Job offer points by sector
| Business, finance and administration | 15 |
| Health | 15 |
| Education, law and social, community and government services | 15 |
| Sales and service | 15 |
| Trades and transport | 15 |
| Manufacturing and utilities | 15 |
Sector points plus occupation points, up to 25.
Priority occupations
| Occupation | NOC | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cybersecurity specialists | 21220 | 10 |
| Data scientists | 21211 | 10 |
| Mechanical engineers | 21301 | 10 |
| Pharmacists | 31120 | 10 |
| Assemblers and inspectors of other wood products | 94211 | 5 |
| Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators | 72411 | 5 |
| Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers | 72410 | 5 |
| Binding and finishing machine operators | 94152 | 5 |
| Occupation | NOC | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Carpenters | 72310 | 5 |
| Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics | 72400 | 5 |
| Drafting technologists and technicians | 22212 | 5 |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 5 |
| Electronics assemblers, fabricators, inspectors and testers | 94201 | 5 |
| Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics | 72402 | 5 |
| Industrial sewing machine operators | 94132 | 5 |
| Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors | 72100 | 5 |
| Occupation | NOC | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians | 22301 | 5 |
| Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers | 73102 | 5 |
| Supervisors, forest products processing | 92014 | 5 |
| Accounting technicians and bookkeepers | 12200 | 3 |
| Bakers | 63202 | 2 |
| Cooks | 63200 | 2 |
| Material handlers | 75101 | 2 |
| Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants | 33103 | 2 |
| Occupation | NOC | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Retail and wholesale trade managers | 60020 | 2 |
Not on the list? Pictou County doesn’t say whether it accepts occupations that aren’t on its list. Ask the community before counting on it.
The grid has no "Natural and applied sciences" sector, yet lists data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, engineers and technologists. Pick the sector of the employer’s business; the community decides which applies.
The grid doesn’t print a total maximum; 125 is 5 factors × 25.
How Pictou County picks candidates
Applications that meet the minimums go into a pool. At the end of each intake month the highest scores are recommended, about 7 per intake in 2026.
Intake dates
- March 1–15
- April 1–15
- May 1–15
- June 1–15
- August 1–15
- September 1–15
- October 1–15
- November 1–15
What Pictou County asks for
- The job must be full-time (30+ paid hours a week), year-round and with no end date, and the employer must show it tried to hire in Canada first.
- Employers need a Nova Scotia Employer Registration Certificate.
- The priority occupation list changed mid-year, from the August 2026 intake.
On top of what IRCC asks of everyone.
Sources
- Pictou County RCIP, Pictou County Partnership, Jun 30, 2026
- Pictou County RCIP Recommendation Scoring Grids 2026, Pictou County Partnership
- Employers, Pictou County Partnership, Jul 30, 2026
- Pictou County official site
Rules checked October 7, 2026.