Nova Scotia Skilled Worker Stream: PR With a Nova Scotia Job Offer

The Skilled Worker stream is one of the four streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), Nova Scotia's part of the federal Provincial Nominee Program. It helps Nova Scotia employers hire foreign workers and recently graduated international students for jobs they could not fill with Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

If Nova Scotia nominates you, you then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence. This is a "base" nomination, which means you apply to IRCC on paper or through its online portal, not through Express Entry. If you already have an Express Entry profile and work experience in Nova Scotia, compare this stream with the Nova Scotia: Express Entry stream.

On February 18, 2026, Nova Scotia cut its program from ten streams to four. The Skilled Worker stream kept its name and absorbed three former streams as sub-criteria:

The province says the sub-criteria mirror the old eligibility rules, so the requirements did not change. Only the structure did.

To submit an expression of interest (EOI) under the general criteria, you must:

• have a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer
• have 1 year of work experience related to the job. If your job is in TEER 4 or 5 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), you must already have 6 months of experience with that employer
• have a high school diploma
• have the training, skills, or accreditation the job needs
• prove language ability at Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 if your job is in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3. If your first language is English or French, that is enough proof
• if your job is in TEER 4 or 5, show a language test result of at least CLB 4, even if your first language is English or French
• show you have enough money to settle in Nova Scotia

Two limits apply as of September 2026:

• Holders of a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) who work in TEER 5 positions are not eligible.
• Since April 17, 2024, the NSNP has paused new EOIs from the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72). If you work in one of those occupations for an employer outside that sector, you may still apply.

Every job must pay a competitive wage for its industry, based on federal wage data.

Construction

You need a full-time, permanent job offer from a Nova Scotia employer in the construction sector (NAICS 23) in one of these NOC codes:

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

You also need 1 year of related experience, a high school diploma or a completed construction industry training program, and a language test at CLB 5 (TEER 0-3) or CLB 4 (TEER 4-5), even if your first language is English or French.

Physician

This sub-criteria is only for general practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102) and specialist physicians (NOC 31100 and 31101) with a signed "approved opportunity" from the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) or the IWK Health Centre. The offer must be on official letterhead, signed by both sides, and confirm you are eligible for a license with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia and can apply for hospital privileges. Physicians with an Express Entry profile can instead use the physician sub-criteria of the Nova Scotia: Express Entry stream.

Occupations in Demand

This sub-criteria targets TEER 3, 4 or 5 jobs the province names as in high demand. It needs a full-time, permanent job offer in a listed occupation and a CLB 4 language result. The 6-month experience-with-employer rule for TEER 4 and 5 does not apply here. As of September 2026, the province lists no occupations under this sub-criteria, so it is not usable until Nova Scotia adds some.

An EOI is not an application. It goes into a pool, and Nova Scotia selects from the pool based on its priorities and the number of nomination spaces it has. Selection is not first come, first served. The province says it may consider occupation or sector priorities, how likely you are to stay in Nova Scotia, where you will work, your immigration status in Canada, program integrity, and how many EOIs are in the pool.

As of September 2026, the published priorities are:

• Healthcare and skilled trades (TEER 0-4) are the top priority, for people abroad and for temporary residents already working in Nova Scotia.
• Temporary residents already working in Nova Scotia may also be considered in NOC broad groups 2, 4, 8 and 9 (science, education and social services, natural resources and agriculture, manufacturing and utilities) at TEER 0-4.
• Other occupations are limited to TEER 0, 1 and 2.
• TEER 5 jobs are not being prioritized in any category.

In July 2026 the province also announced a one-time expansion for EOIs submitted on or before June 30, 2026 by people living and working in Nova Scotia whose work permit expires in 2026 or earlier. It covers, for example, people working outside the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia graduates, and people earning at least $27 an hour. Candidates picked this way are contacted directly.

The $1,000 fee applies to EOIs selected for assessment on or after September 1, 2026. You pay only after you are selected, within 7 calendar days, online by credit card in one payment. Dependents do not change the fee. It is non-refundable, it does not speed up processing, and there are no waivers. You will also pay for language tests, document translations, the medical exam, and police certificates.

If your application meets the requirements, Nova Scotia issues a nomination and, if you need one, a letter of support for a work permit. You must then apply to IRCC for permanent residence within 12 months of receiving your nominee certificate. You, your spouse and your dependents must pass medical, security and criminal checks. IRCC makes the final decision.

Keep your temporary status valid while you wait. Nova Scotia warns that factors like employer compliance checks, requests for more documents, and application volumes can make decisions take longer.

• Already working in Nova Scotia in a TEER 0-3 job and in the Express Entry pool? Look at the Nova Scotia: Express Entry stream.
• A recent graduate of a Nova Scotia school in health care or early childhood education? See the Nova Scotia Graduate stream.
• Is your employer designated under the Atlantic Immigration Program? That federal program has no provincial application fee.
• Working in Pictou County? Check the Rural Community Immigration Pilot.

See the full list of options on the Nova Scotia immigration hub.