In late September 2023, Nova Scotia announced the extension of its one stream under its provincial nomination program (PNP). As per this, certain immigrants from foreign countries may soon be allowed to come to Nova Scotia. 

This effort will increase the possibility for international students to immigrate to Nova Scotia who aspire to become paramedics or pharmacy technicians in specific Canadian provinces. 

This modification was announced jointly by the Minister of Health of Nova Scotia, Mr. Michelle Thompson, and Nova Scotia’s Minister of Advanced Education, Mr. Brain Wong. This modification takes effect as the province of Nova Scotia intends to increase the ‘International Graduates in Demand’ IGD Stream of its regional PNP. 

The IGD PNP Stream of Nova Scotia. 

Almost every Canadian province and territory uses the PNP (Provincial Nomination Program) except Quebec and Nunavut. These programs allow provincial governments to select potential candidates for Canadian permanent residence (PR) who can help the province address the local labor market needs. 

Under the IGD PNP stream of Nova Scotia, the overseas graduates who desire jobs in the below-stated professions may immigrate to the province before extending this stream. 

  • National Occupation Classification 2021: 33102- Nurse assistants, orderlies, and patient service associates 
  • NOC 2021: 42202- Early childhood educators & assistants 
  • NOC 2021, “Paramedical Occupations”: 32102 -Paramedics; and 
  • NOC 2021: 32124 -Pharmacy Technicians 

Eligibility requirements for the IGD PNP Stream 

International immigrants who desire to immigrate through the IGD PNP Stream of Nova Scotia are required to satisfy the following eligibility criteria: 

  • They must have a full-time permanent job letter in an eligible occupation from an employer in Nova Scotia. 
  • They must be of ages between 21 and 55 
  • They must be at least a high-school-qualified 
  • They must have finished a program of study lasting at least 30 weeks within the past three years. The half of the qualification program must have been undertaken in the province of Nova Scotia. 
  • They must hold the necessary certificates and qualifications required for the job. 
  • They must demonstrate proficiency in the official language, which is equal to a level of 5 as per the Canadian Level Benchmark (CLB) 
  • They must possess sufficient financial resources to establish themselves in Nova Scotia Permanently. 

The process to apply under the IGD PNP stream of Nova Scotia for provincial immigration 

If you desire to immigrate to Nova Scotia under the IGD PNP stream, the following are the simple steps to follow: 

  • Visit the province’s official website, upload the needed documents, and submit a complete immigration application. 
  • Once your application is authorized, you can apply to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) directly for Canadian permanent residence. This must be done within six months of obtaining the provincial nomination certificate. 

Note: For a temporary work permit, applicants may request a Letter of Support from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI). This letter will enable the applicants to stay and work in the province of Nova Scotia while their application is being reviewed by the department. 

The demand for Paramedics and pharmacy technicians in Nova Scotia  

As per the chief executive of Nova Scotia’s Pharmacy Association, the province will need around 200 Pharmacy technicians over the upcoming few years. 

In addition to this, as per the head of operations for ambulance services provider Emergency Medical Care Inc., Mr. Charbel Daniel, around 150 to 200 paramedical positions may be open for international students. 

Furthermore, there is a great demand for qualified individuals intending to work in various healthcare occupations across Canada, aside from the two occupations introduced to Nova Scotia’s PNP, i.e., the IGD stream. 

Requirement of other in-demand healthcare workers 

The following are the top three in-demand healthcare workers within Canada for 2023, as per Randstad employment agency and consulting organization. 

  • Registered Nurses (NOC 2021: 31301) 
  • Healthcare Aides/Assistants (NOC 2021: 33102) 
  • Personal Support Workers (NOC 2021: 44101) 

Among the above three occupations, Healthcare Assistants are also eligible for immigrating to the province of Nova Scotia under the IGD stream. 

Also, as per the Canadian Government, the below-stated numbers are expected job vacancies for each of the above-mentioned top occupations between 2023 and 2031: 

  • Registered Nurses-155,400 
  • Healthcare Assistants-191,000 
  • Personal support workers-34,500 

These numbers reflect the increasing demand for healthcare workers across Canada, including the province of Nova Scotia. 

Immigration of healthcare workers to Canada 

IRCC has started holding Category-based selection rounds of invitations under Express Entry. This was intended to attract candidates in different occupations, including Healthcare workers. The first draw for healthcare professionals occurred on June 28, 2023. 

The category-based draws were expressly designed to attract potential candidates who can assist the country in addressing the most pressing labor market challenges. IRCC invites eligible and interested candidates through category-based draws who have work experience in one of the five selected occupation-based categories for 2023. Healthcare is one of the five categories of Express Entry category-based draws. 

The overview of category-based draws for the Healthcare sector 

As of now, IRCC has held two Express Entry category-based draws for healthcare professionals this year. The first one occurred on June 28. In this draw, a total of 500 candidates received the ITA for permanent residence and required a CRS score of 476. The second draw for healthcare workers occurred on July 6. A total of 1500 candidates received the ITA with a minimum required CRS score of 463.