Food service workers can now immigrate to Canada and get Canda Permanent Residence through Nova Scotia’s Occupations in Demand PNP stream.
“We’re excited to welcome newcomers who can help employers meet their labour needs and grow Nova Scotia’s population,” said Jill Balser, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration in the press release. “The tourism, restaurant and hospitality sectors are critical to our economy. These changes will help these industries hire the workers they need to prepare for a busy tourism season.”
Nova Scotia, like the rest of Canada, has been experiencing labour shortages in food services industry as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.
To address this labor shortage in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia added three new eligible occupations to its Occupations in Demand immigration stream as defined by the following National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes:
- NOC 6513 (Food and beverage servers)
- NOC 6711 (Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations)
- NOC 6731 (Light duty cleaners)
According to the press release, by Jill Balser, Nova Scotia’s immigration minister, under the Nova Scotia Occupations in Demand PNP stream, employers are allowed to hire workers in any one of the above occupations without applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Additionally, the employee hired under this stream does not need to work with the employer for six months before applying to Nova Scotia’s Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) as is usually the case.
Nova Scotia’s Occupations in Demand Stream
Nova Scotia’s Occupations in Demand PNP stream is aimed at specific occupations under the NOC skill levels C and D which are currently placed in the “essential” occupations list following the pandemic.
Eligibility criteria for Nova Scotia Occupations in Demand stream
To apply to Nova Scotia’s provincial nomination program under the Occupations in Demand stream, candidates need meet the following eligibility criteria:
- have a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in either
- NOC 3413 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates)
- NOC 6513 (Food and beverage servers)
- NOC 6711 (Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations)
- NOC 6731 (Light duty cleaners)
- NOC 7511 (Transport truck drivers),
- NOC 7521 (Heavy equipment operators (except crane)), or
- NOC 7611 (Construction trades helpers and labourers)
- Have minimum of one-year work experience related to the job offered.
- Be between the ages of 21 to 55 years
- Have at least a high school diploma
- Have the relevant appropriate training in relation to the job offered.
- Have skills or accreditation related to the job
- Proof of language ability of at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 in English or French even if your first language is English or French;
- Proof of enough financial resources to settle in Nova Scotia
Click on this government of Nova Scotia website to apply for Nova Scotia’s Occupations in Demand PNP
Finding a job in Nova Scotia Canada:
Your main goal while searching for a job in Canada should be to get your resume into the right person’s hands. You can do this through the following:
- Leveraging your contacts in Canada
- Networking,
- Circulating your resume through open submissions
- Responding to job postings or listings on various online job portals e.g.
- If you have an employer in mind, regularly check out the “career” section of their website should an opportunity arise.
