Immigration is primarily federal law, but Nova Scotia administers provincial nomination and endorsement processes that can affect a person’s route to permanent residence. Program criteria change frequently, so this hub emphasizes current official program pages rather than static eligibility summaries.
Publisher source check: September 29, 2026. Legal rules and program requirements can change; use the linked official source for the current text.
Federal status and provincial selection are different
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada controls federal immigration status and makes the final decision on permanent residence and admissibility. Nova Scotia can nominate candidates through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program and endorse qualifying candidates through the Atlantic Immigration Program, but a provincial nomination or endorsement is not itself permanent resident status.
Temporary status, work authorization, study authorization, permanent residence and citizenship are separate legal concepts. A person can qualify for a provincial program yet still need to satisfy federal requirements.
Nova Scotia Nominee Program in 2026
Nova Scotia modernized the NSNP in February 2026, consolidating ten streams into four: Nova Scotia Graduate, Skilled Worker, Entrepreneur and Nova Scotia: Express Entry. The Province uses an expression-of-interest system and publishes current selection priorities.
As of September 1, 2026, Nova Scotia charges application fees when an EOI is selected for assessment; submitting the EOI itself does not carry that fee. The Province also introduced a 12-month EOI validity period effective May 1, 2026. These are exactly the kinds of program details that make old immigration articles risky.
Atlantic Immigration Program
The Atlantic Immigration Program is a federal permanent-residence pathway for eligible skilled workers and international graduates who want to live in an Atlantic province. It requires a qualifying job offer from a designated employer and provincial endorsement before the federal permanent-residence application.
Employer designation, candidate endorsement, settlement planning and the IRCC application are distinct steps. A designated employer is not an immigration decision-maker and cannot guarantee permanent residence.
Status, admissibility and representation
Work permits, study permits, visitor status, extensions and restoration have their own federal rules and deadlines. Criminal, medical and security admissibility can affect an application independently of a provincial nomination.
Applicants should verify who is authorized to provide paid immigration representation and should keep copies of applications, submissions, notices, permits and correspondence. A program webpage can change faster than a general legal article, so the official page should be checked immediately before applying.
How to use this hub
Use the broad sections above to identify the legal system that controls the issue, then move to the narrower guides and legislation linked below. Start with the actual document, decision, notice, agreement or event that created the problem. Record the important dates and identify the court, tribunal, regulator, government program or other institution involved.
Where an issue crosses subjects, research each part separately. A workplace discrimination problem can involve both employment and human-rights law; a vessel injury can involve personal-injury and maritime law; a criminal charge can affect immigration status. The topic hubs are designed to connect those systems without pretending that one general explanation answers every part of a file.
Questions people commonly need to answer
Which of the four current NSNP streams applies and has the EOI been selected for assessment?
Is the employer designated, is the job offer eligible and has the Province issued an endorsement?
What work, study or visitor status does the person currently hold and when does it expire?
Which federal class or provincial pathway is being used and what IRCC requirements remain?
Is there a criminal, medical, misrepresentation or other admissibility issue, and what review or appeal process exists?
Primary and official sources
These links lead to the legislation, court, regulator or government program used to source this hub. They are the place to check for current amendments, forms and procedural changes.
- Nova Scotia Nominee Program
- NSNP — four consolidated streams
- IRCC — Atlantic Immigration Program
- IRCC — Provincial Nominee Program