Nova Scotia Nominee Program – Skilled Worker Stream
What is this program?
The NSNP Skilled Worker Stream is Nova Scotia's main PNP route for foreign workers with a Nova Scotia job offer. One page hosts four sub-pathways: general Skilled Worker (any eligible NOC), Construction (NAICS 23 sector), Physicians (with NSHA / IWK approved opportunities), and Occupations in Demand (TEER 3/4/5 high-demand roles). The defining gate is the NS job offer plus 1+ year of related work experience.
Who is it for?
- You have a permanent full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer
- You have at least 1 year of work experience related to the job
- You are between 21 and 55 years old
- Your language ability is CLB 5+ (TEER 0–3) or CLB 4+ (TEER 4–5)
- You intend to live, work, and settle in Nova Scotia
What does it lead to?
Provincial nomination from Nova Scotia; you then file a separate federal PR application within 12 months of receiving your nominee certificate. The federal step after nomination currently takes about 13 months (IRCC's estimate); Nova Scotia's own step comes first. NSNP application fee + federal fees apply.
Primary requirements
- Permanent full-time job offer (≥30 hours/week year-round) from a Nova Scotia employer in an eligible occupation.
- 1 year of work experience related to the offered position.
- Age 21–55.
- High school diploma minimum.
- Appropriate training, skills, or accreditation for the job (including provincial licensure where required).
- Minimum language: CLB 5 for TEER 0–3 occupations, CLB 4 for TEER 4–5 (test must be < 2 years old).
- Sufficient financial resources to settle in Nova Scotia.
- Sub-pathway specifics: Construction requires NAICS 23 employer; Physicians require NSHA / IWK approved opportunity + College of Physicians and Surgeons of NS licensure; Occupations in Demand requires the NOC to be on NS's current in-demand list.
What you'll need to apply
- Valid passport
- Permanent full-time job offer letter from the NS employer
- Reference letters covering 1+ year of related experience
- Language test results within 2 years
- Educational credentials (ECA if foreign degree)
- Provincial licensure documentation where applicable (engineers, physicians, regulated trades)
- Settlement-funds proof
Where to start
Check if you match this program (free)
Or visit the official nova scotia page for Nova Scotia Nominee Program – Skilled Worker Stream to read the government's own requirements.
If you want professional advice before applying, work with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a Canadian immigration lawyer.
How we keep this page current
- Hourly source check. A scheduled job checks the official source page above every hour and looks for changes.
- Change alert. When the page changes, we record it and review the program rules again.
- Human review.A person checks the change, updates this page if needed, and updates the “Page last edited” date.
- Limits. Some government pages are harder to check automatically. The official source link is still the final source. Open it before you act on anything important.
- Attribution. We write the summary above in our own words from the official government source. Short quotes used for comparison fall under fair dealing under the Canadian Copyright Act. Crown copyright in the underlying government text stays with His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and the province or territory — the government page remains the official version.
Informational only — not immigration advice. Always confirm requirements on the official government page.