Nova Scotia has warned that its remaining provincial immigration spaces for 2025 are almost gone after a sharp cut in its yearly allocation, leaving many hopeful workers and families in limbo. The province says only 3,150 total nominations are available in 2025 across the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), down from 6,300 in 2024.
Officials confirm they have already received more applications than they can approve this year, and not all eligible applicants will be processed. For the rest of 2025, the focus is narrow: applicants already living and working in Nova Scotia, especially those in healthcare and social assistance (NAICS 62) and construction (NAICS 23) with work permits expiring this year.
The cut stems from a national decision in January 2025 that reduced Provincial Nominee Program spaces by about 50% across all provinces. Nova Scotia’s share was halved, forcing tough choices about who gets a nomination now and who must wait. The move aligns with federal efforts to slow overall inflows and ease pressure on housing, healthcare, and services.
Ottawa set the 2025 permanent resident target at 395,000 nationwide and introduced limits on temporary residents, student permits, and sector priorities. Prime Minister Mark Carney has called the approach “sustainable,” with selection shifting more toward people already in Canada 🇨🇦. The policy direction is laid out in IRCC’s Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027.
Policy Changes Overview
Nova Scotia has published a clear order of priority for the remaining months of 2025. At the top are people who are already settled in the province—paying rent or a mortgage and contributing to local workplaces.
Within that group, the strongest priority is for:
– Skilled workers in healthcare and social assistance (NAICS 62) and construction (NAICS 23) with work permits expiring in 2025.
– Applicants who show strong retention potential (likely to stay long term based on job stability, community ties, and family plans).
– Workers in regions with pressing local labour needs.
International applicants face the steepest hurdles. Nova Scotia will prioritize overseas skilled workers only if they work in healthcare, social assistance, or construction. Outside these fields, AIP employers may still hire for a short list of areas:
– Trucking
– Science and technology
– Clean energy
– Resource development
Most other international applications will not move forward in 2025. The province signals the same focus on healthcare, social assistance, and construction will continue into 2026, but final numbers depend on the federal allocation the province receives next year.
Federal policy context and impacts
- Ottawa removed extra points in Express Entry for arranged job offers and shifted selection to core factors: work experience, education, and language.
- Category-based draws now target sectors such as healthcare, trades, and IT.
- Student visa caps reduced approvals across provinces. Nova Scotia expects about 8,297 study permits in 2025—a sharp drop from 18,602 in 2023–2024—putting extra pressure on universities and the local economy.
Impact on Applicants and Employers
The tight 2025 cap—just 3,150 nominations for both the PNP and the AIP—means many qualified people will be told “not now.” The human and economic impacts are significant.
Examples:
– A nurse in Halifax with a permit ending in November has a strong chance if the employer confirms the ongoing role and the file shows clear settlement ties. If nominated, the nurse can apply for permanent residence and may be able to use a bridging work permit while IRCC processes the PR application.
– A carpenter in Cape Breton working on housing builds, with a permit expiring this fall, fits the priority list. Evidence of full-time hours, wage progression, and community roots can help.
– An IT professional overseas with no ties to Nova Scotia may need to wait, unless a designated AIP employer in a targeted sector offers a qualifying job. Even then, 2025 processing is not assured given the quota limit.
According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, the combination of a smaller quota and strict sector focus means many applicants who would have sailed through in 2024 will now face long waits or need to switch plans. Employers outside priority areas—hospitality, retail, many office roles—have much less room to bring in new workers from abroad this year.
Practical steps for applicants already in Nova Scotia
- Keep your status valid. If your work permit expires in 2025, renew as early as you can under the correct category.
- Ask your employer to confirm your role, hours, and long-term need in writing. Clear proof helps the province assess retention.
- Update your address and contact details so you don’t miss any notices.
- If your job is in healthcare, social assistance, or construction, highlight duties that match the required skill levels.
Nova Scotia is triaging applications by:
– Sector
– Work permit expiry date
– Regional needs
– Likelihood the person will stay in the province
Some applicants will receive decisions; others may be placed on hold or declined because the quota is exhausted, not due to any deficiency in their files.
Practical tips for employers
- Confirm if you’re a designated AIP employer. If not, consider designation only if hiring falls into the targeted sectors.
- Build strong settlement support plans so newcomers can find housing, child care, and transportation.
- Document retention: wage progression, training, and promotion pathways.
- Communicate early with foreign workers about realistic timelines.
Health authorities, long-term care homes, home-support agencies, general contractors, and trades companies have the best odds to secure nominations for staff. Trucking firms and employers in science/tech, clean energy, and resource development still have a path under the AIP. For most other employers, the 2025 door is largely closed.
Effects on Students and the Local Economy
With fewer study permits approved for Nova Scotia in 2025, colleges and universities face enrollment drops and tighter budgets. For students already in the province:
– The path to PR relies more on gaining skilled work and meeting language and education standards.
– Applicants can no longer count as much on a job-offer boost in Express Entry.
More than 40% of new permanent residents in 2025 are expected to come from people already in Canada on temporary status, many in priority sectors.
National numbers and trends
Key federal targets and reductions:
– Temporary resident arrivals are planned to drop to 673,650 in 2025, with the temporary resident share of the national population aimed toward 5% by 2028.
– PNP allocations cut roughly in half nationwide: from about 110,000 to 55,000 in 2025.
– Permanent resident admissions set at 395,000 in 2025, dropping to 365,000 by 2027 under the current plan.
These national trends explain why Nova Scotia must ration its 3,150 spaces so carefully.
Who should apply in 2025 — and who should wait?
Guidance for different situations:
1. If you work in Nova Scotia in healthcare, social assistance, or construction and your permit expires in 2025 — apply now with complete documents. You remain a priority.
2. If you work in Nova Scotia in a non-priority sector — your chances are lower this year. Consider:
– Extending your work permit if possible
– Gaining additional experience
– Preparing to reapply in 2026
3. If you are overseas — focus on roles that match the current list (healthcare, construction, or AIP-targeted sectors like trucking, science/tech, clean energy, resource development) and seek a genuine job offer from an eligible employer. Otherwise, consider waiting for clearer space in 2026.
The province’s message is clear: it wants to keep people who are already contributing on the ground. Retention matters. A social worker in a rural community with a long-term contract and local roots may move ahead faster than a new arrival without ties.
Outlook and final advice
The timeline for relief is uncertain. Nova Scotia says the 2026 allocation is still to be determined, but it plans to keep prioritizing in-province workers in healthcare, social assistance, and construction. Federal targets suggest further tightening through 2027, though Ottawa continues to engage provinces, cities, and employers about how to match labour needs with the reduced intake.
Practical closing advice:
– Keep expectations grounded.
– Prepare strong, complete application files.
– Stay in close touch with employers and settlement agencies.
– Maintain valid immigration status.
People who maintain status and fit the priority list still have a good chance; many others may need to plan for 2026.
For the federal backdrop on targets and categories shaping these choices, see IRCC’s Immigration Levels Plan 2025–2027.
This Article in a Nutshell
Nova Scotia’s provincial immigration allocation for 2025 is sharply reduced to 3,150 nominations across the NS PNP and AIP, down from 6,300 in 2024, following a nationwide 50% cut to PNP spaces announced in January 2025. The province will prioritize applicants already living and working in Nova Scotia—especially those in healthcare and social assistance (NAICS 62) and construction (NAICS 23) with work permits expiring in 2025—and candidates demonstrating strong retention potential and regional fit. International applicants face strict limits, with only targeted AIP sectors (trucking, science/tech, clean energy, resource development) considered. The federal shift toward selecting people already in Canada, combined with reduced study permits and category changes in Express Entry, will pressure universities, employers in non-priority sectors, and many applicants. Practical advice includes maintaining valid status, securing employer confirmation of role and hours, and preparing complete applications if you meet priority criteria. Nova Scotia plans to continue prioritizing in-province workers into 2026, pending federal allocations.
