Nova Scotia announces one-time expansion of immigration selection priorities
On July 14, 2026, Nova Scotia announced a one-time expansion of its immigration selection priorities to align with current labour market needs and available nomination spaces in 2026.
The Province is expanding its selection from active Expressions of Interest (EOIs) submitted on or before June 30, 2026, to include additional candidates already living and working in Nova Scotia. This approach supports workforce retention and helps address labour market needs within the province's available nomination spaces.
Eligibility criteria
The expanded selection includes candidates who have already submitted an EOI, have a work permit expiry date in 2026 or earlier, and meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Working in a TEER 0-4 occupation that supports key sectors of Nova Scotia's economy, such as Professional & Scientific, Manufacturing, Construction, Health & Social Services, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Transportation
- Graduating from a Nova Scotia designated learning institution and working in a TEER 0-5 occupation
- Living in a community outside the Halifax Regional Municipality and working in a TEER 0-5 occupation
- Working in a Sales and Service occupation (TEER 0-2) and earning at least $20 per hour at the time of EOI submission
- Working in Nova Scotia in any occupation and earning at least $27 per hour at the time of EOI submission
Work permit expiry may be considered as a secondary factor when determining the order in which selected applications are processed.
Nova Scotia nominee program priorities
On April 27, 2026, Nova Scotia outlined its current nominee program priorities, which focus on the province's most pressing labour-market needs while managing a limited number of nomination spaces.
Priority is given to candidates who show a genuine intention to live, work, and settle in Nova Scotia long-term.
Current priority focus
Healthcare and skilled trades occupations remain the top priority, covering TEER levels 0 to 4 only. This applies to both international applicants and temporary residents already living and working in the province.
Other priority occupations
Beyond healthcare and skilled trades, Nova Scotia may also consider nominations for temporary residents already in the province working in the following NOC groups, provided they meet program criteria and labour-market needs:
- NOC 2 – Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Occupations
- NOC 4 – Education, Law and Social, Community and Government Services
- NOC 8 – Natural Resources, Agriculture and Related Production Occupations
- NOC 9 – Manufacturing and Utilities
These occupational groups are also limited to TEER levels 0 to 4.
Limited consideration for remaining occupations
For all other occupations outside the priority groups, nominations are currently restricted to TEER levels 0, 1, and 2, and only for temporary residents already living and working in Nova Scotia.
TEER 5 occupations are not being prioritized under any category at this time.
The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP), the Physician category of the Skilled Worker stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream category, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – Overview
The Physician category of the Skilled Worker stream is one of Nova Scotia’s PNP stream category that targets candidates that have a job offer for a physician position.
When receiving a nomination under the stream, candidates can then apply for Permanent Residence to the federal government of Canada.
This stream is not aligned with Express Entry, which means that candidates cannot take advantage of the 6-month average processing times of Express Entry. Processing times of Provincial Nominee Programs (not aligned with Express Entry) are usually longer and take at least 1 year.
The stream category does require the candidate to hold a valid job offer as its main eligibility requirement, and candidates do not need to provide proof of settlement funds. There are other requirements that must be fulfilled regarding the candidate and the job offer.
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – Eligibility
There are 3 main categories of eligibility requirements that we will summarize below. You can apply to the Physician category of the Skilled Worker stream if you and your job offer satisfy to all the requirements below (remember that for each requirement, you will have to provide supporting documents).
Job offer
To be eligible, you must have an approved job offer from the Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) or the IWK Health Centre (IWK) in one of the three following occupations:
- NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
The approved job offer must be on official NSHA or IWK letterhead and must:
- be signed and dated by you and by a person authorized to hire physicians at the NSHA or IWK,
- indicate eligibility for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of NS, and
- indicate that you are eligible to apply for privileges and credentials with NSHA and the IWK.
Education
You must demonstrate that you have the education and medical training required for licensure in Nova Scotia.
You must submit a completed Canadian educational credential, or if the educational credential is from a foreign (non-Canadian) institution or authority, you must also submit an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by the Medical Council of Canada.
Immigration status
In order to apply, you must have legal status in your current country of residence.
If you are in Canada on a Work Permit, it must be valid at the time of application.
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – Application Process
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the Physician category of the Skilled Worker stream. Candidates must:
- Submit an expression of interest to the stream category through the Nova Scotia’s online service (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Nova Scotia will conduct periodic draws to select expression of interest for processing. Factors that may guide selection include provincial priorities, remaining allocation, expression of interest pool volume, and program integrity considerations
- Apply for permanent residence to the federal government (IRCC) within 12 months of receiving the nomination (after the NSNP processes their application). Candidates need to apply online to IRCC, and include the Nomination Letter received from the NSNP.
Optional: after receiving your provincial nomination, you can request a letter of support from the NSNP to apply for a temporary work permit or the renewal of an existing work permit (within 3 months of expiry). This letter of support replaces the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Service Canada in applying for the new work permit.
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – Application Fees
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – Processing Times
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – Latest News & Data
NS Skilled Worker – Physician – In-Demand Occupations?
Some streams target specific NOC codes, meaning that if you have experience in those in-demand jobs, you either (i) have more chances to be invited or (ii) that you can be eligible to the stream.
In the case of the Physician category of the Skilled Worker stream, there are three NOC occupations codes that are targeted by the stream, but a job offer is needed:
- NOC 31102 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 31100 – Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine
- NOC 31101 – Specialists in surgery
You can find out about the other provinces’ in-demand jobs in our in-demand NOC codes article.
