Immigration to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has NSNP streams for skilled workers, graduates, and Express Entry candidates. It also participates in the Atlantic Immigration Program. Halifax is the main job centre, but rural Nova Scotia also recruits for healthcare, hospitality, construction, trades, and early childhood education.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) streams
We cover 3 NSNP streams. Each links to a detailed page with eligibility criteria, documents, and processing times.
New to provincial programs? Read our plain-English guide to PNPs.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program – Skilled Worker Stream
The Skilled Worker stream helps Nova Scotia employers recruit foreign workers and recently graduated international students whose skills are needed in Nova Scotia. It includes four sub-streams: Ski…
Nova Scotia Graduate
The Nova Scotia Graduate stream is for recent international graduates whose skills and education match specific National Occupational Classification (NOC) job categories. Applicants submit an Expre…
Nova Scotia: Express Entry
The Nova Scotia: Express Entry stream selects highly skilled individuals who wish to live in Nova Scotia permanently. It operates through Canada's federal Express Entry system and has three sub-str…
Where Nova Scotia is actually hiring
The sectors that drive Nova Scotia's immigrant recruitment — and the occupations consistently in demand.
Healthcare (province-wide shortage)
Like every Canadian province, Nova Scotia has nurse and physician shortages — Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and IWK Health Centre actively recruit foreign-trained healthcare workers. The NSNP Skilled Worker Physicians sub-pathway exists specifically for general practitioners and specialists; the Graduate stream covers paramedics, pharmacy techs, and nurse aides.
Defence and ocean tech (Halifax)
Halifax is Canada's east-coast naval base — DND, the Royal Canadian Navy, and a cluster of ocean-technology companies (Bluedrop, Ultra Maritime, COVE) drive engineering and tech demand. Halifax also hosts a growing fintech and SaaS sector centred around the city's universities.
Construction (NSNP sub-pathway)
NSNP Skilled Worker has a dedicated Construction sub-pathway for NAICS 23 employers across the province — sustained residential and ICI construction means consistent demand for carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and concrete workers.
Early childhood education and care
ECE is one of the 4 priority NOCs in the NSNP Graduate stream — Nova Scotia has expanded its $10/day childcare commitments and licensed-childcare capacity, driving demand for early childhood educators province-wide.
Nova Scotia immigration — questions
How many NSNP streams are there?+
Three worker / graduate streams: Skilled Worker (with 4 sub-pathways: general, Construction, Physicians, Occupations in Demand), Nova Scotia Graduate (tightly scoped to 4 priority NOCs), and Express Entry (with Physicians sub-pathway). Plus an Entrepreneur stream we don't cover here (targets business-class applicants).
How does NSNP relate to AIP?+
They're separate programs. AIP is federal and requires a designated-employer job offer. NSNP is provincial and doesn't require designated-employer status. Most Atlantic immigrants use one or the other — not both. NSNP is generally the route when your employer isn't AIP-designated; AIP is the route when they are.
Do I need to live in Nova Scotia before applying to NSNP?+
Depends on the stream. Skilled Worker and Graduate require a permanent full-time NS job offer (you can be applying from anywhere). The NS Experience: Express Entry stream requires 1+ year of NS work experience, which means you need to have been physically working in Nova Scotia.
Is Nova Scotia a fit for you?
Free, email required. About 5–10 minutes. We'll check your profile against Nova Scotia's 3 NSNP streams plus the broader programs we cover.