Hiring Internationally? Here’s Where to Start
Two new tools to help Western Nova Scotia employers navigate immigration hiring with more confidence.
By Sara Bateman, Western Regional Enterprise Network
Eighty-eight percent of employers in Western Nova Scotia are open to hiring immigrants. Seventy-seven percent say the immigration hiring process is too complex to manage with the HR capacity they currently have. Those numbers, from a recent Labour Market Survey survey, tell a story I keep running into in my role as Local Immigration Partnership Lead. The willingness is there. The clarity on how to do it often isn’t.
That gap between willingness and capacity is exactly what pushed Western REN to build two new resources for employers.
A place to start when you don’t know where to start
One of the most common questions I hear from employers is which immigration program applies to their situation. Our new Immigration Pathway Decision Tree was built to answer exactly that question. It walks employers through a short series of questions about the position they are hiring for, the worker they hope to bring on, and the HR capacity available within the company, then points to the pathways worth exploring based on that hiring situation.
A complete guide once you know your next step
For employers who want the fuller picture, we also developed the Employer Toolkit: Navigating the Immigration Recruitment and Hiring Processes in Nova Scotia. It brings together the guidance, contacts, and links that are usually scattered across government, nonprofit, and partner websites into a single, plain-language resource. Inside, employers will find:
- Permanent Residency pathways, including the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Nova Scotia Nominee Program
- An overview of the Temporary Foreign Worker streams
- Fraud awareness and due diligence guidance for vetting recruiters and immigration representatives
- Hiring tips to support onboarding and retention of newcomer talent
- A directory connecting employers with local support organizations and government contacts
- Downloadable HR resources and templates
- Acronym and immigration glossaries for terms used throughout the toolkit
Built for employers without a dedicated HR department
Most employers in our region are not operating with a dedicated HR department, and we built both resources with that reality in mind. They use plain language, set realistic expectations around timelines, and acknowledge directly that immigration hiring takes planning. The process is not a quick fix, but it is a manageable one once the steps are understood.
Bear in mind that these tools are not a substitute for legal immigration and recruitment advice. Immigration programs change often, so it is worth checking in with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia for the latest program details. What these resources offer is a fast, reliable way for employers to understand where they stand before committing time or resources to a pathway that may not be the right fit.
Explore both resources
Whether an employer is preparing to hire their first newcomer employee or their fifteenth, my goal is to make the process more transparent and a little less daunting. Visit Employer Immigration Supports & Pathways on our website to explore the Decision Tree and download the full Employer Toolkit.
If you have questions about either resource, reach out to me directly at sbateman@westernren.ca or (902) 740-0213.