Nova Scotia International Graduates in Demand: Replaced in 2026

International Graduates in Demand was a Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) stream for international students who had recently graduated from a Nova Scotia school and found full-time, permanent work in a specific occupation the province needed. It did not require a profile in Express Entry, and the job had to match what the person studied.

On February 18, 2026, Nova Scotia replaced its ten Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) streams with four: Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia Graduate, Entrepreneur, and Nova Scotia: Express Entry. The International Graduates in Demand stream no longer exists as a separate stream. Its eligibility requirements now sit under the Nova Scotia Graduate stream.

The province says the new streams include sub-criteria that mirror the requirements of the old streams, and that the consolidation "does not affect your eligibility." In practice, that means:

• If you qualified for the International Graduates in Demand stream before, you should qualify under the new stream, as long as you still meet every requirement on the day you submit.
• The changes apply only to new expressions of interest (EOIs) submitted after February 18, 2026.
• EOIs already in the pool on that date remain active, and you do not need to do anything.
• The NSNP application portal was closed from February 13 to 18, 2026 while forms were updated.

The Nova Scotia Graduate stream is open, as of September 2026, to these job categories:

You must:

• have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in one of these categories that matches your recent field of study
• have a high school diploma
• have completed a program at an eligible Nova Scotia designated learning institution within 3 years of applying, at least 30 weeks long (24 weeks for NOC 33102), with at least half of it completed in Nova Scotia
• hold the right credential type: a diploma for NOC 32102 or 32124; a certificate, diploma or degree for NOC 33102; a diploma or degree for NOC 42202
• have any certification from a Nova Scotia regulatory body that the job needs
• prove language ability at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5
• show enough money to settle

Two other 2026 changes affect everyone in the NSNP pool, including people who applied under old stream names:

A closed or expired EOI is not a refusal. You can submit a new EOI at any time if you still meet the requirements. Selection is based on provincial priorities, not on the order EOIs arrive.

1. If your job is on the list, submit an EOI under the Nova Scotia Graduate stream.
2. If your job is not on the list, look at the Skilled Worker stream (a job offer and one year of related experience) or, after a year of skilled work in the province, Nova Scotia: Express Entry.
3. Ask your employer about the Atlantic Immigration Program, which is open to graduates of Canadian schools through designated employers.
4. Protect your status. Your Post-Graduation Work Permit cannot be extended in most cases, so plan your permanent residence route before it expires.

In July 2026 Nova Scotia also announced a one-time expanded selection that includes graduates of Nova Scotia schools working in any TEER 0-5 job, if they submitted an EOI on or before June 30, 2026 and their work permit expires in 2026 or earlier. Selected people are contacted directly.