Nova Scotia sees a growth spurt with a record number of permanent residents

Of late, Nova Scotia has made great strides in attracting immigrants in order to grow its population and strengthen the province’s economy and communities. In 2019, it welcomed 7,580 new permanent residents, almost 27% more than its previous record of 5,970 in 2018. 

“Our immigration growth is something to celebrate. We plan, support and invest in immigration and it’s making a positive change in our province,” said Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab. “The outreach we do to attract the labour force our employers say they need is making a difference,” she added.

The high numbers have resulted from provincial programs as well as enthusiastic participation in recruitment events to help employers understand the benefit of using immigration programs.

According to estimates released by Statistics Canada, Nova Scotia’s population reached a high of 976,768 as of October 1, 2019. This is the fastest growth over a 12-month period since 1972, at 1.28 percent.

The province endorsed 1,208 newcomers and their families under the Atlantic Immigration Pilot in 2019, compared to 872 in 2018. Spanning sections such as food and hospitality, truck drivers, education, health care and computer programmers, 1,150 companies are designated under the pilot, which was created in 2017 to address labour shortages by allowing eligible employers to hire foreign-trained workers and international graduates.

Of the total landings in 2019, 67% were provincial program applicants, as part of which, 601 international graduates were approved in 2019, up from 440 in 2018. The province supported 222 applications for French-speaking candidates, an increase from eight the previous year.

Additionally, 54 doctors have been nominated through two physician streams since 2018, and 312 Early Childhood Educators have been nominated for permanent residency under the Labour Market Priority Program.

Like this article? Share it with a friend!