Nova Scotia expands nominations to target workers with expiring permits

Nova Scotia has expanded selection of provincial nominees in a one-time initiative targeting workers in the province with expiring and expired work permits.

According to a news release published its on website, the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) will issue invitations to apply for provincial nomination to eligible candidates living and working in Nova Scotia

• holding work permits expiring in 2026 or earlier; and
• having active expressions of interest (EOIs) submitted on or before June 30, 2026.

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Candidates meeting the above criteria are eligible for consideration if they fall into one of the following situations:

• Workers earning at least $27/hr at the time of EOI submission.
• Workers earning at least $20/hr in a *TEER 0–2 Sales and Service occupation at the time of EOI submission.
• Workers graduating from a Nova Scotia postsecondary institution, employed in any occupation.
• Workers living outside Halifax Regional Municipality, employed in any occupation.
• Workers employed in a TEER 0–4 occupation in a key sector such as
  • Agriculture;
  • Construction;
  • Health and Social Services;
  • Manufacturing;
  • Natural Resources;
  • Professional and Scientific Services; or
  • Transportation.

According to the province’s news release, “candidates selected through this one-time initiative will be contacted directly.”

The province also noted that “work permit expiry may be considered as a secondary factor when determining the order in which selected applications are processed.”

The province published the release on the updates page of the NSNP website on July 14, 2026, and confirmed that this initiative is in no way intended to replace or supersede the priority occupations it had announced in April.

To obtain permanent residence through the NSNP, a foreign national must

• Meet the requirements of one of NSNP’s provincial immigration streams;
• Create an expression of interest in the NSNP’s online system;
• Be selected by the NSNP and be issued an invitation to apply;
• Submit to the NSNP a complete application for provincial nomination;
• Be issued a provincial nomination; and
• Apply to the federal government’s immigration department for permanent residence.

The foreign national must also meet all Canada’s general entry requirements, including not being inadmissible on account of prior immigration violations, a criminal record, or overly expensive medical conditions.

A provincial nominee who has applied to the federal government for permanent residency may be eligible to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) in certain situations.

In June 2026, the federal government put in place new measures allowing provincial nominees to qualify for BOWPs months sooner.

In July 2026, Manitoba members of Parliament announced measures to extend work permits for Manitoba provincial nominee candidates at risk of losing status while under consideration for provincial immigration.

*The Canadian government classifies occupations into six skills levels of Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER), with 0 being the highest skilled occupations, and 5 being the lowest skilled occupations, under the official National Occupation Classification (NOC) system.

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