Provincial Nominee Programs Working Well in Lunenburg Queens... |
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~ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ~ Provincial Nominee Program Working Well in Lunenburg Queens
Bridgewater, November 26, 2007. There are two ways that people from other countries can emigrate to Canada and settle in Nova Scotia. One is directly via Federal Government programs through Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the other is introduction through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). Since it was unveiled four years ago, the NSNP has been (and continues to be) an exceptional channel for giving newcomers a quicker way to settle in Nova Scotia and become permanent residents of Canada. It allows Nova Scotia to recruit and select immigrants who can contribute to meeting the labour force and economic needs of the province. Of late, there has been a lot of emphasis on the economic immigration stream, one of five different ways that newcomers can qualify to move to Nova Scotia through the NSNP. The Province is currently redesigning that particular stream so at present it is not accepting applications. Is not particularly surprising that adjustments need to be made to a program that only started in 2003, and while the Province is working diligently to do this, the other four categories have gone largely unnoticed for their remarkable successes. The whole program has taken the brunt of criticism for one part that did not work out as intended. This is troubling to those who have been working with the NSNP from the start, knowing that for the most part, the program has been very beneficial for Nova Scotia. On Nova Scotia’s south shore, the Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency (LQRDA) has been nominating immigrants to come through the Community Identified Stream since the program began. Here, there is concern that people will get the wrong impression about the entire program when only one part requires redesign. Neil Emenau, Executive Director of the LQRDA says, “Here in Lunenburg Queens, we have had tremendous success working with NSNP. We have introduced dozens of people to Nova Scotia’s south shore through the Community Identified Stream, and have referred others to the additional categories of the NSNP. These individuals have become the area’s newest employers, employees, and volunteers, with remarkable contributions to the economy and to advancements in the region.” “In addition to these successes, we’ve just received funding from the Office of Immigration to hire an Immigration Navigation Officer to help set up settlement teams designed to work with newcomers when they arrive. The program has worked very well for us here in Lunenburg Queens and we hope to continue that trend for many years to come.” - 30 - Background: Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency For more information please contact: Nova Scotia Nominee Program The program is made possible through the Canada-Nova Scotia Agreement on Provincial Nominees, which was originally signed in August 2002, with a new agreement signed in September 2007. The Nova Scotia Nominee Program is a faster application process for immigration. The federal government through Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) attempts to process Nova Scotia provincial nominees as quickly as possible. While processing times will vary from post to post, processing times on average are significantly less for provincial nominees than for applications through the other federal classes of immigrants. The NSNP Streams:
For more information please contact: Across Canada, other provinces have similar nomination programs:
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