Express Entry Updates: Second Nova Scotia Stream Launched and Ninth Draw Held for Canadian Immigration
Nova Scotia’s provincial nominee system has launched a new stream for skilled workers called Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry, which will complement the Nova Scotia Demand stream that opened in January. Like its predecessor, the Experience stream is aligned with the federal Express Entry immigration system, through which the Canadian government selects new immigrants on a priority basis and accelerates their application process. Express Entry recently had its ninth draw on May 22nd, 2015, in which 1,361 candidates for immigration were invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence.
Nova Scotia Experience
The Nova Scotia Experience stream facilitates access to permanent residence for highly skilled foreign workers who have been employed in Nova Scotia for one year or more. To qualify for the federal Express Entry pool, candidates must be eligible for one of the following federal economic immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker, or Federal Skilled Trades.
According to a press release from the Novia Scotia government, “The new immigration stream is a response to a recognition that some well-qualified candidates, with experience working in Nova Scotia, such as recent international graduates, were not being drawn from the federal Express Entry pool.”
Reports indicate that recent international graduates residing in Canada on post-graduate work permits have found it difficult to acquire an invitation to apply for permanent residence via the federal government’s Express Entry program. Express Entry uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) that allots 600 points to candidates with a Canadian job offer that has the support of a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Candidates may also earn 600 points if nominated under a Provincial Nominee Program immigration stream aligned with the federal Express Entry system.
How to qualify
To qualify for the new Nova Scotia Experience stream, a candidate must meet the following requirements:
- 21-55 years old
- at least 12 months full-time skilled work experience (or an equivalent amount of part-time employment) in Nova Scotia during the three years prior to your application
- proper authorization (e.g., work permit, etc.) for your employment in Nova Scotia
- Canadian high school or post-secondary educational credentials OR foreign credentials from a qualifying educational institution or authority. Foreign credentials also require an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an organization designated by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
- designated language levels for speaking, reading, writing, and listening abilities (CLB 7 for NOC 0 and A and CLB 5 for NOC B)
- proof of ability to become economically established in the province and reside there permanently
Candidates for the Nova Scotia Experience stream may either directly apply to the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) or be selected by the NSOI from the federal Express Entry pool. Both routes require the principal applicant to complete and submit an application to the immigration office.
The Nova Scotia Experience stream is aligned with the federal Express Entry System, which has been operational since January, and recently held its ninth draw. The results of this draw reflect the importance of Labour Market Impact Assessments and provincial nominations.
Ninth Federal Express Entry Draw favours LMIA-supported job offers and provincial nominations
In the ninth draw from the Express Entry pool, Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued invitations to candidates with a minimum of 755 points under the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The previous draw occurred five weeks earlier, making the the longest gap between draws since Express Entry launched at the start of 2015, and allowing for new candidates to enter the pool for the first time. Other candidates who were in the pool for previous draws had time to acquire a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a provincial nomination, two qualifications that figured significantly in the selections of the latest draw.
Unlike the four previous draws, the ninth and most recent draw included only candidates with a qualifying Canadian job offer or provincial nomination. A qualifying job offer requires a positive LMIA. With a job offer endorsed by a positive LMIA or an enhanced provincial nomination, a candidate receives 600 CRS points and an invitation to apply for permanent residence.
Under the Express Entry system, profiles submitted to the pool by eligible candidates are ranked according to the points-based CRS. In each draw from the pool, the federal government selects the top-ranking candidates to apply for permanent residence within 60 days. While the government’s goal is to process their applications within six months, early applications have been processed in fewer than three. To date, Express Entry has issued 8,927 invitations to apply for permanent residence. You may read more about the system and previous draws elsewhere on our website.