Nova Scotia officials are actively looking to recruit international doctors to make up the short fall of primary physicians in the Atlantic province.
Provincial health and immigration officials are attending international jobs fairs for doctors as the government looks to make good on a promise to give every residence access to a primary care physician.
The issue was politicized in the Spring election that saw the Liberal provincial government lose seats over a lack of access to primary health care.
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With Atlantic provinces at the sharp end of Canada’s aging population, health care costs are set to rise in the coming years.
Four per cent of Nova Scotia’s population – or nearly 36,000 people – are signed up to the province’s Need a Family Practice registry, meaning they do not have a family doctor. In 2016, Statistics Canada figures suggest the number without a doctor is more than 100,000 including those not signed up.
Provincial bodies representing doctors suggest a current shortfall of 65 family physicians, with recruit of 500 over the next 10 years required to ensure adequate provision.
There are three main avenues for doctors with a job offer to immigrate to Nova Scotia.
The Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry stream nominates candidates to the federal Express Entry program provided they have a full-time job offer and meet a number of other requirements (see below).
The province also runs its own employer-driven Skilled Worker category for which doctors with a job offer would qualify.
Lastly, the province is also part of the federally-run Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which aims to bring 2,000 new immigrants to the region per year which will rise to 4000 by 2020. It is also employer-driven, with key features including the need for a settlement plan and provincial endorsement.
Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry, Key Factors
- Education
- Language ability
- Work experience
- Age
- Arranged employment in Nova Scotia
- Adaptability (including spouse/partner’s credentials)
The stream includes two categories. Category A, requiring a job offer, is best suited to experienced doctors.
Category A Requirements: Nova Scotia Express Entry
- Full-time permanent skilled job offer from a Nova Scotia employer.
- One year of skilled work experience related to the job.
- Canadian high school credential or equivalent.
- Proven language ability in English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark 7.
- Score 67 points or more on six selection factors.
- Have the financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia;
- Have a Canada Express Entry profile registered.
Nova Scotia Skilled Worker Immigration Stream
This employer-driven stream helps employers recruit and retain immigrant workers with the required skills. It also targets immigrants with skills in demand.
To apply under this program, the applicant must have:
- A guaranteed job offer from a Nova Scotia employer who has exhausted all other options for finding workers and offers standard wages and working conditions for that occupational field;
- Required age, language ability and education.
Atlantic Immigration Pilot: The Programs
- Atlantic High-Skilled Program
- Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program
- Atlantic International Graduate Program
The work experience, education, and job offer a candidate needs depend on whether they are applying as a worker or an international student graduate. The other requirements are the same for both.
Work Experience
Workers
You must have worked for at least one year (1,560 hours total or 30 hours per week) within the last three years. It can be full-time, non-continuous, or part-time, as long as it adds up to 1,560 hours.
The work must be:
- In one occupation (but can be with different employers)
- Paid (volunteering or unpaid internships do not count)
- At skill type/level 0, A, B, or C of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
- Under the Atlantic High-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience at skill type/level 0, A, or B.
- Under the Atlantic Intermediate-Skilled Program, workers need one year of experience to be at the skill level C.
- The experience can be gained inside or outside Canada.
International Graduates
Candidates do not need work experience.
Education
Workers
Candidates must have:
- A Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree,
OR
- A foreign degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship education credential. Candidates need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) to make sure it is valid and equal to a Canadian credential. The ECA must show your education is equal to a completed Canadian secondary (high school) or post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree. Your ECA must be less than five years old when you apply.
International Graduates
Candidates must have:
- A minimum two-year degree, diploma, certificate, or trade or apprenticeship credential from a recognized publicly-funded institution in an Atlantic province.
- Been a full-time student in Canada for at least two years.
- Graduated in the 12 months prior to the application date.
- Lived in one of the Atlantic provinces for at least 16 months in the last two years before graduation.
- Had a visa or permit to work, study or train in Canada.
A candidate does not qualify if their study or training included:
- English or French second language courses for more than half of the program.
- Distance learning undertaken for more than half of the program.
A candidate cannot apply if their scholarship or fellowship required them to return to their home country after graduation.
Note: Atlantic Immigration Pilot candidates are able to apply for a temporary work permit if the job needs to be filled urgently. If an employer wants a candidate to apply for a temporary work permit first, the candidate needs to commit to applying for permanent residence within 90 days of the temporary application being submitted.
Job Offer
Under the high-skilled, intermediate-skilled and international graduate programs, candidates must have a job offer that is:
- From a designated employer in an Atlantic province.
- Non-seasonal.
- Reviewed by the province (See ‘Endorsement’ below)
Job offers for high-skilled workers must:
- Be skill type/level 0, A, or B
- Last at least one year
Job offers for intermediate-skilled workers must:
- Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C
- Be indeterminate (permanent)
Job offers for international graduates must:
- Be skill type/level 0, A, B, or C
- Last at least one year
A candidate’s job offer does not need to be in the same occupation as past work experience. However, a candidate does need to meet employment requirements for the job, as listed in the NOC.
The employer does not need an LMIA. Each province will communicate a list of employers hiring under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.
Language
Requirements applicable to all three programs
Candidates must:
- Score at least a level 4 in the Canadian Language Benchmark exam in English or the Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens in French.
- Take an approved language test and meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.
Results must be less than two years old on the date of application.
Proof of Funds
Requirements applicable to all three programs
Candidates need to show they have enough money to support themselves and their families after immigration. Amounts depend on the size of the family and includes family members a candidate supports that are not immigrating.
Proof is not required if a candidate is already living and working in Canada with a valid work permit.
Settlement Plan
A candidate must have a needs assessment before immigrating. After the assessment, a candidate will get a plan with information about the community they are moving to and where they can get help after arrival. To find out about the needs assessment, click here.
Endorsement
Employers must complete an Endorsement Application for each candidate able to fill an existing vacancy.
Candidates cannot apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada without an endorsement., which includes details of the job offer and settlement plan.
Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.
Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.
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