Nova Scotia Launches New Immigration Pilot for Construction Workers

Nova Scotia, a province in Atlantic Canada, has introduced a new immigration initiative, the Critical Construction Worker Pilot, to address labor shortages in the construction industry across 21 occupations. The pilot aims to assist in filling crucial roles within the sector.

The identified construction industry occupations, along with their corresponding National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system codes, include:

• 70010 Construction managers
• 70011 Home building and renovation managers
• 72011 Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
• 72014 Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
• 72020 Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
• 72106 Welders and related machine operators
• 72200 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
• 72201 Industrial electricians
• 72310 Carpenters
• 72320 Bricklayers
• 72401 Heavy-duty equipment mechanics
• 72402 Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
• 72500 Crane operators
• 73100 Concrete finishers
• 73102 Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers
• 73110 Roofers and shinglers
• 73200 Residential and commercial installers and servicers
• 73400 Heavy equipment operators
• 75101 Material handlers
• 75110 Construction trades helpers and labourers
• 75119 Other trades helpers and labourers

This new pathway to permanent residence in Nova Scotia is available to individuals who meet the following criteria:

• Possess a full-time permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in one of the eligible occupations.
• Have one year of relevant work experience related to the job.
• Hold a high school diploma or provide evidence of completion of a construction-specific industry training program.
• Fall within the age range of 21 to 55 years.
• Demonstrate language proficiency equivalent to Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 5 (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, 3) or CLB Level 4 (NOC TEER 4 and 5), even if English or French is their first language.
• Exhibit sufficient financial resources to facilitate a successful settlement in Nova Scotia.