NSNP Labour Market Priorities for Physicians

The Labour Market Priorities For Physicians targets general practitioners, family physicians and specialist physicians who are in the Express Entry pool and intent to live in Nova Scotia permanently.

The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physician stream is one of several immigration streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians welcomes general practitioners, family physicians and specialist physicians who are in the federal Express Entry pool, may nominate individuals to live in Nova Scotia permanently. Candidates must have an approved offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or the Izaak Walton Killam Health (IWK) Centre Health Centre in Halifax, among other criteria, and they must receive a Letter of Interest from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) in order to apply. The individual must provide a copy of a signed Return for Service Agreement with the Nova Scotia Department of Health And Wellness indicating commitment to live and work in Nova Scotia for a minimum period of two years.

This program pulls candidate profiles from the federal Express Entry pool under one of two federal economic immigration programs which are Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Those who are selected by the province to receive a nomination will earn an additional 600 points of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to their Express Entry profile, making them very competitive for receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.

Eligibility Requirement

Express Entry Requirement

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians stream, applicants must be registered in the federal Express Entry pool. To submit a profile to the pool, applicants must be eligible for at least one of three federal Economic programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker requires candidates to have, at minimum, a high school diploma, as well as at least one year of continuous full-time, skilled work experience.
• Canadian Experience Class has no minimum education requirement. CEC candidates must have a minimum of one year of full-time Canadian skilled work experience. This work experience does not have to be continuous, but it must have been obtained within the three years prior to application.
• Federal Skilled Trades has no minimum education requirement. FST candidates must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade occupation. Candidates must also have either an offer of employment to work in a skilled trade in Canada or a certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian authority.

Job Offer

In order to be considered eligible, a candidate must have an approved letter of employment from the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) or the IWK Health Centre as either a general practitioner and family physician (NOC 3112) or a specialist physician (NOC 3111). The letter of employment must be on official NSHA or IWK letterhead and must:

• Be signed and dated by a person authorized to hire physicians at the NSHA or IWK
• Be signed and dated by the applicant who is accepting the opportunity
• Indicate eligibility for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of NS
• Indicate that the applicant is eligible to apply for privileges and credentials with NSHA and the IWK

Language Proficiency

Applicants need a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 across all four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) in one of the official languages, English or French. Candidate must demonstrate their language ability even if their first language is English or French through the valid test results. Language test results must not be more than two years old, and they must be renewed if they will expire at any time before the application to IRCC is approved for processing.

Level of Education

The applicant needs to prove that they have the education and medical training required to obtain a licence in Nova Scotia. This can be in the form of proof of education in Canada (e.g. copies of diplomas, degrees, transcripts) or proof of completed foreign educational credentials (e.g. copies of diplomas, degrees, transcripts) and a copy of an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by the Medical Council of Canada.

Work Experience

Candidate must demonstrate that they meet the minimum work-experience requirement of the Express Entry stream for which the candidate has been qualified, either Canadian Experience Class or the Federal Skilled Worker Program. To show that the candidate meets the work experience criteria, they must provide letters of reference from all employers. The letter must:

• be written on company letterhead,
• be signed by the responsible human resources officer, supervisor, or manager
• show company’s full address, telephone number, e-mail and website addresses and be stamped with the company’s official seal (if applicable)
• include all the following information in one document:
  • the specific period of your employment with the company
  • the positions you have held during the period of employment and time spent in each position
  • your main responsibilities and duties in each position
  • your annual salary plus benefits in each position
  • the number of hours worked per week in each position
  • the number of hours worked per week in each position
  • proof that your work experience meets the lead statement and the majority (at least 51%) of the main duties as set out in NOC 2016.

Settlement Funds

Candidate must demonstrate sufficient funds to successfully establish yourself and your family in Nova Scotia and to pay their immigration costs and travel expenses if they are not already in Nova Scotia. Federal guidelines generally recommend that immigrants arrive with a minimum of $11,000, plus $2,000 for each dependent. This recommended amount is reduced in the case of a principal applicant who is already living in Nova Scotia or has arranged employment. In all cases, proof of some financial resources in the applicant’s own name is required. This may include transferable funds in the applicant’s name or applicant spouse’s name.

Application Procedure

Notify NSOI of your Express Entry Profile Number

The Labour Market Priorities stream uses IRCC’s Express Entry system to select candidates who meet the stream criteria. Before applying for the Labour Market Priorities Stream, a candidate must first create an Express Entry profile and notify NSOI of their Express Entry profile number. If the applicant qualifies for this stream, a Letter of Interest will be sent to their IRCC online account indicating that Nova Scotia is inviting you to apply under the NSNP.

Letters of Interest will only be offered to physicians who have:

• Created a valid Express Entry profile;
• Received an approved opportunity from the NSHA or the IWK;
• Have a signed Return of Service Agreement and
• Indicated their interest in moving to Nova Scotia in Express Entry.

Apply to NSNP under the Labour Market Priorities Stream

After an applicant receives a Letter of Interest from Nova Scotia through in their IRCC online account, they have 30 calendar days to apply to NSNP under the Labour Market Priorities Stream. To apply, the applicant must submit their application through Nova Scotia’s online service and ensure that the candidate must include all the required supporting documents. All supporting documents must be provided as a portable document format (PDF) files. Note that all documents must be clear enough to read and:

• Documents with images should be scanned in colour.
• Text-only documents may be scanned at a grayscale setting to reduce file size.
• Scanner resolution should be a minimum of 300 dots per inch.
• No enhancement or editing should be done to a scanned document.
• The total size of all documents should be no more than 50 megabytes (MB).
• The file names of attachments must be no more than 50 characters.

If the documents are not in English or in French, a candidate must submit a copy of the original document and a copy of the certified translation. NSOI will only accept translations prepared by certified translators. Translators must be certified by a regulatory body and cannot be a family member of the applicant or spouse, or common-law partner, or work for a paid consultant or representative who is preparing the application. The applicant must also supply proof from the translator describing their translation ability or certification.

Nomination or Refusal

Nomination under the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream is at the discretion of NSOI.

Nomination: If the application is approved by Nova Scotia, the candidate will receive a letter from NSOI through their IRCC online account notifying about their nomination. NSOI will also communicate the decision and provide the Nomination Certificate to their representative via email. The candidate will have 30 calendar days to accept the nomination from Nova Scotia in the IRCC Express Entry system. Once the nomination has been accepted, the candidate will receive an invitation to apply from IRCC. A nomination from the Province of Nova Scotia does not guarantee that a permanent resident visa will be issued. IRCC has the final authority to issue a permanent resident visa.

Intent to Refuse: NSOI may send an Intent to Refuse to applicants who may not have properly submitted their application. They have 10 business days to submit any additional information. Extensions may be given on a case-by-case basis and must be the result of extenuating circumstances such as hospitalization or death in the family. The file will be re-assessed. The final decision will be sent via email to the applicant or their representative.

Refusal: If a candidate’s application has been refused by NSOI, a candidate will receive a notification via email. Refusal decisions are final; there is no appeal process.

Temporary Work Permit

After receiving a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia, candidates can request a letter of support from the Office of Immigration to support an application for a temporary work permit. This letter replaces the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that is often required for work permits. The temporary work permit allows candidates to work in Canada while their application for permanent residency is in processing. In case the temporary work permit needs to be renewed, the application for renewal should be submitted three months before the expiry date. Passports should be valid during the requested time frame, otherwise, IRCC cannot approve a work permit.

Extension of Nomination

One six-month extension of nomination may be issued at the NSOI’s discretion under the NSNP. The decision will be made on a case-by-case basis where there is evidence of extenuating circumstances.

Nomination of Permanent Residence

Once permanent residence is granted, applicants must contact the NSOI within 30 days of arrival in Nova Scotia. The NSOI needs to see a copy of the Confirmation of Permanent Residence, the applicant’s passport, and Nova Scotia’s contact information such as a current address, phone number, and email.