Nova Scotia to widen immigration scope for healthcare professions as announced in late September. Furthermore, foreign nationals will get a chance to immigrate to Nova Scotia. This will be possible under the Provincial Nominee Program, with the expansion of one stream.
As a result, immigration to Nova Scotia will be easier for international students who seek to participate as paramedics and pharmacy technicians.
This change came in the form of a recent announcement by the combined efforts of Michelle Thompson (Minister of Health, Nova Scotia) and Brian Wong, Minister of Advanced Education. This change will likely come into execution with the expansion of Nova Scotia’s International Graduates In Demand Stream. This stream is a part of PNP.
Nova Scotia to widen immigration scope for healthcare professions with IGD Stream of Nova Scotia PNP
PNPs came into existence and functioned in each Canadian province or territory. However, Quebec and Nunavut are exceptions. These programs enable local governments to issue nominations to particular candidates for permanent residence in their area. However, these candidates must be appropriate to combat the labor market gaps.
Before this recent expansion, international students who wished to work in the following professions could choose Nova Scotia immigration for this PNP stream:
- Early Childhood Educators and Assistants
- Nurse Aids, Patient Service Associates, and Orderlies
- Paramedics and Pharmacy Technicians
Moreover, to gain eligibility for immigration through Nova Scotia’s PNP stream, interested candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Must hold full-time permanent jobs under Nova Scotia’s employer in an eligible profession.
- Their age group must be between 21 and 55.
- High school education completion.
- Completion of a weeks-long course of study within the last three years.
- Demonstrate the required job certifications.
- Higher level of language proficiency with a CLB 5.
- Have a sufficient amount of money to establish themselves in Nova Scotia.
Additionally, they must complete at least fifty percent of eligible educational programs in Nova Scotia.
Immigration application of IGD stream under PNP
The following are the basic steps to apply for IGD Stream of PNP for Nova Scotia immigration:
- Gather and upload the relevant documents and submit them along with the complete application on the government’s website.
- After being approved, directly apply to IRCC for permanent residence within six months of getting a provincial nomination certificate.
Notably, applicants must ask for a Letter of Support for a temporary work permit via NSOI. Doing so will enable them to reside in the province while waiting for their application processing.
The requirement of Paramedics and Pharmacy Technicians – what is their immigration scope in Nova Scotia?
Nova Scotia’s Pharmacy Association confirmed to the CBC the province’s requirement of 200 Technicians in the upcoming few years.
According to Charbel Daniel, the director of Emergency Medical Care Inc., 150 to 200 paramedic openings could also be prevalent for international students.
Apart from the two professions among the IGD Stream of the Nova Scotia PNP, there is also immense demand for potential workers in several healthcare sectors in Canada.
Other healthcare professions are also highly in demand
According to Randstad, the following are the top three healthcare in-demand professions in Canada in 2023:
- Registered Nurses
- Healthcare Aides
- Personal Support Workers
Healthcare Aides are particularly eligible for Nova Scotia immigration through the IGD stream. According to the Canadian government, the following reflects the number of job vacancies for the above occupations between 2022 and 2031.
- Registered Nurses – 155,400
- Personal Support Workers – 34,500
- Healthcare Aides – 191,000
These above numbers emphasize the demand for more industry workers in the healthcare sectors throughout Canada, specifically Nova Scotia.
Arriving in Canada as a healthcare worker
To welcome an increased number of healthcare employees, IRCC even introduced the Category-based Express Entry draws. The first of these draws occurred on June 28, 2023.
These draws came into existence particularly to welcome candidates under Canadian immigration categories. These individuals can specifically confront Canada’s crucial labor market aspects.
As of 2023, IRCC sends invitations to eligible and potential candidates via category-based draws. However, they must demonstrate recent work experience in the five occupational categories. One of the prominent five categories in 2023 is dedicated to foreign nationals in healthcare.
They must also demonstrate recent and relevant work experience.
The history of Express Entry category-based draws
This year, Canada has held two Express Entry category-based draws for healthcare professionals. The first occurred on June 28, with 500 candidates receiving invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Candidates scoring 476 under the Comprehensive Ranking System were targeted for this specific draw.
The same category held another draw on July 6 this year. The draw even issued invitations to 1,500 candidates with the lowest score of 463.
