Certain foreign nationals will be immigrating to Nova Scotia as the province is set to expand immigration opportunities in healthcare under PNP. 

The immigration opportunities in healthcare will enable immigration to the province, a possibility for international applicants who want to become paramedics, pharmacy technicians, etc. 

This new move was announced by the province’s Minister of Health, Michelle Thompson, as well as Minister of Advanced Education Brian Wong. This change is taking effect because the province is set to expand the ‘International Graduates In Demand’ stream of PNP.

Nova Scotia’s PNP: IGD Stream 

Provincial Nominee Programs are operated in every territory & province of Canada except for Nunavut & Quebec. As a result, this allows the government to nominate specific immigration applicants who they feel will best help them address local labor market gaps. 

Before this expansion of immigration opportunities in Healthcare, international graduates looking for work in the following professions could immigrate to the province via the PNP stream. 

  • Nurse aides, orderlies, & patient service associates  
  • Early childhood educators, as well as assistants 
  • Paramedics, as well as pharmacy technicians 

To be eligible for immigration to take advantage of immigration opportunities in healthcare, applicants must fulfill the following eligibility criteria: 

  • Possess a full-time permanent employment offer from an employer in Nova Scotia in an eligible profession. 
  • Be between 21 & 55 years of age.
  • Completed at least high school education. 
  • Completed a course which is 30 weeks long. 
  • Have proper certifications needed for the job. 
  • Have official language proficiency, which equates to CLB level 5. 
  • Possess sufficient money to reside in the province permanently. 

Applying For Immigration Via IGD PNP Stream 

Below are the basic steps to apply for immigration to Nova Scotia through the IGD stream of its PNP. 

  • Upload the necessary documents & submit a complete application on the government website. 
  • If approved, apply for PR with IRCC within six months of obtaining your provincial nomination certificate. 

Note: Candidates can request a Letter of Support for a temporary work permit from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration. This will enable them to stay in the province while their application is being processed. 

Paramedics & Pharmacy Technicians Required In Nova Scotia 

The chief executive of the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Association states that the province will need around 200 pharmacy technicians over the next few years. 

In addition, over 150-200 paramedic positions could be available for international applicants, as stated by Charbel Daniel, the director of operations for ambulance service provider Emergency Medical Care Inc. 

Moreover, beyond the two professions added to the IGD stream of the province’s PNP, there is an excellent demand for employable people looking to work in numerous healthcare professions in Canada. 

In-Demand Healthcare Workers

According to employment agency & consulting firm Randstad, here are the top three healthcare careers in demand beyond across Canada: 

  • Registered Nurses
  • Personal Support Workers 
  • Healthcare Aides 

Note: Healthcare aides are particularly eligible for immigration to Nova Scotia via the IGD stream, as mentioned above. 

According to the Canadian government, below is the expected number of job openings for each profession mentioned above between 2022 & 2031. 

  • Registered Nurses (155,400)
  • Personal Support Workers (34,500)
  • Healthcare Aides (191,000) 

Coming To Canada As A Healthcare Worker 

In order to attract more healthcare workers, IRCC has started conducting category-based Express Entry draws. The first of these draws took place on June 28, 2023.

These draws were explicitly implemented to attract Canadian immigration applicants who can help address some of the nation’s most significant labor market problems.

For 2023, IRCC is issuing ITAs via category-based draws to eligible & interested applicants who possess recent work experience in one of the five occupational categories. One of this year’s categories is designated for foreign nationals with recent work experience in healthcare occupations. 

History Of Healthcare Category-Based Draws

Canada has conducted two healthcare category-based Express Entry draws. 

The first draw occurred on June 28, wherein over 500 applicants were issued an ITA for Canadian PR. For this draw, applicants with a CRS score of 476 were considered. 

In addition, the second draw for this category took place on July 6. This draw invited 1,500 applicants with a minimum CRS score of 463.