the CanadaVisa Team - 10 July, 2015
The government of Nova Scotia has stated that 2,661 immigrants settled in the province last year, more than at any point over the past decade.
Among last year’s immigrants, 717 came through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) — the highest number yet for theprogram. This year, the federal government has allotted a total of 1,050 spaces under the NSNP, including a new “enhanced” Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry categoryfor candidates with experience in occupations that are deemed in demand by the province. This category aligns with the federal Express Entry immigration selection system.
One noteworthy aspect of new arrivals’ settlement habits is that an increasing number of immigrants to Nova Scotia are choosing to stay in theprovince. The latest figures from Statistics Canada indicate that 71 per cent of immigrants who arrived in Nova Scotia between 2007–2011 stayed in theprovince, despite immigrants having freedom of movement and freedom of labour across the country after landing in Canada. This is slightly up from the69 percent retention rate from 2003–2007.
“Nova Scotia is a welcoming community and we want to ensure our province is seen by immigrants as an excellent choice,” said provincial ImmigrationMinister Lena Metlege Diab in a statement.
