Immigration Approvals Set Stage for Economic Recovery

The province approved a record number of applications for newcomers in 2020, setting the stage for population growth and economic recovery for the coming years.

The province approved 3,517 applications, exceeding its allocation of 3,292, by focusing on skilled newcomers in essential services, such as health care and transportation, and those already living in Canada. These people and their families are expected to arrive over the next few years when travel and border restrictions ease and as the federal government processes their cases.

“While the pandemic has been a challenge, particularly with its impact on the mobility of immigrants, the office of immigration has continued to process applications and focus on essential services,” said Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab. “Immigration will play an important role in our economy as we recover from this pandemic. We will continue to work with our stakeholders to identify labour needs in key essential service sectors and employers who need specialized skills and talent to create economic growth.”

As of Oct. 31, 3,010 permanent residents had arrived in Nova Scotia this year, which is down compared to last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Retaining international students after graduation is a priority for the province. This year 1,018 international graduates who have chosen to live in Nova Scotia after their studies have been approved, a significant increase from 35 in 2014.

With a focus on essential services, many health-care professionals were attracted this year, including continuing care assistants, nurses and 21 physicians, who have arrived since March.

The office works closely with government departments and employers to identify labour needs, develop programs to target certain professions and to streamline the immigration process. The work of settlement services providers plays a key role in welcoming newcomers and ensuring they have the support they need to adapt to life in Nova Scotia. These dedicated organizations have adapted to deliver services and programming to support newcomers during the pandemic.

In July 2020, Nova Scotia’s population reached an all-time high of 979,351 people, due in large part to immigration. The population as of Oct. 1, 2020 was 979,115.

Quick Facts:

• of the approved 3,517 applications, 1,617 are from the Atlantic Immigration Program and 1,900 from the Provincial Nominee Program
• continuing care assistants and nurses are the two most approved foreign certified professionals since 2015. Nova Scotia approved 624 continuing care assistants and 555 nurses this year
• this year, 316 foreign-trained registered nurses were invited to apply to come to Nova Scotia under the Labour Market Priorities stream
• through work under the Francophone Immigration Strategy, 356 francophones were invited to apply through the Labour Markets Priorities stream
• of the 3,010 permanent residents arriving in Nova Scotia by Oct. 31, 69 per cent came under provincial programs, including 1,430 from the Provincial Nominee Program and 635 from the Atlantic Immigration Pilot
• in 2019, 7,580 permanent residents came to the province

Additional Resources:

For more information about Nova Scotia’s immigration programs, visit: https://novascotiaimmigration.com/