienceNOC A, B, or 0
1 year
Investment RequirementNone

Express Entry Requirement

To be eligible for Category A of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry 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. This work experience does not have to be continuous, but it must 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.

 

Job Offer

In order for a job offer to qualify under this program, the offer must be for a position which is full-time, permanent, and at National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level A, B, or 0. The job offer also must be supported by a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or be exempt from needing one.

 

Language Proficiency

Candidates for this stream must have valid language test scores showing proficiency equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 7 or higher.

 

Points Assessment Grid

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream, candidates must score at least 67 points on the province’s points assessment grid.

 

Application Procedure

Category A accepts applications at all times, there is no specific intake period. If an applicant is qualified, they can submit their application using the Nova Scotia online immigration portal. Successful applicants will receive a nomination from Nova Scotia. After accepting the provincial nomination, the applicant’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score will increase by 600 points, virtually guaranteeing they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next Express Entry draw.

After receiving an ITA, the applicant has 90 days to prepare and submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence. Applications for permanent residence submitted through Express Entry are generally processed within six months.

Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry - Category B

The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Category B has one central requirement which distinguishes it from Category A. Category B requires all applicants to have a minimum of 12-months of full-time, skilled work experience in one of Nova Scotia’s in-demand occupations. In addition, applicants must meet the general program requirements which are largely aligned with requirements for Express Entry candidates.

Program Requirements

Requirement
Express Entry ProfileYes
Connection to ProvinceNo
Job OfferNo
Language ProficiencyCLB 7
Level of EducationHigh school
Work ExperienceIn-Demand Occupation List
1 year
Investment RequirementNone

Express Entry Requirement

To be eligible for Category B of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry 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. This work experience does not have to be continuous, but it must 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.

 

Language Proficiency

Candidates for this stream must have valid language test scores showing proficiency equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 7 or higher.

 

Work Experience

Candidates applying through this stream must have a minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience in one of Nova Scotia’s In-Demand Occupations.

 

Points Assessment Grid

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream, candidates must score at least 67 points on the province’s points assessment grid.

 

Settlement Funds

All candidates for this stream must meet the settlement funds requirement as determined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This can be demonstrated through their own finances, or through maintaining a valid offer of employment.

 

Nova Scotia Target Occupations List

In order to qualify for Category B of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream, a candidate must have at least 12 months of full-time, skilled work experience in one of the occupations listed below. Work experience must have been obtained within the last 5 years.

Occupation TitleNOC CodeSkill Level
Financial auditors and accountants 1111A
Other financial officers1114A
Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations1123A
Administrative assistants1241B
Accounting technicians and bookkeepers 1311B
Civil engineers 2131A
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses 3012A
Licensed practical nurses 3233B
College and other vocational instructors 4021A
Paralegal and related occupations 4211B
Social and community service workers 4212B

*Disclaimer: This list is subject to change at any point in time at the sole discretion of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration. The province has been known to update this list multiple times per year without prior warning.

 

Application Procedure

Category B of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream only accepts applications during periodic intakes. Eligible applicants must wait for the program to open before they can submit an application. Submitted applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. When the category opens, qualified applicants can complete applications online via the Nova Scotia online immigration portal. As soon as the program reaches its predetermined quota for the intake round, the online portal will stop accepting new applications.

In the history of the program, intake periods result in incredibly high web-traffic to the Nova Scotia online immigration portal. This can cause technical problems for those seeking to submit applications and makes it difficult to guarantee a successful submission in advance. Those interested in submitting to this category should be aware of the risks related to applying to this program. Successful applicants will receive a nomination from Nova Scotia.

After accepting the provincial nomination, the applicant’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score will increase by 600 points, virtually guaranteeing they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next Express Entry draw.

After receiving an ITA, the applicant must prepare and submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence within the designated timeframe. Applications for permanent residence submitted through Express Entry are generally processed within six months.

Category B - Recent Draws

Below is the information regarding recent Nova Scotia Entrepreneur draws and the historic information about issuance of invitations to apply.

Date OpenDate ClosedApplications Accepted
November 17, 2018November 17, 2018225
April 27, 2018April 27, 2018350
December 9, 2017December 10, 2017175 to 225
October 11, 2017October 12, 2017250 to 300
July 5, 2017July 5, 2017Not Disclosed
May 8, 2017May 11, 2017250

Points Assessment Grid

The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream requires that all candidates score at least 67 out of 100 points on the Nova Scotia Points Assessment Grid.

Overview of Factors

Selection factor Points
Education 25
Ability in English and/or French 28
Work experience 15
Age 12
Arranged employment in Nova Scotia 10
Adaptability10
Minimum Pass Mark67

Education

Education Points
University degree at the Doctoral (PhD) level 25
University degree at the Master’s level
OR
University level entry-to-practice professional degree or equal
For entry-to-practice professional degrees, the degree program must have been in:
medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, optometry, podiatry, law, chiropractic
medicine, or pharmacy
AND
The related occupation must be:
• NOC 2016 Skill Level A, and
• licensed by a provincial regulatory body
23
Two or more post-secondary degrees or diplomas (at least one must be for a program of at least three years)22
Post-secondary degree or diploma for a program of three years or longer21
Post-secondary degree or diploma for a two-year program19
Post-secondary degree or diploma for a one-year program15
Secondary school diploma (high school graduation)5
Less than secondary school (high school)Ineligible
Maximum25

Language

Language AbilityPoints
First Official LanguageSpeakingListeningReading Writing
CLB level 9 or higher6666
CLB level 85555
CLB level 74444
Below CLB 7Not eligible to apply
Second Official Language
At least CLB 5 in each of the four abilities4
CLB 4 or less in any of the four abilities0
Maximum28

Work Experience

Work ExperiencePoints
Less than 1 year Ineligible
1 year 9
2-3 years 11
4-5 years 13
6 or more 15
Maximum15

Age

Age Points
Under 18 years of age Ineligible
18-35 years of age 12
36 years of age 11
37 years of age10
38 years of age 9
39 years of age 8
40 years of age 7
41 years of age 6
42 years of age 5
43 years of age 4
44 years of age 3
45 years of age 2
46 years of age 1
47 years of age or older0
Maximum12

Arranged Employment

Arranged EmploymentPoints
Valid job offer10
Maximum10

Adaptability

AdaptabilityPoints
A. Arranged employment (principal applicant only)
You earned points under Factor 5: Arranged Employment
5
B. Your previous study in Nova Scotia
You completed at least two academic years of full-time study (in a program of at least two years in duration) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Nova Scotia in the past five years. Full-timestudy means at least 15 hours of classes per week, and you must have remained in good academic standing (as defined by the school) during the period of full-time study in Nova Scotia.
5
C. Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s previous study in Nova Scotia
Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner completed at least two academicyears of full-time study (in a program of at least two years in duration) at a secondary orpost- secondary school in Nova Scotia in the past five years. Full-time study means at least 15 hours of classes per week, and your accompanying spouse or common-law partner must have remained ingood academic standing (as defined by the school) during the period of full-time study inNova Scotia.
5
D. Your previous work in Nova Scotia
You completed a minimum of one year of authorized, fulltime work in Nova Scotia in an occupation in Skill Type 0, Skill Level A or B of NOC2016 in the past five years.
10
E. Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s previous work in Nova Scotia
Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner completed a minimum of one year of authorized, full-time work in Nova Scotia in the past five years.
5
F. Relatives in Nova Scotia
You or, if applicable, your accompanying spouse or common-law partner have a relative, (parent, grandparent, brother/sister, aunt/uncle or niece/nephew), who is 19 years of age or older as of the date we receive your application, and who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident residing in Nova Scotia.
5
G. Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s level of language proficiency
Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner’s level of language proficiency in either English or French is at the CLB 4 level or higher in all four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing). To receive points for your spouse or common-law partner’s language proficiency, you must submit a copy of the language test results from a designated testing agency with your application. Your spouse or common-law partner’s language test results must not be more than two years old at the time of application to NSOI. Language test results must remain valid throughout the assessment process with NSOI and remain valid at time of submission of a complete application for permanent residence to IRCC.
5
Maximum10

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