Adult children of immigrants who came to Nova Scotia through the nominee program learned yesterday they will now have a better chance at living in the province as well.
Until now, nominee program families were able to bring their dependant children, but any child aged 21 or older had to apply separately.
Shomaila Swing and her 10-year-old daughter are living in Nova Scotia with about a year remaining on a two-year work visa. The new stream means she may permanently be able to live close to her parents, who came to Nova Scotia two years ago.
“I’ve already had a nomadic lifestyle and my daughter’s not very keen on it,” Swing said yesterday, shortly after the NDP government announced the new immigration option in downtown Halifax.
“She doesn’t want to move schools again,” Swing sad. “She’s made new friends, this is home for us.”
Swing is originally from Dubai but had worked as a salon manager in the United Kingdom before coming to Nova Scotia. She’s now managing Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids in Bedford, owned by her father, Azhar Swing.
With the new immigration stream, children of nominee program families will be able to gain permanent residence in Nova Scotia without a pre-existing job offer.
Entrants must be reasonably fluent in either French or English, educated, and able to become economically established in the province. Parents of the new immigrants must have been living in Nova Scotia for at least three months.
Immigration Minister Ramona Jennex said the province doesn’t know how many people will apply under the new stream, but added 55 families had approached the government about wanting to bring their adult children to the province.
She said the majority of applicants are expected to be in their 20s and 30s, which will help combat an aging workforce.
“We are committed to attracting more of these people to our province,” Jennex said.
