Immigration
Through the Community Identified Nominee Program, CREDA assists eligible immigrants wishing to relocate to Cumberland County by supporting their application through a letter of recommendation to the province. Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program.
N.S. Nominee Program – Community-Identified Stream
The Community-Identified Stream of the N.S. Nominee Program (NSNP) is aimed at individuals who are employable, have strong established connections to a Nova Scotia community, and can contribute to the labour market and economy of that specific community. This stream is community driven. The applicant must have a Letter of Identification from an organization mandated by the N.S. Office of Immigration before submitting an application to the N.S. Nominee Program.
In Cumberland County, the Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association (CREDA) is the organization mandated to support the Community-Identified Stream.
The Board of Directors of the Cumberland Regional Economic Development Association (CREDA) has determined that a minimum of 3 letters of reference from the community should be included with the application package prior to review by CREDA staff:
- Letter of support from the Municipal Unit in which they reside.
- Letter of support from a non-profit organization of which the applicant is a member/volunteer, e.g. Lion’s Club, etc.
- Personal letter of reference
Applicants should include a covering letter providing background information with their community letters of support.
Please note that NSNP guidelines indicate that letters of support from provincial or federal politicians or real estate agents will not be accepted.
The covering letter, community letters of support, as well as IMM0008 Schedule 1 (page 1 only) will be reviewed by CREDA staff who will then make a recommendation to the Board. Following approval by the CREDA Board of Directors, a Letter of Identification and accompanying community support letters will be forwarded to the N.S. Office of Immigration.
October 2006
Province Consulting on New Immigration Stream
February 21, 2008
The province is consulting with immigrant and business organizations to help attract more entrepreneurs to Nova Scotia.
The Office of Immigration will use the input to implement a new entrepreneur stream under the Nova Scotia Nominee Program. It will also use information gathered about similar streams in other jurisdictions.
The stream is for people who want to settle and establish their own business in the province. It is expected to be launched in the spring.
"Attracting immigrants who want to settle in Nova Scotia and invest in their own businesses here increases the likelihood that they can and will stay in the province," said Elizabeth Mills, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration.
Implementation of the new stream will honour the government's commitment to introduce an entrepreneurial category as outlined in the province's immigration strategy.
A discussion paper is available on the Office of Immigration website at www.novascotiaimmigration.com. Individuals can make written submissions by March 31.
The entrepreneur stream will replace the economic stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program. The province stopped accepting applications through the economic stream in July 2006.
The Nova Scotia Nominee Program enables the province to recruit and nominate immigrants who can help meet Nova Scotia's labour market and economic needs.
An individual nominated by the province, together with his or her spouse and dependent children, is eligible to apply for a permanent resident visa from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the federal department responsible for immigration.
Potential immigrants can apply for permanent residency through four other active streams within the nominee program: skilled worker, community identified, family business worker and international graduate.