– NEW SCOTIA –

Skilled Workers

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program seeks Skilled Workers who wish to settle in the province and who are qualified to fill critical skills shortages. Individuals in most skilled occupations can qualify, provided that a Nova Scotia employer offers standard wages and working conditions for that occupational field. Also, the employer must have exhausted all other means of finding workers.

Do you meet the following criteria for becoming a Skilled Worker through the NSNP?

• A guaranteed job offer from a Nova Scotia employer
• The desire for permanent, full-time employment
• Basic literacy in English, or French and English
• Minimum of Nova Scotia grade 12 or equivalent (generally, 13 years of schooling)
• Legal working age (18)

Skilled Worker applications require a two-stage processing fee of $5,500, which includes a $1,700 non-refundable application fee.

Business Categories

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program allows immigrants to carefully review their work options in the province before making a long-term commitment. Specifically, the Program gives each Economic Nominee a six-month work experience contract with a Nova Scotia employer. This serves as a valuable orientation to basic business operations in the province – as well as a chance to assess your range of job opportunities and the best fit for your skills over the long term.

If you are an experienced manager and/or business owner seeking to become an Economic Nominee, do you meet the following requirements?

• The applicant should have reached the minimum age of 25 years, and be no more than 60 years of age at the time of his/her application;
• The applicant should have basic skills in English, or French and English. These skills would include speaking, reading, and writing, and would be sufficient for the applicant to be understood or function in a job situation;
• The applicant should have a minimum education of grade 12 (or equivalent);
• The applicant should have owned (wholly or in partnership) and operated a business. OR, the applicant should have two years (in the previous 5 years) of management experience. This experience may be in a business, governmental, institutional, or other organizational unit, either for profit or not for profit;
• The applicant must have legally accumulated, by his or her own endeavors, a minimum net worth of Canadian $300,000. Documentation is required, supporting the applicant’s net worth and method of accumulation;
• The applicant must make a one-time, non-refundable economic contribution of $128,800. This amount will be held in trust and returned, without deduction or interest, if the applicant is refused a Canadian residence visa;
• Upon visa issuance and subsequent landing in Canada, the nominee will be able to select, from a list of companies approved by the Province of Nova Scotia, a six month middle management work experience contract with a salary of $20,000;

At the time of interview, the applicant must state his/her intention of settling in the Province of Nova Scotia.