Immigration is crucial to the future growth and development of Greater Halifax and Nova Scotia. Immigration has been identified as a priority under the Halifax Region Economic Strategy, the plan unanimously endorsed by HRM Council in 2005 that outlines the path of future economic development work in Greater Halifax.
Employer Support Program
The Partnership is working to educate employers on the immigration process through our Immigration Employer Support Program. For those employers who have indicated recruitment challenges, the program will provide them with information on the opportunities and benefits of hiring immigrants and how to begin the process.
Partnership staff has also begun contacting employers visited through SmartBusiness, the Partnership’s Business Retention and Expansion initiative. Staff is meeting with them and explaining the different aspects involved in the process of immigration, as well as the benefits of hiring foreign workers.
Please contact Margie Casallas, Coordinator of the Partnership’s Employer Support Program at greaterhalifax.com if you have any questions about the program.
The Greater Halifax Partnership has led a community approach that would open doors, open borders and open opportunities. The Halifax Region Immigration Strategy identifies three key components on the road to success:
- First - to build on the foundation elements of Federal legislation and Nova Scotia’s Immigration Strategy;
- Second - To more fully integrate immigrants already living in HRM, so they remain and provide opportunities for future growth;
- Third - to attract immigrants likely to stay in HRM because they have the ability to build sustainable employment, business, professional, cultural, and community relationships.
In partnership with other community stakeholders, the Greater Halifax Partnership has been working to make immigration a priority for our community and has taken a leadership role in a number if immigration related activities.
Awareness Campaign
The Partnership, along with MISA, RBC Royal Bank and Halifax Regional Municipality, launched an award-winning print campaign in 2006 that focused on changing perception and attitudes of the business community towards hiring an immigrant.
The Partnership, with support from RBC Royal Bank and Convergys, launched the second phase of the campaign in May 2008. The objectives of this campaign are the same - to educate business owners on the benefits of hiring immigrants and to shift their attitudes around hiring newcomers. The scope of this campaign has been broadened to include: print,out of home advertising, radio, television and a web presence - www.ImmigrationWorksinHalifax.ca.
Television Spots
Leadership Council
The Greater Halifax Partnership co-chairs the Halifax Immigration Leadership Council with the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association, which is made up of leaders in immigration. The Leadership Council was formed as a result of a recommendation in the Halifax Region Immigration Strategy, and moves the Strategy forward with action items relating to the attraction, retention and integration of immigrants.
The individuals that were brought together to form the Leadership Council are a unique group that serve as a diverse voice to enhance the existing immigration-related infrastructure. The group consists of private, non-profit and government representatives.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program
The Partnership is working with the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration providing support for the "Community Identified" stream of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program. Newcomers in Greater Halifax who want to apply for Nova Scotia’s “Community Identified" stream, must contact us to obtain a letter of identification before they can apply. Our role is to screen candidates based on their long established community connections and potential labour market and economic contributions, and support them through this first step in their immigration process. In the past year we have screened over200 requests, resulting in 80 applications advanced to the NS Office of Immigration.
Private Sector Involvement
Through the investor network and Business Retention & Expansion initiative, the Partnership maintains extensive connections among businesses in Greater Halifax. The Greater Halifax Partnership is a crucial partner in mobilizing the private sector to attend events to learn about various programs available to both immigrants and businesses.
One such way Partnership staff is connecting business with information is through a partnership with the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration to deliver information sessions to businesses in various growth sectors including Aerospace and Defence, Financial Services, Transportation, Manufacturing and Health Services. Staff from the Office of Immigration provide information on two streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), the Skilled Worker and International Graduate streams.
These sessions provide employers with the information they need if they decide to explore different ways in which to recruit the highly skilled workers they require.
Another event that Partnership staff has been involved with over the past number of years is the “Welcome Home to Canada” Job Fair at Pier 21, where immigrants and employers come together. The Partnership works with Pier 21 to identify employers to participate in the event.
In addition, the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration joined the Partnership’s SmartBusiness Action Team and is responding to individual companies in hiring immigrants on an ongoing basis.
Welcoming Communities
The Partnership’s “Welcoming Communities” committee is made up mostly of recent immigrants who came through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program. This committee welcomes newcomers and introduces them to the leaders and members of their new community. The committee plans events around a “welcoming community” theme where local residents, leaders and Municipal Councillors come together informally to welcome newcomers to the community.
Welcoming Communities Committee Members:
- Charlie Francheville
- Frank Harmsen
- César Rincón
- Pat Robertson
- Scott Robertson
- Martina Robinson
- Jacqueline Steudler
The Welcoming Communities committee hosts an annual International Potluck and BBQ. This is a wonderful opportunity for newcomers and residents of Greater Halifax to come together, to meet community leaders, share stories, food and experiences from around the world.
For more information about the work the Partnership is doing in immigration, please contact Robyn Webb at greaterhalifax.com.
Quick Links
Foreign Credentials Referral Office
The Foreign Credentials Referral Office provides information, path-finding and referral services to help foreign-trained workers succeed and put their skills to work in Canada more quickly.
For employers
The site, hireimmigrants.ca, identifies the challenges and explores the opportunities for you to enhance your business through the talents of skilled immigrants. It shares practices of employers already down this path, and presents strategies to include skilled immigrants in Canadian offices, boardrooms, laboratories and work floors.
Nova Scotia Office of Immigration
For Labour Market information in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia Office of Immigration
For information on the Nova Scotia Nominee Program.
Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC)
For information on working temporarily in Nova Scotia.
Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association and Halifax Immigrant Learning Centre
For immigrant settlement services in Halifax .