Jobs in Nova Scotia for Immigrants | Moving to Canada as a Skilled Worker
People who want to move to Canada often choose to live in Nova Scotia, which is in the Atlantic. Almost 85% of all jobs in Nova Scotia are in Halifax, the capital city. Overall, immigrants make up more than 6% of Nova Scotia’s population, and 71% of those who move there stay there permanently.
Through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), Nova Scotia wants people with skills that are in demand to move there as Permanent Residents (PR). Because the province needs more people to work there.
This resource gives you an overview of the job market in Nova Scotia, including its main industries, jobs that are popular with newcomers, and estimates of the median wage, so you can be ready to start your career in Canada when you get there.
Nova Scotia’s Top Industries
- Services industry: Over three-quarters of the people who work in Nova Scotia do so in the services industry. Key service industries include wholesale and retail trade, health care and social assistance, education, professional and technical services, lodging and food services, finance and real estate, construction, and transportation.
- Manufacturing industry: Some of Nova Scotia’s most important manufacturing industries are automotive supplies, plastics, metal fabrication, defense, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology.
- Agriculture, forestry, and mining: More than 12,000 jobs are made in the agriculture and agri-food industries in the province. The province also sends the most seafood outside of Canada than any other. Gold, quartz, gypsum, building stone, coal, and salt are all mined in Nova Scotia.
Cities In Nova Scotia With The Most Job Opportunities
- Halifax: Nearly half of the province’s people live in Halifax, which is the capital city. In addition to agriculture, mining, and natural gas extraction, the city has industries like IT and digital services, financial services, food and beverage processing, aerospace, and automotive manufacturing.
- Cape Breton: Cape Breton is the second largest city in Nova Scotia, with a population of just over 130,000. It has job opportunities in the agri-food and aquaculture, tourism, energy, transportation, arts and culture, and energy and transportation sectors.
In-demand Jobs In Nova Scotia
The list of in-demand jobs was made based on the in-demand and priority occupations from the most recent Provincial Nominee Programs and the NOCs that were chosen in the most recent PNP draws. The jobs listed in the sections below are not all of them, and they may change as the needs of the job market change. You can also use the Job Bank portal from the Government of Canada to look at trends in average wages, eligibility requirements, and job requirements for your occupation in a certain city or province.
Service sector jobs in Nova Scotia
- Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200, formerly 6513): The median hourly wage for these in-demand jobs is $14 CAD.
- Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and similar support jobs (NOC 65201, 65310, formerly 6711, 6731): Most support jobs in the food and lodging industries pay between $12 and $13 CAD per hour.
- Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 42202, formerly 4214): These people make about $17 CAD per hour in Nova Scotia.
Healthcare jobs in Nova Scotia
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 33102, formerly 3413): In Nova Scotia, the average hourly wage for a nurse aide or orderly is $17.95 CAD.
- General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102, formerly 3112) and specialist physicians (NOC 31100, 31101, formerly 3111): Most healthcare workers, including doctors, need a provincial license to work. Most of the time, doctors who are new to Nova Scotia have to take a qualifying exam before they can start working there.
Manufacturing and construction jobs in Nova Scotia
- Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300, formerly 7511): The median hourly wage for these in-demand jobs is $20 CAD.
- Heavy equipment operators (except crane) (NOC 72400, formerly 7521): The average hourly wage for equipment operators is $21 CAD.
- Helpers and laborers in the building trades (NOC 75110, formerly 7611): Helpers and laborers in construction make between $15 CAD and $18 CAD per hour.
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What is Nova Scotia’s minimum wage?
As of April 1, 2022, the minimum wage in Nova Scotia is $12.95 CAD per hour.
The unemployment rate in Nova Scotia
In October 2022, 8.5% of people in Nova Scotia were out of work.
How to move to Nova Scotia
The province also invites permanent residents through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), which is a program run by the federal government.
If you want to work in Nova Scotia for a short time, you may be able to get a work permit if your skills match those needed in the province. Many newcomers also choose to work or study in Canada for a while before applying for permanent residency so they can settle there.
Occupation In-Demand Stream Requirements
- Needs a job offer? Yes
- Application Fee: None
- Processing Time: At least 3 months
Occupations:
- Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates (NOC 3413);
- Food and beverage servers (NOC 6513);
- Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers, and related support occupations (NOC 6711);
- Light duty cleaners (NOC 6731);
- Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511);
- Heavy equipment operators, except crane operators (NOC 7521);
- Construction trades helpers and laborers (NOC 7611).
Minimum Requirements:
- You have to be between 21 and 55;
- You must have a full-time, permanent job offer in one of the jobs listed above from an employer in Nova Scotia;
- You must have worked in the field for a year;
- You must have completed at least high school;
- You need to have the right education or training for the job;
- You must be able to speak at least as well as a CLB 4;
- You have to have enough money to live in Nova Scotia for a long time.
How to apply
The first step is to find out if you can join this immigration stream. Next, get the documents you need, upload them, and send in your application through this page.
If you are chosen, a nomination certificate will be sent to your email or the email of the person you chose to represent you. Your nomination will also be sent directly to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
You can now go straight to IRCC to apply for permanent residence. However, You have six months to do it.
You can also ask for a Letter of Support for a temporary work permit from the NSOI. This would let you stay in Nova Scotia until IRCC finishes processing your application for permanent residence.
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