Nova Scotia Physician Stream: Merged Into Skilled Worker in 2026

The Physician stream was a Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) stream for doctors. It assisted Nova Scotia's public health authorities, the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) and the Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Centre, to hire general practitioners, family physicians and specialists for positions they could not fill with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Unlike the Express Entry physician route, it did not require a profile in the federal Express Entry pool.

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 Physician Stream no longer exists as a separate stream. Its eligibility requirements now sit under the Physician sub-criteria of the Skilled Worker 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 Physician 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 physician sub-criteria is only open to general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102) and specialist physicians (NOC 31100 and NOC 31101) who hold a signed approved opportunity with the NSHA or the IWK.

The approved opportunity must be on official NSHA or IWK letterhead and must:

• be signed and dated by a person authorized to offer approved opportunities to physicians at the NSHA or IWK
• be signed and dated by you, showing that you accept it
• state that you are eligible for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
• state that you are eligible to apply for privileges and credentials with the NSHA and the IWK

Other Skilled Worker requirements, such as showing enough money to settle, also apply. Check the current application guide on the Skilled Worker page for the full list.

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. With an approved NSHA or IWK offer and no Express Entry profile: submit an EOI under the Skilled Worker stream using the physician sub-criteria.
2. With an Express Entry profile: the physician sub-criteria of Nova Scotia: Express Entry can add 600 points to your score after a Letter of Interest. It replaced Labour Market Priorities for Physicians.
3. Considering other provinces? Ontario has a self-employed physician pathway in its new stream, and federal physician draws started in 2026.
4. Start licensing early. Every province requires a license from its college of physicians and surgeons before you can practice.