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Nova Scotia Nominee Program Fees From 1 September 2026

Nova Scotia charges an NSNP application fee from 1 September 2026: $1,000 for the worker streams and $2,000 for the entrepreneur stream, per principal applicant. There is no fee to submit an expression of interest. The fee is due after selection, and the province says it is non-refundable except where required by law or when an administrative error has occurred.

Until September 2026, applying to the Nova Scotia Nominee Program had no provincial application fee. From 1 September 2026 it does. The change affects when you pay, how much, and what happens if you miss a deadline, and the rules differ between the worker streams and the entrepreneur stream.

This guide reads the province's fee update page (dated 6 August 2026) and the NSNP program page on liveinnovascotia.com. It sets out the amounts, who pays, the payment windows, the payment rules, and how the provincial fee sits alongside the federal permanent residence fees. It reports the province's published rules. It does not say whether any reader should apply to the program or would be selected.

The province's website now sits at liveinnovascotia.com. The older novascotiaimmigration.com address redirects there. Fee rules can change, so check the province's page before you pay.

The amounts

Nova Scotia's fee update states two amounts:

  • $1,000 for the NSNP worker streams. The page names these as Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia Graduate and Nova Scotia: Express Entry in its fee section. In its payment section it describes the same group slightly differently, so read the program page for the current stream names.
  • $2,000 for the NSNP entrepreneur stream.

The fee is charged per principal applicant. The page says dependants do not change the amount. A principal applicant with a spouse and two children pays the same provincial fee as one with no family.

The province states that there is no fee to submit an expression of interest. The fee comes later, in the assessment step.

The Atlantic Immigration Program is not affected. The page says it will continue to operate without a provincial application fee.

These are Canadian dollars and they are provincial fees, paid to Nova Scotia. They are in addition to IRCC's permanent residence fees, which are set out in our guide to Canada PR fees.

Who pays, and who does not

The rule turns on the date of selection, not the date the expression of interest was submitted. The province's page says:

  • An applicant whose expression of interest is selected for assessment on or after 1 September 2026 pays the application fee, regardless of when they submitted the expression of interest.
  • Candidates who received their selection letter before 1 September 2026 are not required to pay the fee. The page states this directly.

That means someone who has been in the pool since 2025 and is selected in October 2026 pays. Someone selected in August 2026 does not.

The page does not say in so many words who bears the cost, applicant or employer. The payment step appears in the instructions for selected candidates, which implies the applicant pays. It does not say an employer may or may not reimburse the applicant. If a job offer or an employer arrangement is part of your situation, read the program page, and be careful of any third party who tells you who must pay. Federal law about who may charge fees in connection with employment is a separate subject from this provincial rule.

The page also says no waivers or exemptions apply.

When the fee must be paid

The province gives different windows for different streams.

Worker streams. The applicant has 7 calendar days to review the application, upload any updated documents and pay the fee. The page says this starts when the applicant is selected and notified. Failure to provide documentation and payment within that window will result in the closure of the expression of interest.

Entrepreneur stream, starting a new business. Within 90 calendar days of an Invitation to Apply.

Entrepreneur stream, buying an existing business. Within 180 calendar days of an Invitation to Apply.

Entrepreneur stream, International Graduates. Within 90 calendar days of an Invitation to Apply.

If proof of payment is not provided on time, the expression of interest closes. The page says the applicant may submit a new expression of interest if they are still eligible. That is a significant consequence for the worker streams, because seven calendar days is short. A person who is travelling, in a different time zone, or waiting for a card limit to be raised has little room.

The fee cannot be paid in advance. The page says fees cannot be prepaid before selection. So the practical position is: nothing to pay when you submit an expression of interest, and a short deadline once you are selected.

Payment rules and the refund rule

The province's FAQ sets out how payment works.

  • Accepted cards: Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
  • Online only. Payment is made online, in one full payment with a single method. Instalments and split payments are not allowed.
  • Receipt. A receipt is emailed. The page says a screenshot of the confirmation page will not be accepted as proof of payment.
  • No effect on the outcome. The page states: "Paying the application fee does not affect the assessment outcome or increase the likelihood of nomination." The FAQ answers the question of whether paying speeds anything up with a plain no.
  • Reapplying. If you have to submit a new expression of interest, the page says you pay the fee again.

Refunds. The province's wording is: "Application fees are non-refundable except where required by law or when an administrative error has occurred." The program page adds, in its own phrasing, that the fee is charged for the assessment of an application and is non-refundable even if the application is refused.

So the fee buys an assessment, not an outcome. If the province refuses the application, the fee is not returned. This is different from the federal right of permanent residence fee, which IRCC says it refunds if you withdraw or it refuses your application. The two fees follow separate rules because they are paid to different governments for different steps.

The fee list on the IRCC side lists "provincial nominee" in the economic immigration block, with the same amounts as Express Entry applicants.

How the provincial and federal fees add up

A nominee pays two sets of government fees at different stages: the province's application fee, then IRCC's permanent residence fees for the federal application. This example only adds published figures. It does not say anyone will be nominated or approved.

A single worker-stream candidate. Provincial fee $1,000. If the federal stage is later reached, IRCC's economic block shows $1,590 with the right of permanent residence fee, or $990 without it. The two together are $2,590 with the RPRF. The RPRF is paid when the application is approved, or earlier if the applicant chooses.

A couple with two dependent children. The provincial fee is still $1,000, because it is per principal applicant. The IRCC economic fees are $1,590 for the principal applicant, $1,590 for the spouse and $270 for each child, which is $3,720 with both RPRFs. Adding the provincial fee gives $4,720.

An entrepreneur candidate. The province charges $2,000. The federal stage depends on the route. For an application in IRCC's economic block, the same economic amounts apply.

If the expression of interest is closed for non-payment and re-submitted. The $1,000 applies again to the new expression of interest once it is selected.

Third-party costs sit outside both sets of government fees: language tests, credential assessments, medical exams, police certificates and translations. We do not quote amounts for them.

Whether a candidate is nominated is the province's decision. The fee only pays for the assessment.

Other provinces and how to protect yourself

Provincial fees are set province by province. Some programs charge an application fee, some do not, and some have changed their streams recently. Our guide to Ontario's Workforce Priority stream shows how much a stream can change in a year, and the Ontario stream page we read does not state a fee. Do not assume the Nova Scotia figures apply anywhere else.

Practical points that follow from the published rules:

  • Use the province's own page. The fee amounts and deadlines are on liveinnovascotia.com. A third-party website that quotes a fee may be out of date.
  • Watch the seven days. Worker-stream candidates have a short window after selection. The province's page says the clock runs from notification.
  • Keep proof of payment. The province wants the emailed receipt, not a screenshot.
  • Pay the province, not an intermediary. Anyone who asks you to send the provincial fee to a personal account is not following the province's process.
  • Check who is advising you. Immigration advice for a fee must come from a licensed consultant, a lawyer or another authorised person. Our guide to checking an RCIC licence shows how to look someone up, and our consultant cost guide explains the written consultation agreement.
  • Re-read before you pay. The update page is dated 6 August 2026, and the amounts, windows and exceptions can be revised.

This guide describes the published fee rules. It does not say whether the program suits any reader, which stream applies, or what their chances are.

If you want a regulated adviser to look at your own documents, the Migratio directory lists licensed Canadian immigration consultants (RCICs) and lawyers, with their College or law society details so you can check the register yourself. Migratio is a directory and booking service. It is not an immigration consultant and does not give advice on individual cases.

Questions people ask

How much are the Nova Scotia Nominee Program fees?

From 1 September 2026, Nova Scotia charges $1,000 for the NSNP worker streams and $2,000 for the entrepreneur stream, per principal applicant. There is no fee to submit an expression of interest.

Do dependants pay the NSNP fee?

No. The province's page says the fee is charged per principal applicant, so dependants do not change the amount.

When do I have to pay the Nova Scotia nominee fee?

Worker-stream candidates have 7 calendar days after selection to review the application, upload updated documents and pay. Entrepreneur candidates have 90 days (new business, or international graduates) or 180 days (buying an existing business) from an Invitation to Apply.

Is the NSNP fee refundable?

The province says application fees are non-refundable except where required by law or when an administrative error has occurred, and that the fee is charged for the assessment even if the application is refused.

Does paying the fee improve my chances of nomination?

The province states that paying the application fee does not affect the assessment outcome or increase the likelihood of nomination.

Does the fee apply to people selected before 1 September 2026?

No. The province says candidates who received their selection letter before 1 September 2026 are not required to pay the fee. The Atlantic Immigration Program has no provincial application fee.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Canada PR Fees 2026: Application Fee and the $600 RPRF — On the IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026), an economic permanent residence application, including Express Entry, is $1,590 with the right of permanent residence fee (RPRF) and $990 without it. A spouse or partner included on the application is the same again, and each dependent child is $270. IRCC says it refunds the RPRF if you withdraw or it refuses the application.
  • Provincial Nominee Program explained: provincial streams and the two paths to PR — Under the Provincial Nominee Program, a province or territory nominates people it wants to settle, and IRCC handles the permanent residence application. IRCC describes two paths: an Express Entry path, where a nomination adds 600 points to a profile, and a non-Express Entry path. Each province sets its own streams and numbers, and Quebec and Nunavut have no program.
  • OINP 2026: How the Ontario Workforce Priority Stream Works — Ontario's OINP page (updated 14 July 2026) says the new Workforce Priority stream has launched and all other streams are closed. The stream page (updated 6 October 2026) describes a process in which an employer submits a job offer, the worker registers an expression of interest within 30 days, and invited applicants must file within 17 days.
  • Atlantic Immigration Program: how designated employers, endorsement and the PR application fit together — The Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) offers permanent residence to skilled workers and international graduates who have a job offer from an employer designated by New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador. A provincial endorsement comes before the federal PR application. This guide explains the rules IRCC published, as read on 10 October 2026. Check the IRCC pages before you apply, and note that it cannot tell you whether you qualify.
  • Canadian Immigration Fees 2026: The IRCC List, Explained — The IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) sets the government fees for most applications: for example $100 for a visitor visa, $150 for a study permit, $155 for a work permit, $1,590 for an economic permanent residence application including the $600 right of permanent residence fee, and $653 for an adult citizenship application. Medical exams, language tests, police certificates and representative fees are not on it.
  • How to check an RCIC licence on the College's Public Register — Search the consultant on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants Public Register (register.college-ic.ca). Only people with an "Active" status and "Yes" in the "Entitled to Practise" column may legally give you immigration advice for a fee. Then contact them using the details on the register, not the ones in an ad or a message.