From time to time people state that the Nova Scotia Community Identified Stream is a great way of getting into Canada.

I've looked at the official website, but it is not immediately apparent to me how a person who was starting from scratch would go about applying via this route.

I would love it if people who had experience with this program would share details of their experience -- what steps they took, how long it all took, etc.

My motivation for starting this thread is to gather material for a Wiki article. I've wanted to write a Wiki article about this for some time, but I simply have not known enough about the nuts and bolts of the program to be able to write a Wiki about it.

Any assistance you could provide would be much appreciated.

By the way, I do have some other commitments this evening and tomorrow. But I'll come back within a couple of days and find out what you've been able to share about this intriguing program.

We are just starting out on this road at the moment. PM ontheboatout who can tell you 1st hand how it works as they have been through it. We are in the process as well but at a very early stage but briefly you have to have connections in NS. NS has mandated regional development agencies you approach depending on where you are going to settle and they write a letter of support for you based on your connections and whether you would be of benefit to that area financially/economically/community etc. It then goes to the provincial government for rubber stamping and if all well at that point then to the feds for due diligence etc. It is slightly more complicated than that but in essence. As i said ontheboatout will give you in the depth info i am sure. The time scales a getting less and less. We are hoping that we can have our info submitted by the time we get back in April having been in NS last week talking to the regional agencies and buying a property and developing connections within the community. We were also in NS last September doing similar but if all goes well by early next year it could be completed. Fingers crossed

PMs are great for sharing confidential info but sharing info on how a subject like this works in surely better in the public domain. Others perhaps also can add to the info but if they don't know what has already been said they don't know what is missing.

Just my view for what its worth.

Ok here goes. I'll create a WIKI after as I'm sure there will be things that need clarifying.

First, things are changing - even since we became Permanent Resident just last year things have speeded up and it is being suggested that applications by this route are made sooner than you would imagine.

There are some catch 22's in that 1) how can you be a part of the community if you have to come and go, and 2) how can community ties be developed so quickly, but it is great they seem to want to be very flexible with interpretation. Margot Begin a great proponent of this route, from Colchester RDA, is attending the Emigrate meetings in the UK in Feb.

Our story in brief - on the long haul Federal Skilled worker route, 25 years NHS microbiology, partner interior designer, six year old and 18 year old. Bought property 2005 on North Shore after 3 week Reccie, came back school summer hols, in tears on return, and by Jan 2006 back again on Visitors Visa leaving 17 year old with Gran to finish studies.

Just by chance, through meeting some people at a Tourist Board meeting in Tatamagouche, we were invited to a meeting of about 15 people in which both the Immigration Minister, Carolyn Bolivar-Getson and Elizabeth Mills, Deputy Minister, were present. After asking us to relate our story they said " we have some good news." They announced that the Federal Government had granted their request to increase the allocation of numbers allowable for the Community Identified stream. We were strongly encouraged to apply which we did and switched form the Federal route. The cap on numbers has now been lifted completely

http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20070919003

More soon on the process............

Here is an example of what is needed from Cumberland County Regional Development Agency (CREDA) website. Note that "Community Identified" is very predominant. All Counties in Nova Scotia have an Regional Development Agency:

http://www.creda.net/community/immigration.html

It is very straightforward and free to apply. A job is not necessary but then mortgage opportunities are restricted (though possible) and you would have to live off of your savings. We extended our Visitors Visa for a year as it was about to expire.

All Federal conditions apply - Police Check, Funds, Medicals, Landing Fees. I would suggest purchasing a property as it shows commitment and will throw you into the community. They are concerned to ensure that Nova Scotia is your final destination, not a stepping stone to the West.

Our application was received by Nova Scotia Immigration via CREDA December 2006 and we landed August 2007 having been truly involved in community life for 6 or 7 months. I would recommend it to everyone.

If anyone would like more detail on specific aspects then please send me a private message.

Thank you very much for the information you have provided so far, Ontheboatout and deanjp32. I think I understand the gist of what you've explained.

To continue the discussion and to collect the maximum amount of relevant information for the proposed Wiki article, I'm going to take the liberty of copying and pasting christmasoompa's enquiry about the NSCIS from the thread entitled ADVICE PLEASE ON A GETTING A RESIDENCY VISA/WORK PERMIT....extended family.

You can get work before you arrrive but as usual you need to get a Work Visa first. You can also get a mortgage from NS in lieu of work (ask deanjp32 for info).

You can live off your savings with less risk. Take this very nice looking house -

MLS listing 20057196 www.mls.ca

10% deposit $8000
35% down for mortgage $24000
Mortgage for $48000
from my ready reckoner 25 years at 6% month is $160/month. £80/month

Jobs are much easier to find when you are here and business opportumities abound. The requirement for integration with the community is much shorter now too.

It sounds great - if you don't have any children or have a large amount of savings. Even with the figures above, you'd still have to allow hundreds of pounds a month to live on if you have kids just to cover food, bills, miscellaneous expenditures etc. And I'm assuming that you have to pay for schooling until you've got a visa? So that is a huge risk to take especially as you may get the visa after 6-8 months but there's no guarantee you'll find a job! You could be without an income for years.

I know you've found it fantastic and it's obviously worked for you but can I respectfully suggest that you refrain from 'selling' this way of entering Canada to people who come on here and say 'moving with young children'. It could be a huge risk they take on your recommendation and I'm sure you wouldn't want to be responsible for that? I realise that any parent with young children that moves to another country with no job and no visa is probably very irresponsible and should have looked into it themselves but I'm just worried that people will think it's an easy fix and then end up in serious financial trouble.

But shout it from the rooftops for single people or older couples who perhaps don't have the expenditure and responsibility of a young family though as I'm sure it would be great for them!

It's a calculated risk that the individuals concerned take when doing something like this. You are right it could take a couple of years before you get a job hence factoring into your calculations. There is also a risk that if you come to Canada on the long winded way i.e the federal skilled worker route that you wont have a job to come to so you could also spend lots of your own money whilst looking for a job

You are right, everything is a risk. Coming on the skilled worker route however means that you can at least be looking for work and applying either before landing or immediately after.

Also, when you are waiting you may go over the 6 months and there is no absolute guarantee that you will be allowed to stay longer whilst the application is processed. You therefore have to maintain a home in the UK. Most people use some of their equity to fund the early days of their move - without this it is even more difficult.

There is also the issue of school fees which has been raised already. If you land as a PR or go on a WP, you kids will probably get free schooling and university fees will be lower. People need to understand this full from the start.

I know that you could come over on a WP and then go down this route, but if you were working you could probably get SW application fast-tracked or get PNP anyway.

I am not saying that the community identified stream isn't useful. In fact, had I known about it sooner I may have used it myself. But I can see that it is only useful to people in a particular situation.

This is a great opportunity for those who can afford it, but a balanced view should be given in order that people are not misguided.

As i said it's a calculated risk that really depends on peoples own circumstances. it's not a risk i would have considered 1 year ago but things change.

I don't think that's a fair comparison to be honest. Yes, if you came over on a SW you might well have to find a job but at least if you don't find one where you've chosen to land, you can move regions and try somewhere else. Not an option with the Community Stream PNP. So job hunting options are fairly limited which seems rather dangerous to me given that you would have spent months worth of savings to even get to the point where you're allowed to look for a job.

Also, with a SW visa at least you go knowing you have the visa - with the Community Stream PNP you could spend months living there and spending money without any income, only to be rejected for a visa at the end of it.

So it seems to me that it's a much, much bigger risk.

I am guessing there is a reason for this stream or even a need or it would not be in place. If you came over the SW way and did not get a job then moved i would guess you would be using you money anyway to move regions and start again but point taken about the community route limiting options and you are right there is a chance of rejection hence the big risk but doing your homework on this route is a must. getting the community links and backing of an RDA are probably the biggest hurdles to overcome. Once that happens at least you are on the right track and things will be a little easier. I would say this route is not for the faint hearted but it's in place for a reason and works so it's an option. I certainly don't think it's an easy option or right for a lot of people and have never said it is but it is an option non the less and it is entirely up to the individuals to look at all the possible outcomes.

Absolutely, couldn't agree more. I'm sure it's perfect for somebody who is single and couldn't get into Canada any other way (although that does beg the question - if they don't have enough skills to get any other kind of visa, how are they going to find a job? But anyway). It does sound great for some people, but I would imagine it's only a very small percentage of British immigrants that it would suit.

My point was that it seems to be being promoted to people with children, young families, etc, and I would have said it's the last thing they need. I realise that they should do their homework into it themselves and decide about it but unfortunately a lot of people will just take someones word for it that it's the best thing in the world and then could end up in a foreign country with no job and no money left over. So I was trying to diplomatically suggest that each poster's circumstances are taken into consideration before the automatic 'try the Nova Scotia Community Scheme PNP' answer is given as sometimes it's just not appropriate imo.

some people are very employable that use this route just not in an occupation that is on the hit list as it were or maybe want some time to build links and look at other options. We are in the SW route at the moment but really don't want to do the things we are doing now when we get to Canada so this route is good in that it gives you time to look at what you would like to do assuming you have the money behind you to do so. All these threads are a great source of information but people should weigh up all the info for themselves before diving in.

To not do so is at "own risk"