Entrepreneur Category

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream is one of the streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), operated by the province of Nova Scotia. This stream is designed to target experienced business owners or senior business managers who want to live in Nova Scotia.

Get Started

Successful applicants must start a new business or buy an existing business in which they participate in the day-to-day management duties. After operating the business for one year, the entrepreneur may be nominated for permanent resident status.

Program Requirements

Requirement
Express Entry ProfileNo
Connection to ProvinceNo
Job OfferNo
Language ProficiencyCLB 5
Level of EducationNo minimum
Work Experience3 years business ownership or 5 years senior business management
Investment RequirementInvestment: $150,000 CAD
Personal Net Worth: $600,000 CAD

Language Proficiency

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream, candidates must have official language test scores showing proficiency equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 or higher.

 

Work Experience

Since this is a business immigration stream, candidates must demonstrate that they have enough business ownership or management experience to successfully establish and run a business in Nova Scotia. Candidates must have at least three (3) years of business ownership experience, or five (5) years of senior business business management.

 

Investment Requirement

Candidates must demonstrate a personal net worth of at least $600,000 CAD. As well, successful applicants must invest a minimum of $150,000 CAD in a Nova Scotia business which they will establish and manage.

Application Procedure

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream operates on an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. Eligible candidates must submit a profile to a pool of candidates. All the profiles are then assigned a score based on the Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Ranking System. The candidates with the highest-ranking profiles will be invited to apply to the stream in one of the program’s periodic intakes. Candidates must include a business establishment plan and a net worth verification report with their application to the stream.

If the applicant successfully demonstrates that they meet the stream requirements, they will be invited to participate in an interview with an immigration officer in Nova Scotia. If the interview is successful, the candidate will be invited to sign a business performance agreement. Once the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) receives the signed business performance agreement, it will issue the applicant a letter of support for a work permit. The applicant must then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for a temporary work permit. Work permits issued to business immigration candidates generally do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

If the applicant is issued a temporary work permit, they may then travel to Nova Scotia to establish their business. If the applicant meets the conditions described in the business performance agreement, they will be eligible for a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia once the business has been in operation for at least 12 months.

After receiving a provincial nomination, an applicant has six months to submit a federal application for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants in this program must complete and submit a paper-based application for permanent residence and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.

Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Ranking System

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream uses the following system to rank candidates who have submitted Expressions of Interest (EOIs). There is no minimum score, but only those candidates with the most competitive scores will be invited to apply to the program.

Overview of Factors

Selection factor Maximum Points
Language35
Education25
Business Ownership or Management Experience35
Net Worth10
Age10
Adaptability10
Economic Priorities10
Investment15

Language Ability

Language AbilityPointsDocumentation required
First official languageSpeakingListeningReadingWriting
CLB level 7 or higher7777English language: CELPIP – General test or IELTS- General training test
French: TEF

Test must be taken no more than two years prior to the date the EOI is submitted.
CLB level 66666
CLB level 55555
Second official language
At least CLB 5 in all of the four abilities7
Maximum35
Note: You can only get 7 points in total for basic-level skills in your second official language, and only if you have a score of at least CLB 5 in each of the four language abilities in your first official language.

Education

EducationPoints
Canadian high school diploma, or equivalent8
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a one-year program, or equivalent12
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a two- year program, or equivalent19
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a program of three years or longer, or equivalent21
Two or more Canadian post-secondary degrees or diplomas or equivalent (at least one must be for a program of at least three years)22
Master’s degree or equivalent23
University level entry-to-practice professional degree
Occupation related to the degree must be:
- NOC 2016 Skill Level A, and
- Licensed by a provincial regulatory body.		23
University degree at the Doctoral (PhD) level or equivalent25
Maximum25

Business Ownership

Business Ownership or Senior Management ExperiencePoints
3 to 5 years of business ownership experience (minimum 1/3 ownership) in the last 10 years20
Greater than 5 years of experience in a senior management role in the last 10 years20
Greater than 5 years of business ownership experience (minimum 1/3 ownership) in the last 10 years35
Maximum35

Net Worth

Net WorthPoints
$600,000 CAD – $999,999 CAD5
1Million CAD – $1.5 Million CAD7
Greater than $1.5 Million CAD10
Maximum10

Age

AgePoints
21-245
25-327
33-3910
40-447
45-555
56+0
Maximum10

Adaptability

AdaptabilityPoints
Your spouse or common-law partner’s language level
Your spouse or common-law partner has a language level in either English or French at CLB 4 level or higher in all four language abilities (speaking, listening, reading and writing)		5
Your past study in Nova Scotia
You have finished at least two years of full-time study (in a program at least two years long) at a secondary or post- secondary school in Nova Scotia (full-time study means at least 15 hours of instruction per week), and have remained in good academic standing (as defined by the school) during the period of full-time study in Nova Scotia.		10
Your spouse or common-law partner’s past study in Nova Scotia
Your accompanying spouse or common-law partner has finished at least two years of full-time study (in a program at least two years long) at a secondary or post-secondary school in Nova Scotia (full-time study means at least 15 hours of instruction per week), and has remained in good academic standing (as defined by the school) during the period of full-time study in Nova Scotia.		5
Your past work in Nova Scotia
You did at least one year of full-time work in Nova Scotia:
- In an occupation listed in Skill Type 0 or Skill Levels A or B of the National Occupational Classification (NOC), and
- on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada.		10
Your spouse or common-law partner’s past work in Nova Scotia
Your spouse or common-law partner did at least one year of full-time work in Nova Scotia on a valid work permit or while authorized to work in Canada.		5
Relatives in Nova Scotia
You, or, if it applies, your spouse or common-law partner, have a relative, either a parent, grandparent, brother/sister, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, who is living in Nova Scotia for at least one continuous year, 19 years or older, and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.		5
Maximum10

Economic Priorities

Nova Scotia Economic PrioritiesPoints
Export-oriented business5
Proposed business location outside of Halifax County5
Business succession5
Maximum10

Investment

InvestmentPoints
$150,000 CAD– $300,000 CAD10
Greater than $300,000 CAD15
Maximum15

Nova Scotia Entrepreneur - Recent Draws

Below is the information regarding recent Nova Scotia Entrepreneur draws and the historic information about issuance of invitations to apply.

Draw dateNumber of invitationsScore of lowest-ranked candidate invited
November 1, 20226128
December 22, 202120119
September 13, 202128120
February 24, 202143118
December 9, 202034122
February 5, 202027115
November 12, 201920118
September 6, 201946113
June 24, 201943110
May 17, 201927112
April 4, 201927112
February 19, 201922112
January 7, 201933112
November 14, 201830112
October 9, 201844109
September 20, 201843109
August 7, 201832116
June 26, 201822120
May 21, 201818123
March 27, 201822108
February 20, 201822100
January 16, 20182791
December 19, 20172791
November 15, 20172491
October 10, 20171297
September 15, 20172891
August 9, 20172594
July 11, 20172097
June 13, 20173095
May 9, 20173598
March 7, 201726100
January 18, 20172890

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