Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities for Physicians

This stream is under the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, a PNP operated by the province of Nova Scotia. It is targeted towards the physicians who are trained and have an active profile in the Federal Express Entry pool.

This stream acts as a bridge between the Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities Stream and the Physician Stream, as this targets candidates in the Federal Express Entry pool and the latter targets general practitioners, family physicians and specialist physicians. Selected candidates get an additional 600 points to their Express Entry profile, nearly guaranteeing them an Invitation to Apply for Canadian PR.

This stream assists the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre hire and retain physicians who have the required skills for positions that the public health authorities haven’t been able to fill with a permanent resident or Canadian citizen.

Eligibility Criteria

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a provincial nomination under this stream, the candidates in the Express Entry pool must:

•    Receive a Letter of Interest (LOI) from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) in their Express Entry profile;
•    Submit their application within 30 days of the issue date of the Letter of Interest;
•    Have an approved job offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority or IWK Health Centre as either a general practitioner and family physician or a specialist physician (NOC 3112 or NOC 3111 from the National Occupational Classification);
•    Exhibit that they meet the work experience requirements for their Express Entry class;
•    Provide a signed Return for Service Agreement with the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness indicating a two-year commitment to stay in the province;
•    Show that they have settlement funds sufficient to successfully settle in Nova Scotia (alone or with accompanying family members) and pay the required immigration costs and travel expenses. The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration will not approve the application if it reckons that the family income (based on the job offer and any spousal income) will be below Statistics Canada’s Low-Income Cut-Off; and
•    Have legal status in their country of residence when applying for the stream.
It is mandatory for all the documents to be valid at the time of application to the NSOI and IRCC for permanent residency.

Job Offer and Requirements to Apply

This stream is only open to general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3112) and specialist physicians (NOC 3111) who have signed approved opportunities with Nova Scotia’s public health authorities –Nova Scotia Health Authority or the IWK Health Centre. The approved opportunity must be on the official letterhead of NSHA or IWK and must:
•    Be signed and dated by the person authorized to hire physicians at the NSHA or IWK
•    Be signed and dated by the applicant accepting the opportunity
•    Indicate eligibility for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
•    Indicate that the applicant is eligible to apply for privileges and credentials with NSHA and the IWK

Express Entry Requirement

In order to be eligible for this stream, the applicants must be registered in the federal Express Entry pool and be eligible for at least one of two federal economic immigration programs:
-    Federal Skilled Worker
-    Canadian Experience Class

Education & Language Proficiency

The candidates for this stream must meet the minimum language proficiency and education requirements of their Express Entry program. They must also provide a copy of their proof of education or an Education Credential Assessment in order to get licensure in Nova Scotia.
The applicants must prove their proficiency across all four language abilities to be at level CLB 7 at least in either English or French. A document must be provided even if their first language is English or French.

The language test results must not be more than two years old and must be renewed if expiring any time before the application to IRCC is approved for processing.

Acceptable Language Tests with Result Requirements to Achieve CLB Level 7
•    IELTS General Training
•    CELPIP - General
•    TEF (French)
•    TCF (French)

Application Procedure

This stream is usually open for applications throughout the year.

In order to be eligible for this stream, the candidates must first create their profile in the Federal Express Entry pool. The ones who get selected by the province get a Letter of Interest (LOI) from the province which appears in their Express Entry profile online. In case the application gets approved, the candidate will get nominated by the province for Canadian PR and receive additional 600 points towards their Express Entry profile, nearly guaranteeing they will receive an Invitation to Apply in the next Express Entry draw.

Once the ITA is received, the candidate must prepare and submit an official application for Canadian PR within the stipulated timeframe. Such applications generally get processed within 6 months.