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.
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 Profile | Yes |
| Connection to Province | No |
| Job Offer | Yes |
| Language Proficiency | CLB 7 |
| Level of Education | High school |
| Work Experience | NOC A, B, or 0 1 year |
| Investment Requirement | None |
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 Profile | Yes |
| Connection to Province | No |
| Job Offer | No |
| Language Proficiency | CLB 7 |
| Level of Education | High school |
| Work Experience | In-Demand Occupation List 1 year |
| Investment Requirement | None |
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 Title | NOC Code | Skill Level |
|---|---|---|
| Financial auditors and accountants | 1111 | A |
| Other financial officers | 1114 | A |
| Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations | 1123 | A |
| Administrative assistants | 1241 | B |
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 1311 | B |
| Civil engineers | 2131 | A |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 3012 | A |
| Licensed practical nurses | 3233 | B |
| College and other vocational instructors | 4021 | A |
| Paralegal and related occupations | 4211 | B |
| Social and community service workers | 4212 | B |
*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 Open | Date Closed | Applications Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| November 17, 2018 | November 17, 2018 | 225 |
| April 27, 2018 | April 27, 2018 | 350 |
| December 9, 2017 | December 10, 2017 | 175 to 225 |
| October 11, 2017 | October 12, 2017 | 250 to 300 |
| July 5, 2017 | July 5, 2017 | Not Disclosed |
| May 8, 2017 | May 11, 2017 | 250 |
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 |
| Adaptability | 10 |
| Minimum Pass Mark | 67 |
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 longer | 21 |
| Post-secondary degree or diploma for a two-year program | 19 |
| Post-secondary degree or diploma for a one-year program | 15 |
| Secondary school diploma (high school graduation) | 5 |
| Less than secondary school (high school) | Ineligible |
| Maximum | 25 |
Language
| Language Ability | Points | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Official Language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
| CLB level 9 or higher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB level 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CLB level 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Below CLB 7 | Not eligible to apply | |||
| Second Official Language | ||||
| At least CLB 5 in each of the four abilities | 4 | |||
| CLB 4 or less in any of the four abilities | 0 | |||
| Maximum | 28 | |||
Work Experience
| Work Experience | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | Ineligible |
| 1 year | 9 |
| 2-3 years | 11 |
| 4-5 years | 13 |
| 6 or more | 15 |
| Maximum | 15 |
Age
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 18 years of age | Ineligible |
| 18-35 years of age | 12 |
| 36 years of age | 11 |
| 37 years of age | 10 |
| 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 older | 0 |
| Maximum | 12 |
Arranged Employment
| Arranged Employment | Points |
|---|---|
| Valid job offer | 10 |
| Maximum | 10 |
Adaptability
| Adaptability | Points |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Maximum | 10 |
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