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NSNP - Nova Scotia PNP - NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream
One of the PNP streams of Nova Scotia that is aligned with Express Entry and does not require a job offer
Home > Permanent Residence > Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) > Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) > NSNP - NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream
THIS STREAM IS NOW PERMANENTLY CLOSED
The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of Nova Scotia's Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP), the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of Nova Scotia's Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP), the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
Overview of the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream
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The NS Demand: Express Entry Category B (NSD:EEB) stream is one of Nova Scotia's PNP streams that does not require the candidate to hold a job offer to be eligible. However, the stream does require the candidate to have work experience in a set of in-demand occupations.
When receiving a nomination under the NSD:EEB stream, candidates can then apply for Permanent Residence to the federal government of Canada. |
This stream is aligned with Express Entry, and if nominated, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply. With Express Entry, candidates can take advantage of the 6-month average processing times of applications.
The NSD:EEB stream requires work experience in one of the in-demand occupations (listed below) as its main eligibility requirement, and candidates also need to provide proof of settlement funds (except if currently working and authorized to work in Nova Scotia). There are other requirements that must be fulfilled regarding the candidate, the employer, and the job offer.
The NSD:EEB stream requires work experience in one of the in-demand occupations (listed below) as its main eligibility requirement, and candidates also need to provide proof of settlement funds (except if currently working and authorized to work in Nova Scotia). There are other requirements that must be fulfilled regarding the candidate, the employer, and the job offer.
Eligibility Requirements
There are 3 main categories of eligibility requirements that we will summarize below. You can apply to the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B (NSD:EEB) stream if you satisfy to all the requirements below:
1. Work experience requirements:
To be eligible to the NSD:EEB stream, you need to have at least one year of continuous, full-time (or 1,560 hours or more) or an equal amount in part-time, paid work experience in the last 6 years, in an one of the following in-demand occupations:
2. Minimum criteria and selection factors grid:
To be eligible to the NSD:EEB stream, you need to score a minimum of 67 points out of a 100 in the following selection factors point grid.
There are 6 factors under which you can score points, explained in detail below. There are, however, some factors that have minimum eligibility criteria that will be explained in each factor below.
Remember that for each factor you will be claiming points for, you will have to provide supporting documents to prove you satisfy the criteria of the factor.
1. Work experience requirements:
To be eligible to the NSD:EEB stream, you need to have at least one year of continuous, full-time (or 1,560 hours or more) or an equal amount in part-time, paid work experience in the last 6 years, in an one of the following in-demand occupations:
- NOC 1111 - Financial auditors and accountants
- NOC 1114 - Other financial officers 1114
- NOC 1123 - Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
- NOC 1241 - Administrative assistants
- NOC 1311 - Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
- NOC 2131 - Civil engineers
- NOC 3012 - Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 3233 - Licensed practical nurses
- NOC 4021 - College and other vocational instructors
- NOC 4211 - Paralegal and related occupations
- NOC 4212 - Social and community service workers
2. Minimum criteria and selection factors grid:
To be eligible to the NSD:EEB stream, you need to score a minimum of 67 points out of a 100 in the following selection factors point grid.
There are 6 factors under which you can score points, explained in detail below. There are, however, some factors that have minimum eligibility criteria that will be explained in each factor below.
Remember that for each factor you will be claiming points for, you will have to provide supporting documents to prove you satisfy the criteria of the factor.
| Selection factors 100-point grid | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| Factor 1 - Education | 25 |
| Factor 2 - Language ability | 28 |
| Factor 3 - Work experience | 15 |
| Factor 4 - Age | 12 |
| Factor 5 - Arranged employment in Nova Scotia | 10 |
| Factor 6 - Adaptability | 10 |
| Total | 100 |
| Minimum required | 67 |
Factor 1 - Education (Max 25 points):
You must submit a completed Canadian secondary or post-secondary educational credential, or if the educational credential is from a foreign (non-Canadian) institution or authority, you must also submit an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by an approved provider.
You are considered ineligible to the stream if you don't have a secondary (high school) diploma.
| Factor 1 - Education | Points |
|---|---|
| Doctoral (PhD) degree | 25 |
| Master's degree OR professional degree | 23 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials (one must be for a program of at least three years) | 22 |
| Post-secondary credential of at least three years | 21 |
| Post-secondary credential of two years | 19 |
| Post-secondary credential of one year | 15 |
| Secondary (high school) diploma | 5 |
| Less than secondary (high school) diploma | Not eligible |
Factor 2 - Language ability (Max 28 points):
You must demonstrate you have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) test score of 7 for each language skill, either in French or in English (which will get you 16 points). You can score more points if your CLB score is above 7, up to a maximum of 6 points per language skill, for a total of 24 points.
If you have test results for a second official language, you can get 4 additional points if you have a score of at least CLB5 in each of the four language skills.
The TCF Canada is not accepted by the NSNP for this stream (more about approved language tests here).
| Factor 2 - First official language | Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLB9 or higher | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| CLB7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Below CLB7 | Not eligible | |||
Factor 3 - Work experience (Max 15 points):
To be eligible to this stream, you must demonstrate that you have at least 1 year of full-time work experience.
Your work experience in Canada or outside Canada, must be:
- continuous, full-time (or an equal amount in continuous part-time),
- paid work (volunteer work and unpaid internships do not count),
- in the same occupation,
- within the last 6 years, and
- in NOC Skill Type/Level 0, A or B.
| Factor 3 - Work Experience | Points |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | Not eligible |
| At least 1 year | 9 |
| 2 to 3 years | 11 |
| 4 to 5 years | 13 |
| 6 years or more | 15 |
Factor 4 - Age (Max 12 points):
You must be at least 18 years old to be eligible to this stream.
| Factor 4 - Age | Points |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | Not eligible |
| 18 to 35 | 12 |
| 36 | 11 |
| 37 | 10 |
| 38 | 9 |
| 39 | 8 |
| 40 | 7 |
| 41 | 6 |
| 42 | 5 |
| 43 | 4 |
| 44 | 3 |
| 45 | 2 |
| 46 | 1 |
| 47 and older | 0 |
Factor 5 - Arranged Employment (Max 10 points):
You can claim 10 additional points if you have a valid job offer from an employer in Nova Scotia.
Factor 6 - Adaptability (Max 10 points):
You can only earn a maximum of 10 points in this factor, even if you can score more than 10 points.
| Factor 6 - Adaptability | Points |
|---|---|
| Spouse/partner has CLB4 or higher in English or French (in writing, listening, speaking and reading) | 5 |
| Principal applicant studied in Nova Scotia in the last 5 years (minimum two full-time years of study at the secondary or post-secondary level) | 5 |
| Spouse/partner studied in Nova Scotia in the last 5 years (minimum two full-time years of study at the secondary or post-secondary level) | 5 |
| Principal applicant worked in Nova Scotia in the last 5 years (minimum one year of full-time work in NOC Skill Type/Level 0, A or B) | 10 |
| Spouse/partner worked in Nova Scotia in the last 5 years (minimum one year of full-time work in NOC Skill Type/Level 0, A or B) | 5 |
| Principal applicant has a valid job offer (in addition to Factor 5. points) | 5 |
| Principal applicant or spouse/partner have an 19-year-old or older relative, permanent resident or Canadian citizen, residing in Nova Scotia. The relative can be a (i) parent, (ii) grandparent, (iii) child of a parent (sibling), (iv) child of a grandparent (uncle or aunt), (v) grandchild of a parent (nephew or niece). | 5 |
3. Settlement requirements:
You must show that you have sufficient funds to successfully establish yourself and your family in Nova Scotia. The amount needed and types of funds accepted can be found in the settlement funds guide. You do not have to show that you have these funds (i) if you have a valid job offer in Nova Scotia, AND (ii) if you are currently working or authorized to work in Nova Scotia.
The NSNP will not approve your application if it appears likely that your family income (based on your job offer and any spousal income) will be below Statistics Canada’s applicable Low-Income Cut-Off.
You must show that you have a genuine intention to settle in Nova Scotia. You must provide a detailed explanation of why you choose to settle permanently in Nova Scotia and what you feel Nova Scotia can offer to you and your family. Your explanation can include details such as your plans for accommodation/housing, transportation, employment/job, schools or child care, language training plans, and integration into community.
Application Process Summary
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B (NSD:EEB) stream. Candidates must:
You can check out our 10-step guide for Express Entry for more detailed information and advice.
- Meet the eligibility requirements of the federal FSW, FST, or CEC programs.
- Generate their Express Entry profile, and specify their interest in the province by selecting "Nova Scotia" or “All Provinces and Territories”.
- Qualify for the NSD:EEB stream eligibility requirements.
- Apply to the NSD:EEB stream by submitting their application through the Nova Scotia’s online service (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Accept the Nova Scotia provincial nomination (after the NSNP processes their application) within 30 days of receiving it on their Express Entry profile.
- Obtain an additional 600 CRS points in the Express Entry profile, and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
- Apply for permanent residence through your Express Entry profile.
You can check out our 10-step guide for Express Entry for more detailed information and advice.
Required Supporting Documents
All required documents must be uploaded online, and you will need to create a profile on Nova Scotia’s online service to do so. Specific requirements for documents are explained in detail here.
Application Fees
There is no fee for this stream, as well as for all the other NSNP streams.
Processing Times
The NSNP streams are processed in at least 3 months. The exact processing times by stream are not published by the NSNP, but you should expect between 3 to 6 months for your application to be processed, but it could take longer in some cases.
Stream Opening History
The NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream is usually always closed. The stream only opens a few times a year to accept a few hundred applicants, which basically means that it closes only after a couple of hours.
Because of the stream's important demand, if you are eligible, you should be ready to apply the minute the stream opens, and have all your documents and information ready to submit. You could follow us on our social platforms (see at the bottom of the page) to be aware of when the stream will open.
You can check out our awesome Live PNP Monitor to see when the stream opened in the past, its latest news, as well as for all the other PNP streams.
Because of the stream's important demand, if you are eligible, you should be ready to apply the minute the stream opens, and have all your documents and information ready to submit. You could follow us on our social platforms (see at the bottom of the page) to be aware of when the stream will open.
You can check out our awesome Live PNP Monitor to see when the stream opened in the past, its latest news, as well as for all the other PNP streams.
Do I have to stay in the Province?
This is a tricky question and there are multiple situations that can happen. You can learn more about this subject on our dedicated article: Can I move to another province?
Does the Stream have In-Demand Jobs?
Some streams target specific NOC codes, meaning that if you have experience in those in-demand jobs, you either (i) have more chances to be invited or (ii) that you can be eligible to the stream.
In the case of the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream, there is indeed an in-demand occupation list, and only one year of experience in one of the listed occupations below is necessary to be eligible to the stream (there are other criteria as mentioned in the Eligibility section above):
You can find out about the other provinces' in-demand jobs in our in-demand NOC codes article.
In the case of the NS Demand: Express Entry Category B stream, there is indeed an in-demand occupation list, and only one year of experience in one of the listed occupations below is necessary to be eligible to the stream (there are other criteria as mentioned in the Eligibility section above):
- NOC 1111 - Financial auditors and accountants
- NOC 1114 - Other financial officers 1114
- NOC 1123 - Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
- NOC 1241 - Administrative assistants
- NOC 1311 - Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
- NOC 2131 - Civil engineers
- NOC 3012 - Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 3233 - Licensed practical nurses
- NOC 4021 - College and other vocational instructors
- NOC 4211 - Paralegal and related occupations
- NOC 4212 - Social and community service workers
You can find out about the other provinces' in-demand jobs in our in-demand NOC codes article.
