How Nova Scotia immigration is organised
Nova Scotia has a fixed annual allocation of nominations from the federal government, and demand exceeds it. Every route below now runs through an Expression of Interest pool: you submit, the province draws periodically according to published priorities, and only then does an application proceed to assessment.
A provincial nomination is not permanent residence. It is a provincial endorsement that you then take to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which makes the final decision. The Atlantic Immigration Program works differently again, it is employer-driven and federal, with the province designating employers rather than nominating workers.
The three routes
Provincial nominee skilled worker
For people working, or hired to work, in Nova Scotia. Three streams: Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia: Express Entry and Nova Scotia Graduate. Excludes business class and temporary-only routes.
Explore the programme → bEntrepreneur and business class
For founders, investors and international graduates establishing or buying a Nova Scotia business. Assessed on the business, not on a job offer, with its own fee and timelines.
Explore the programme →Atlantic Immigration Program
A federal programme run with the Atlantic provinces. Employer-driven: the employer must be designated, and the province endorses the candidate rather than nominating them.
In preparationThe routes are not mutually exclusive. A worker with a designated employer may have both a nominee stream and the Atlantic Immigration Program open to them, on different timelines and with different risks. Choosing between them is a strategy question, and the wrong choice can cost a year.
If you are the employer
Two of the three worker streams run on your job offer, and the province assesses you as well as the candidate.