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

Language Proficiency

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream, candidates must have official language test scores showing proficiency equivalent to the Sureshot 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 Sureshot 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

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.