Nova Scotia has confirmed it has 1,312 remaining spaces available under its provincial immigration programs for the remainder of 2025, Maple News reports.
As of August 6, 2025, the province had already utilized at least 1,838 slots out of its total annual allocation of 3,150 through the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) and its portion of the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP). This year’s quota marks a sharp 50% reduction compared to the 2024 allocation, a decision made by the federal government as part of recent changes to provincial immigration levels.
The breakdown for 2025 includes 1,765 spots under the NSNP and 1,365 under the AIP. Despite the decreased allocation, Nova Scotia continues to experience high demand for its immigration programs. A total of 9,774 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are currently awaiting processing.
The Skilled Worker and Experience: Express Entry streams under the NSNP are seeing the highest interest, with 3,588 and 1,734 EOIs, respectively. Other notable streams include Occupations in Demand (1,267), Critical Construction Worker (434), and AIP, which has 2,633 EOIs in queue. Lower numbers are recorded for streams such as International Graduate Entrepreneur (1) and Physician (3).
Interest remains especially strong in programs aligned with the federal Express Entry system and in key sectors like construction and healthcare. However, the province has not disclosed the number of EOIs in the Labour Market Priorities stream or the Healthcare Professionals Immigration Pilot.
According to provincial officials, decisions on which applications to process are influenced by several factors, including labour market needs, profile strength, and program integrity. Nova Scotia continues to prioritize streams that address critical workforce gaps and offer strong economic potential.
Despite the reduction in quota, Nova Scotia remains a desirable destination for immigrants, thanks to its growing economy, high quality of life, and tailored immigration streams that address both provincial demands and federal priorities.