Most Canadian provincial nominee programs work the same way: you submit an Expression of Interest, then wait to be selected. Nova Scotia's headline pathway flips that order. Under what was formerly called the Labour Market Priorities (LMP) stream, Nova Scotia scans the federal Express Entry pool directly for candidates whose occupation matches provincial labour needs — and sends a Letter of Interest to those candidates without them ever submitting an application first. You don't apply to be found; you're found because your existing Express Entry profile already contains everything Nova Scotia needs to see.

Two things have changed recently that most content on this topic hasn't caught up with yet, and both matter if you're relying on this pathway: the program was renamed and folded into a new structure on February 18, 2026, and Nova Scotia is introducing NSNP fees for the first time on September 1, 2026 — a date days away as of this writing. Here's what's actually accurate, verified directly against Nova Scotia's official immigration site.

The Name Has Changed — Here's What "LMP" Actually Is Now

If you're researching "NSNP Labour Market Priorities," know that this name is technically outdated. As of February 18, 2026, Nova Scotia consolidated three former streams — Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry, Labour Market Priorities, and Labour Market Priorities for Physicians — into a single stream called Nova Scotia: Express Entry. The underlying eligibility rules and the "province selects you" mechanism stayed largely the same; only the structure and name changed. If you submitted an Expression of Interest before that date, your submission remains active and unaffected — no action was required.

Table 1: NSNP Stream Consolidation (Effective February 18, 2026)

Source: Government of Nova Scotia, Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration — "NSNP Update: Four Consolidated Streams," 

The NSNP now operates four streams total: Skilled Worker, Nova Scotia: Express Entry, Nova Scotia Graduate, and Entrepreneur.

How the Direct-Selection Mechanism Actually Works

Unlike most PNP streams, you don't submit a separate NSNP Expression of Interest to be considered for this pathway. Instead, the process runs like this:

Table 2: How Nova Scotia: Express Entry Selection Works

Source: Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia: Express Entry Submission Guide (July 2026) and Labour Market Priorities Application Guide, liveinnovascotia.com.

You cannot request an LOI. There is no way to apply to be considered — your Express Entry profile itself is the only thing that puts you in front of Nova Scotia's reviewers.

Don't Confuse This With Nova Scotia's Separate "Notification of Interest" Initiative

A second, unrelated Nova Scotia initiative launched in 2026 also uses similar language, and conflating the two is a common and costly mistake. In May 2026, Nova Scotia launched a program to connect Express Entry candidates directly with local employers who couldn't fill roles domestically. Candidates in this initiative may receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) — but this is explicitly not an invitation to apply for provincial nomination, and not an Atlantic Immigration Program endorsement. It's a job-matching tool, not a nomination pathway, though a candidate who receives an NOI and secures a job offer through it may later be well-positioned to pursue nomination separately.

Table 3: Letter of Interest vs. Notification of Interest — Don't Mix These Up

Source: CIC News reporting on Nova Scotia's May 2026 employer-connection launch

Eligibility Requirements

Table 4: Nova Scotia: Express Entry — Core Requirements

Source: Government of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia: Express Entry program

Nova Scotia Doesn't Publish a Ranked Score Cut-off — And That's a Real Difference From Other Provinces

If you've researched Alberta's or Ontario's PNPs, you've seen published minimum scores for each draw. Nova Scotia's Express Entry Stream works differently: historical draw records show eligibility criteria defined by specific NOC codes and job offer conditions for that draw, not a published minimum ranking score. For example, an archived October 2023 draw required exactly one year of experience in NOC 32101 (licensed practical nurses) plus a qualifying Nova Scotia job offer — no numeric cut-off score was published at all. This is a structural difference worth understanding: you're not competing against a rising or falling minimum score the way AAIP or BC PNP candidates do. You're either a match for that round's specific occupational criteria, or you're not selected.

What Changes In Fee From September 1, 2026

For as long as this pathway has existed, provincial NSNP processing has been free. That changes imminently: Nova Scotia is introducing NSNP fees effective September 1, 2026. If you're planning around this pathway, factor in that submitting after this date will carry a cost that didn't previously exist — confirm the exact fee schedule directly on liveinnovascotia.com before applying, since the amount was not yet published in detail as of this writing.

Final Thoughts

You cannot make yourself eligible for a Letter of Interest by applying — there is no application to submit for this specific selection step. What you can control is making sure your Express Entry profile is complete, accurate, and reflects your true occupation, work experience, and language scores, since that profile is the only thing Nova Scotia's reviewers ever see. If your NOC code, TEER level, and language scores genuinely match a current Nova Scotia labour priority — healthcare, skilled trades, and construction have been repeatedly named priorities through 2026 — keeping your profile active and current is the only lever you have.