Nova Scotia made a surprise announcement on November 28th, radically changing the structure of its immigration programs. The changes, which were officially announced on the provincial government’s website, have caught many current and prospective applicants by surprise.

The most significant change: mandatory EOI for all immigration streams

All applications—both for the province’s main programs and the Atlantic program—will now be accepted only through the Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Applicants must first create a profile and wait for an invitation to apply.

Previous applications not safe

In a controversial move, the government has announced that all applications that have been submitted but have not yet received a nomination will have to re-enter the EOI system and enter a new competition. This is a complete reversal of the previous process, which was more predictable and reliable.

New provincial priorities announced

According to the official announcement, having work experience in the following areas increases the chances of receiving an invitation:

Health
Construction
Technical and engineering occupations
Natural resources
Manufacturing and industries
The full scoring system has not yet been released and details are expected to be announced soon.

Source: iveinnovascotia.com