NSNP restructures provincial immigration pathways

Nova Scotia has consolidated its provincial immigration pathways.

As of 18 February 2026, the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP) now has a total of four provincial immigration streams, down from ten previously.

Eligibility criteria for all ten pathways remain unchanged, having been consolidated under the following streams:

• Skilled Worker
• Nova Scotia Graduates
• Entrepreneur
• Nova Scotia: Express Entry

Applicants with expression of interest (EOI) active in the NSNP pool do not need to take any action, as they will not be affected by this change.

According to the province’s website, Nova Scotia made these changes to “modernise immigration streams to create clearer pathways for immigrants and employers, while simplifying processing.”

Read more about Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP).

How have the streams been consolidated?

Under the new classification, the four streams encompass all ten previous streams, grouped as follows.

Skilled Worker

The stream previously named “Skilled Worker” now includes, under the same name, four pathways corresponding to the following previous streams:

• Skilled Worker
• Critical Construction Worker Pilot
• Physician
• In-demand occupations

Nova Scotia: Express Entry

The stream previously named “Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream” is now called the “Nova Scotia: Express Entry” stream, and includes three pathways corresponding to the following previous streams:

• Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry stream
• Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities stream
• The Nova Scotia Physician Labour Market Priorities stream

Entrepreneur

The stream previously named “Entrepreneur” now includes, under the same name, two pathways corresponding to the following previous streams:

• Entrepreneur
• Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur stream

Nova Scotia Graduates

The stream previously named “International Graduates in Demand” is now called “Nova Scotia Graduates”, and continues to have only a single pathway.

Skilled Worker stream

To qualify for the skilled worker stream, all candidates must meet the following “general” criteria:

• Be aged between 21 and 55
• Have a full-time job offer from an employer in the province, and have the training, skills and/or certification required for their position
• Meet the minimum work experience requirement for their occupation:
  • TEER TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3: Have 1 year of relevant work experience
  • TEER 4 or 5 job offer: 6 months of work experience with the offering employer
• Have a high school diploma
• Meet the minimum language proficiency requirement for their role:
  • Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) CLB 5 for occupations in TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3
  • CLB 4 for occupations in TEER 4 or 5
• Have sufficient settlement funds

In addition to meeting the general criteria, candidates must also meet the criteria for at least one of the four skilled worker pathways.

Construction pathway

Candidates under the construction pathway may be exempt from the high school diploma requirement if they have completed industry-specific construction training.

To qualify for this pathway, candidates must have an eligible job offer in the construction sector (NAICS 23) in one of the following occupations:

• Bricklayers – 72320
• Carpenters – 72310
• Concrete finishers – 73100
• Construction managers – 70010
• Construction trades helpers and labourers – 75110
• Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations – 72011
• Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades – 72020
• Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers – 72014
• Crane operators – 72500
• Electricians (except industrial and power system) – 72200
• Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics – 72402
• Heavy equipment operators – 73400
• Heavy equipment mechanics – 72401
• Home building and renovation managers – 70011
• Industrial electricians – 72201
• Material handlers – 75101
• Other trades helpers and labourers – 75119
• Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers – 73102
• Residential and commercial installers and servicers – 73200
• Roofers and shinglers – 73110
• Sheet metal workers – 72102
• Welders and related machine operators – 72106

To be eligible under the stream Physician, individuals must have an approved job offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) or the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Centre in an eligible occupation:

• General practitioners and family physicians – 31102
• Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine – 31100
• Specialists in surgery – 31101

This job offer must demonstrate eligibility for the appropriate licensure, and must indicate the candidate’s eligibility to apply for institutional-based certification.

To be eligible for the stream In-demand occupations, candidates must have a job offer in a targeted TEER 3, 4 or 5 position.

However, at this time, no occupations are listed.

Nova Scotia: Express Entry

To be eligible for this stream, all candidates must meet the following “overview” criteria:

• Have a profile in the federal Express Entry Express Entry system
• Be aged between 21 and 55
• Have 1 year of work experience in Nova Scotia in a TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation
• Have a high school diploma
• Meet the minimum language proficiency requirement for their occupation:
  • TEER 0 or 1 occupation: CLB 7
  • TEER 2 or 3 occupation: CLB 5

If the required work experience was obtained under a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), individuals must have graduated from an institution based in Nova Scotia.

To be eligible under the stream Physician, candidates must have an approved job offer under NOC code 31102, 31101 or 31100 from the NSHA or IWK, and must meet the following requirements:

• Have received a Letter of Interest (LOI) from the NSNP through the federal Express Entry system
• Have a signed return of service agreement demonstrating a commitment to live and work in Nova Scotia for at least 2 years
• Demonstrate sufficient settlement financial resources

To be considered for nomination through the physician stream, candidates must submit their EOI to the NSNP within 30 days of their LOI being issued.

Entrepreneur

To be eligible for this stream, entrepreneurs must be seeking to own and actively manage a business in the province and meet the following “overview” criteria:

• Aged 21 or older
• Meet the minimum net worth requirement based on the location of their business:
  • Within the Halifax Regional Municipality: CA$600,000
  • Outside the Halifax Regional Municipality: CA$400,000
• Meet the minimum investment requirement based on the location of their business:
  • Within the Halifax Regional Municipality: CA$600,000
  • Outside the Halifax Regional Municipality: CA$400,000
• Meet the minimum work experience requirement based on job duties:
  • Active management and ownership experience (minimum 1/3): 3 years
  • Senior business management: 5 years
• Demonstrate CLB 5 proficiency in English or French

To be eligible under the stream International Graduate, graduates must have a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) and meet the following criteria:

• Have a minimum of 1 year of active management and ownership experience of their Nova Scotia-based business (minimum 1/3 ownership)
• Have a degree or diploma after completing a full-time, in-person program of at least 2 years at a university or college based in Nova Scotia
• Meet the CLB 7 language proficiency requirement

Nova Scotia Graduates

To be eligible for this stream, candidates must have a full-time job offer in an eligible NOC code corresponding to their recent field of study, and must:

• Aged 19 to 55
• Have a high school diploma and meet the programme requirements at a Nova Scotia-based institution within 3 years of applying:
  • The program must be at least 30 weeks in duration, of which 50% must be completed in Nova Scotia (or 24 weeks for NOC 33102)
• Have the appropriate certification for the candidate’s position (from a Nova Scotia regulatory body)
• Demonstrate CLB 5 proficiency
• Have sufficient settlement funds

Eligible occupations:

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

How will old and new EOIs be processed?

The changes discussed in this article will only apply to candidates submitting new EOIs for the NSNP after 18/02/2026.

All EOIs already submitted to the province (currently in the candidate pool) will remain active and unaffected.

No changes affect Nova Scotia’s portion of Atlantic Immigration Program.