Nova Scotia invites French-speaking Express Entry candidates

Nova Scotia invited 329 French-speaking candidates through its Express Entry-linked Labour Market Priorities stream.

The March 29 draw saw Letters of Interest issued to candidates who had selected French as their first official language, with a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) score of 9 or higher in all French language abilities (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

Candidates also had to have a CLB score of at least 7 or higher in English in all four language abilities. They were also required to have either a bachelor’s degree or completed a program of three years or more at a university, college, trade or technical school.

Candidates were also required to have a valid Express Entry number and meet the minimum criteria to be accepted into the pool.

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No minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score was associated with the draw, a Nova Scotia spokesperson told CIC News.

The CRS score determines a candidate’s rank in the Express Entry pool and is based on factors such as age, education, skilled work experience and proficiency in English or French, among others.

Express Entry candidates with a provincial nomination receive an additional 600 points toward their CRS score, effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Candidates who received a letter of interest in today’s draw now have 60 calendar days to submit a complete application to the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). They will need to provide copies of their language test results as well as proof of education.

About Express Entry

The Labour Market Priorities Stream allows the Province to search Canada’s Express Entry pool for eligible candidates who match labour market needs in Nova Scotia.

Express Entry is the system that the federal government uses to manage permanent residence applications. It is used for the three main economic-class immigration programs:

Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP);
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP); and
Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

Candidates in the Express Entry system are assessed based on multiple factors such as their age, education, work experience and official language ability. They are ranked according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).

Since its launch in 2018, the NSNP has held 16 Labour Market Priorities Stream draws, including this one. Some of the occupations that have been invited include early childhood education workers, financial auditors, accountants, social workers and nurses, programmers, carpenters among other professionals.

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