Federal Immigration Program

In addition to the NSNP, individuals wishing to immigrate to Nova Scotia may qualify under the following federal immigration programs:

This program allows qualifying applicants to make a passive investment in return for permanent residence. Eligibility criteria and requirements: – Worldwide net worth of minimum 10 Million Canadian Dollars from lawful, profit-making business activities – Completion of post-secondary education (Canadian equivalency required) – Proficiency in English or French – 2 Million CAD investment (non-guaranteed) in the program’s designated investment fund for a minimum term of 15 years.
This category provides permanent residence to applicants who have a Canadian venture capital or angel investor-backed business plan for the creation of a start-up venture in Canada. The plan will be reviewed and assessed by the Canadian Venture Capital Association and the National Angel Capital Organization to determine the qualifications of the proposed start-ups. At least one year of post-secondary education and functional English or French are required.
The Self-Employed Class provides for permanent residence for applicants who qualify as world-class artists, high-performance athletes and experienced farmers intending to purchase and operate a farm in Canada.

There are three federal skilled worker categories: Federal Skilled Workers, Federal Skilled Trades and Canada Experience Class.

  1. Federal Skilled Workers – Applicants must meet the following requirements:
    • one-year of continuous full-time paid work experience or the equivalent in part-time continuous employment within the previous 10 years in one of 347 eligible NOC occupations;
    • work experience must be classified within Skill Type 0 (Managerial Occupations), Skill Level A (Professional Occupations), or Skill Level B (Technical Occupations and Skilled Trades);
    • Meet minimum criteria of 67 points.
    • Undergo language testing from a recognized third party and demonstrate intermediate level language skills in English or French corresponding to the Canadian Language Benchmark of 7;
    • Possess suitable settlement funding; and
    • Undergo a successful security background and medical examination.
  2. Federal Skilled Trades – The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. Applicants must meet the following requirements:
    • plan to live outside the province of Quebec
    • meet the required levels in English or French for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening),
    • have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the five years before you apply,
    • meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the NOC, except for needing a certificate of qualification, and
    • have an offer of full-time employment for a total period of at least one year or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial authority.
  3. Canada Experience Class –   for applicants who have a minimum of one year of performing skilled work in Canada
    • have at least 12 months of full-time (or an equal amount in part-time) skilled work experience in Canada in the three years before you apply,
    • have gained your experience in Canada with the proper authorization,
    • meet the required language levels needed for your job for each language ability (speaking, reading, writing and listening),
    • plan to live outside the province of Quebec.

Skilled work experience means jobs with a NOC skill level O or skill type A or B To learn more about eligibility requirements and processes for federal immigration streams, click here [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp]  

A number of the Nova Scotia and federal streams use the CIC Express Entry system for recruitment and assessment of potential candidates. Express Entry began on January 1, 2015 as an online application process with the goal of streamlining the immigration process for permanent residency. Participation in the Express Entry system begins with applicants creating a profile online through the CIC Express Entry portal. The profile includes information relating to education, family connections, work experience, language capability, etc. In order to complete an Express Entry profile, applicants must have an accredited credential assessment for any post-secondary education received outside of Canada [known as an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report issued by an organization designated by CIC] and provide their score from an accredited language test. Once the profile is created, CIC will issue the applicant a point score based on their profile. Scores are based on measures including education, language ability, work experience, age, adaptability factors, and whether the candidate has an arranged job offer with a Canadian employer. Applicants must achieve a minimum score of 67 for their profile to proceed into the Express Entry pool. CIC then, at regular intervals, issues Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency to those individuals with the highest scores within the Express Entry pool. Once an ITA is issued, all of the required forms and documents, including medical clearance and police checks, are required to be submitted within 60 days in order to obtain permanent residency in Canada. Application through Express Entry is required for application through the federal skilled worker streams or Canadian Experience Class. To learn more about Express Entry, click here [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp]