Nova Scotia is investing another $3 million in solutions funding to boost English-language training, support health care workers and francophone populations, and other community initiatives to improve immigrant retention through activities tailored to each region.
“We are very pleased to have attracted so many skilled professionals to Nova Scotia this past year in areas where we need them most,” said provincial Immigration Minister Jill Balser.
“I am grateful that they chose Nova Scotia as their new home and that Nova Scotians across the province continue to welcome them and help them settle into their new lives and communities.”
Last year, the Canadian Atlantic province saw an 88.9 percent increase in the number of health care workers and 85.8 percent of construction professionals approved through immigration programs.
In 2023, Nova Scotia welcomed 763 health care workers and 244 construction workers.
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“The need for talented healthcare providers, nurses, continuing care aides and more has never been greater,” said Vanessa White, a vice president at healthcare services provider Shannex International.
“International recruitment and immigration is one way we can meet our community’s need for care and services with talented, compassionate and diverse teams that create more inclusive workplaces.”
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Nova Scotia construction firms got extra help recruiting construction workers from abroad last year with the launch of the Critical Construction Worker Pilot which targeted 21 occupations in the construction sector.
Those occupations of the construction industry and their affiliation National Classification of Occupations (NOC) 2021 The system codes are:
- 70010 Construction manager
- 70011 Home Construction and Renovation Managers
- 72011 Contractors and supervisors, electrical trade and telecommunications trades
- 72014 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
- 72020 Contractors and supervisors, mechanical trades
- 72106 Welders and Related Machine Operators
- 72200 Electricians (except industrial and energy system)
- 72201 Industrial electricians
- 72310 Carpenters
- 72320 Bricklayers
- 72401 Heavy Equipment Mechanics
- 72402 Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics
- 72500 Crane operator
- 73100 Concrete Processor
- 73102 Plaster, Drywall Installer and Finisher and Foam
- 73110 Roofers and shingles
- 73200 Residential and Commercial Installers and Servicers
- 73400 Heavy equipment operators
- 75101 Material handlers
- 75110 Construction trades helpers and workers
- 75119 Other auxiliary trades and workers
This new pathway to permanent residency in Nova Scotia is open to those who:
- have a permanent full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in one of the eligible occupations;
- have one year of work experience related to the workplace;
- have a high school diploma or proof that they have completed a construction industry specific training program;
- are between 21 and 55 years old;
- can prove language skills equivalent to the Canadian Language Standard (CLB) Level 5 (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, 3) or CLB Level 4 (NOC TEER 4 and 5) even if their first language is English or French , and;
- demonstrate sufficient financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia, whose population reached 1,066,416 on Oct. 1 last year, welcomed 11,800 new residents last year, including those who arrived through immigration and net migration programs from other regions in Canada.
