Key Stats and Summary
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Seats left in 2025: Nova Scotia reported 1,312 provincial immigration spaces remaining as of August 6, 2025.
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AIP PR processing time 13 months.
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As per QuestJobs data, there are 1,149 AIP jobs across all the four provinces. Nova Scotia has the highest job openings.
Seats still available in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia publicly indicated it had about 1,312 spots left in 2025 across its provincial immigration programs as of August 6, 2025. Multiple immigration firms and news aggregators say this figure was confirmed to media by a provincial representative and that Nova Scotia’s 2025 total allocation is 3,150 (down ~50% vs. 2024), with a reported split of NSNP 1,765 and AIP 1,365. The province hasn’t released a public breakdown of how many of those 1,312 remain for AIP specifically. (source) . The AIP PR processing time is currently at 13 months for the federal permanent residence stage (doesn’t include biometrics or time to get endorsement).
Tip: If you need to verify an employer, Nova Scotia publishes an official, current list of AIP-designated employers (updated July 31, 2025).
The QuestJobs Top 20: Designated AIP Nova Scotia Employers
Below are 20 of the largest organizations on Nova Scotia’s AIP Designated Employers list, with their sector and approximate headcount (company-wide unless “NS” shown). Use these as priority targets inside QuestJobs when filtering for PR-eligible roles.
| # | Employer (site) | Sector | Approx. headcount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loblaw Companies | Retail & pharmacy | 220,000 (global). |
| 2 | Circle K / Couche-Tard | Convenience retail & fuel | 149,500 (global). |
| 3 | Sobeys (Empire) | Grocery retail | 127,000. |
| 4 | Walmart Canada | Retail | 100,000+ (Canada). |
| 5 | Nova Scotia Health | Public healthcare | 23,000+ (NS). |
| 6 | GFL Environmental | Environmental services | 15,000. |
| 7 | Emera Inc. | Energy (utilities) | 7,600. |
| 8 | Dalhousie University | Higher education | 6,000+ (NS). |
| 9 | Shannex | Senior living & health | 5,900. |
| 10 | Michelin Canada | Manufacturing (tires) | 3,500 (NS). |
| 11 | Kent Building Supplies | Home improvement retail | 3,400 (Atlantic). |
| 12 | IWK Health Centre | Hospital (pediatric & women’s) | 3,200+ (NS). |
| 13 | IMP Group | Aerospace/defence & IT | 1,001–5,000 (LinkedIn range) |
| 14 | Irving Shipbuilding | Shipbuilding | 2,400 (NS). |
| 15 | Nova Scotia Power | Electric utility | 2,300+ (NS). |
| 16 | NSCC | Higher education (college) | 2,000 (NS). |
| 17 | Blue Ocean Contact Centers | BPO / contact centre | 800. |
| 18 | St. Francis Xavier University | Higher education | 501–1,000 (LinkedIn range) |
| 19 | Mount Saint Vincent University | Higher education | 610. |
| 20 | Acadian Seaplants | Agri-food (marine) | 200–500 (LinkedIn range) |
How QuestJobs helps you act on this
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Create your account at www.questjobs.io
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Filter jobs to AIP-designated employers in Nova Scotia
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Use AI Job Matching and the CV Analyzer to tailor applications to the job description and boost your response rate.
Current processing time for AIP (Permanent Residence)
IRCC’s pages list 13 months for the Atlantic Immigration Program permanent residence application. This timeline excludes biometrics collection and the time needed to obtain your provincial endorsement. (Provincial endorsement is a separate step; Nova Scotia has its own online guidelines and checklist.)
Basic eligibility requirements for AIP PR sponsorship
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Work experience: At least 1,560 hours in the last 5 years in NOC 2021 TEER 0–4 (international graduates of eligible Atlantic institutions are exempt from the work-experience requirement).
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Language: Minimum CLB/NCLC 5 (TEER 0–3) or CLB/NCLC 4 (TEER 4).
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Education: Credential level aligned to the TEER of the job offer (e.g., post-secondary for TEER 0–1; at least high school for TEER 2–4), foreign credentials require ECA.
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Settlement funds: Required if applying from outside Canada; exempt if you’re already working in Canada on a valid work permit. (Thresholds were updated July 29, 2025.)
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Designated-employer job offer & provincial endorsement: You must secure a full-time, non-seasonal job offer from a designated Nova Scotia employer and obtain a provincial endorsement before applying for PR. Endorsement certificates are valid 12 months (no extensions).
Related articles:
PR Jobs Nova Scotia Critical Construction Stream Top Hiring Companies and Jobs
Latest companies designated under AIP Newfoundland as of August 2025
Who's Getting Invited for PR in Nova Scotia? 2025 Mid-Year Report (Updated: Aug 1, 2025)