Nova Scotia Immigration

On This Page, You Will Find:

• The four Nova Scotia Nominee Program streams
• Skilled Worker stream and its sub-criteria
• Nova Scotia Graduate stream
• Entrepreneur stream
• Nova Scotia: Express Entry stream
• NSNP application fees from September 1, 2026
• How Nova Scotia selects candidates in 2026
• The Atlantic Immigration Program
• Frequently asked questions

Nova Scotia is a popular Atlantic destination with a growing economy, a lower cost of living than Canada’s largest cities and steady demand for health care workers and skilled trades. The province selects candidates for permanent residence through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), run by the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, and it also takes part in the federal Atlantic Immigration Program.

A provincial nomination does not grant permanent residence on its own. It supports a separate application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which makes the final decision. Nominees must apply to IRCC within 12 months of receiving their nominee certificate.

The Four Nova Scotia Nominee Program Streams

On February 18, 2026, Nova Scotia consolidated its previous ten NSNP streams into four. Most of the former streams survive as sub-criteria inside the new structure, so the core requirements for specific occupations and candidates did not change much.

The four current streams are:

• Skilled Worker, which also contains the Construction, Physicians and Occupations in Demand sub-criteria
• Nova Scotia Graduate, for recent graduates of Nova Scotia institutions in specific occupations
• Entrepreneur, which also contains the International Graduate Entrepreneur sub-criteria
• Nova Scotia: Express Entry, which covers Skilled Work Experience in Nova Scotia and Physicians

All worker streams start with an Expression of Interest (EOI). Meeting the eligibility rules does not guarantee selection. The province picks EOIs according to its published priorities and the nomination spaces it has.

Skilled Worker Stream

The Skilled Worker stream helps Nova Scotia employers hire foreign workers and recent international graduates for jobs they could not fill with Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

General Skilled Worker Requirements

To submit an EOI, you must:

• have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer
• have one year of work experience related to the job (workers in NOC TEER 4 or 5 jobs must already have six months of experience with the employer)
• be 21 to 55 years old
• have a high school diploma
• have the training, skills or accreditation the job requires
• meet the language requirement for your occupation (see below)
• show enough money to settle in Nova Scotia

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders working in TEER 5 positions are not eligible.

Language Rules: When a Test Is Required

The language rule depends on the TEER category of your job:

• TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 jobs: you need Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5. If English or French is your first language, that is enough proof and you do not need a test.
• TEER 4 or 5 jobs: you must submit test results showing at least CLB 4, even if English or French is your first language.

The Construction sub-criteria and the Occupations in Demand category have their own rules, explained below. Both require test results even for native speakers.

Construction Sub-Criteria

This sub-criteria replaced the former Critical Construction Worker Pilot. You must:

• have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in the construction sector (NAICS 23) in one of 22 listed occupations, including construction managers (70010), electricians (72200), carpenters (72310), welders (72106), heavy equipment operators (73400) and construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)
• have one year of work experience related to the job
• have a high school diploma or have completed a construction-specific industry training program
• be 21 to 55 years old
• prove CLB 5 for TEER 0 to 3 jobs or CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5 jobs, even if your first language is English or French
• show enough money to settle in Nova Scotia

Physician Sub-Criteria

This sub-criteria replaced the former Physician stream. It is open only to general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102) and specialist physicians (NOC 31100 and 31101) who have a signed approved opportunity with the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) or the IWK Health Centre. The approved opportunity must be on NSHA or IWK letterhead, signed by an authorized person and by the physician, and must confirm eligibility for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia and for hospital privileges.

Occupations in Demand Category

The Occupations in Demand category targets TEER 3, 4 or 5 occupations that the province identifies as being in high labour market demand. As of October 2026, Nova Scotia lists no occupations under this category. Until the province publishes new occupations, there is no job offer that qualifies under it.

If occupations are listed again, the published requirements are:

• a permanent, full-time job offer in an occupation the province has identified as in demand
• one year of work experience related to the job
• age 21 to 55
• a high school diploma and the training, skills or accreditation the job requires
• CLB 4 test results, even if your first language is English or French
• enough money to settle in Nova Scotia

The six-month experience-with-the-employer rule for TEER 4 and 5 workers does not apply under this category. Check the official Skilled Worker page before relying on this category, because the province updates the occupation list based on labour market information.

Nova Scotia Graduate Stream

The Nova Scotia Graduate stream is for recent international graduates whose studies match specific occupations. It is currently open to four job categories:

• NOC 32102: Paramedical occupations
• NOC 32124: Pharmacy technicians
• NOC 33102: Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
• NOC 42202: Early childhood educators and assistants

To submit an EOI, you must:

• have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in one of the listed job categories, matching your recent field of study
• be 19 to 55 years old
• have a high school diploma
• have completed a program at an eligible Nova Scotia designated learning institution within three years of your application; the program must have been at least 30 weeks long (24 weeks for NOC 33102), with at least 50% completed in Nova Scotia
• hold the right credential for your occupation: a diploma for NOC 32102 or 32124; a certificate, diploma or degree for NOC 33102; a diploma or degree for NOC 42202
• hold any certification required by Nova Scotia regulatory bodies
• prove CLB 5 in English or French
• show enough money to settle in Nova Scotia

A job offer is a mandatory requirement of this stream. Graduates without a qualifying offer should look at other options, such as the Nova Scotia: Express Entry stream if they have one year of skilled Nova Scotia work experience, or the Atlantic Immigration Program.

Entrepreneur Stream

The Entrepreneur stream is for experienced business owners and senior managers who will start or buy a business in Nova Scotia and take part in its day-to-day management. After operating the business for a year, the entrepreneur may be nominated. Applications are by invitation only.

Entrepreneur Requirements

• be 21 or older
• intend to live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively managing a Nova Scotia business
• have a net worth of at least $600,000 ($400,000 if the business is outside Halifax Regional Municipality)
• invest at least $150,000 of your own money ($100,000 outside HRM)
• have at least three years of experience actively managing and owning a business (one-third ownership minimum) or more than five years in a senior business management role
• score at least CLB 5 in English or French in all four skills
• submit an EOI and receive an Invitation to Apply

International Graduate Entrepreneur Sub-Criteria

This sub-criteria is for recent graduates of a Nova Scotia university or the Nova Scotia Community College who have already started or bought a Nova Scotia business. You must:

• intend to live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively managing the business
• have at least one year of continuous experience managing and owning your current Nova Scotia business (33.33% ownership minimum)
• have completed a degree or diploma after at least two academic years of full-time, in-person study at a Nova Scotia university or the Nova Scotia Community College
• hold a valid post-graduation work permit
• score at least CLB 7 in English or French in all four skills
• submit an EOI and receive an Invitation to Apply

Nova Scotia: Express Entry Stream

This stream works through the federal Express Entry system. A nomination adds 600 points to your Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score, which in practice leads to an Invitation to Apply in a later federal draw.

Skilled Work Experience in Nova Scotia

To submit an EOI, you must:

• have at least one year of work experience in Nova Scotia in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation
• be 21 to 55 years old
• have a Canadian high school credential or equivalent
• prove CLB 7 for TEER 0 and 1 jobs or CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3 jobs
• have a profile in IRCC’s Express Entry system

If you are claiming work experience gained on a Post-Graduation Work Permit, you must have graduated from an institution located in Nova Scotia.

Physician Sub-Criteria

Physicians with an approved NSHA or IWK opportunity (NOC 31100, 31101 or 31102) receive a Letter of Interest once the province is notified of their Express Entry profile number. You must then:

• provide a signed Return for Service Agreement with the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness committing you to live and work in Nova Scotia for at least two years
• submit your EOI within 30 calendar days of the Letter of Interest
• meet the minimum work experience requirement of the Express Entry program you qualify under
• show enough money to settle and have legal status in your country of residence

Critical Vacancies Initiative

Nova Scotia also searches the Express Entry pool for candidates to fill critical vacancies with employers who cannot recruit locally, mainly in health care, construction and skilled trades. A message under this initiative is not an invitation to apply for nomination. Candidates are screened and shared with employers, and only those who are hired can then pursue a provincial or federal pathway.

NSNP Application Fees From September 1, 2026

Nova Scotia introduced application fees for the NSNP on September 1, 2026. Submitting an EOI is still free. The fee is charged only when your EOI is selected for assessment:

• $1,000 for the worker streams (Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia Graduate and Nova Scotia: Express Entry)
• $2,000 for the Entrepreneur stream

Worker-stream candidates must pay within 7 calendar days of being told their EOI was selected. Entrepreneur candidates have 90 days after an Invitation to Apply, or 180 days if buying an existing business. Fees are per principal applicant, non-refundable and cannot be waived. If you do not pay on time, your EOI is closed. Candidates selected before September 1, 2026 do not pay the fee. The Atlantic Immigration Program has no provincial application fee.

How Nova Scotia Selects Candidates in 2026

Demand for nominations is higher than Nova Scotia’s federal allocation, so the province selects EOIs according to published priorities. In July 2026, it announced a one-time expansion of its selection priorities. Active EOIs submitted on or before June 30, 2026 from people already living and working in the province, with a work permit expiring in 2026 or earlier, could be selected if they:

• work in a TEER 0 to 4 occupation in a key sector such as professional and scientific services, manufacturing, construction, health and social services, natural resources, agriculture or transportation
• graduated from a Nova Scotia designated learning institution and work in a TEER 0 to 5 occupation
• live outside Halifax Regional Municipality and work in a TEER 0 to 5 occupation
• work in a TEER 0 to 2 sales and service occupation earning at least $20 per hour
• work in any occupation earning at least $27 per hour

For international recruitment, the province continues to focus on health care, skilled trades and occupations that support critical services. Since April 17, 2024, the NSNP has also stopped accepting new submissions for candidates in the accommodation and food services sector. Priorities can change during the year, so check the official site before applying. For alternatives, see our overview of the ways to immigrate to Canada and our guide to provincial nominee programs.

The Atlantic Immigration Program

Nova Scotia also takes part in the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), a permanent federal program shared by the four Atlantic provinces. The AIP is employer-driven. You need a job offer from a designated employer, a settlement plan and provincial endorsement. It runs alongside the NSNP and gives Nova Scotia employers a second way to hire and keep newcomers. If you are comparing Atlantic options, see our guides to New Brunswick immigration, Prince Edward Island immigration and Newfoundland and Labrador immigration.

Frequently Asked Questions