By admin (May 21, 2024)
Immigration Opportunities Are to Be Expanded by Nova Scotia in Healthcare Professions
Immigration opportunities are to be expanded by Nova Scotia in healthcare professions for foreign nationals, as announced in September.
International students who want to become paramedics and pharmacy technicians will consider Nova Scotia as a possible immigration destination. This change is taking effect because Nova Scotia is set to expand the “International Graduates in Demand” (IGD) stream of its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) as announced jointly by Nova Scotia’s Minister of Health, Michelle Thompson, and the province’s Minister of Advanced Education Brian Wong.
“International Graduated in Demand” Stream
Local governments are allowed by the PNPs to nominate specific immigration candidates who they feel will best help them address local labour market gaps. PNPs are operated by every Canadian territory and province except Quebec and Nunavut.
International graduates could immigrate to Nova Scotia through this PNP stream, who are seeking work in the following occupations, before this latest expansion.
Paramedics (NOC 2021, “Paramedical Occupations”: 32102) and Pharmacy Technicians (NOC 2021: 32124)
Nurse aids, patient service associates, and orderlies (NOC 2021: 33102)
Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 2021: 42202) are now eligible, thanks to this announcement.
To be eligible for immigration through this stream of Nova Scotia’s PNP, interested candidates must possess a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in an eligible occupation, should be between the ages of 21 and 55, should have completed at least high school education, should have completed a course of study at least 30 weeks long (in the last 3 years), should possess the appropriate certifications required for the job, should possess enough money to settle permanently in the Nova Scotia, and he/ she should possess appropriate certifications required for the job.
One important point to note is that at least half of the qualifying educational program must have been completed in Nova Scotia.
How to Apply for Immigration through the IGD PNP Stream
To apply for immigration to this province through the IGD PNP stream, the basic steps are to upload the required documents and submit a completed application on the government site. If the application is approved, you can apply for PR with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) within 6 months of receiving your provincial nomination certificate.
It is important to note that a Letter of Support for a temporary work permit can be requested by the applicants from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI), which will allow them to stay in the province while their application is being processed.
Paramedics and Pharmacy Technicians Needed in Nova Scotia
The province will need about 200 pharmacy technicians over the next few years as stated by the chief of Nova Scotia’s Pharmacy Association. According to Charbel Daniel, the director of operations for ambulance services provider Emergency Medical Care Inc., an additional 150 to 200 paramedic positions could be available for international students as well.
There is a significant demand for employable persons looking to work in many healthcare professions across Canada, beyond the two occupations added to the IGD stream of Nova Scotia’s PNP.
Other Healthcare Workers Who Were In Demand
The top three healthcare careers in demand across Canada for 2023 are registered nurses (NOC 2021: 31301), personal support workers (NOC 2021: 44101), and healthcare aides (NOC 2021: 33102).
As noted above, healthcare aides are specifically eligible for immigration to Nova Scotia through the IGD stream. The expected number of job openings for registered nurses is 155,400, personal support workers are 34,500, and healthcare aides are 191,000 between 2022 and 2031 according to the Government of Canada. The need for more healthcare industry workers across Canada, including Nova Scotia is reinforced by these numbers.
Arriving in Canada as a Healthcare Worker
IRCC began conducting category-based Express Entry draws to attract more healthcare workers. On June 28, 2023, the first of these draws took place. Canadian immigration candidates who can help address some of the most significant labour market challenges in history.
Candidates who possess recent work experience in one of the five different occupational categories have been issued ITAs by IRCC through category-based draws in 2023. Foreign nationals with recent work experience in healthcare professions were designated one of this year’s categories.
The History of Healthcare-Based Draws
Canada has conducted two healthcare category-based Express Entry draws so far this year. On June 28, the first draw took place when 500 candidates were issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian PR. Candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 476 were considered for this draw.
The second draw in this category took place on July 6, in which 1500 Express Entry Candidates in the Third Round of Category Based Draw were invited with a minimum CRS score of 463.Canada Immigration News will bring you the latest updates regarding the various opportunities that are expanded by different Canadian provinces.