Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur 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 recent graduates of a Nova Scotia university or Nova Scotia Community College. Applicants must have already started or bought a Nova Scotia business and operated it for at least one year.

This program is by invitation only. Interested candidates must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). After submitting an EOI the candidate will be assigned a score based on the Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur points grid. The applicants with the most competitive scores will be invited to submit an official application to the program. Please read below to learn more about the program requirements and application procedure for the Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur stream.

Program Requirements

Connection to Nova Scotia

To be eligible for the Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur stream, candidates must have graduated from a Nova Scotia university or community college with a degree or diploma after a minimum of two years of full time study. Candidates must also demonstrate that they have owned and managed a Nova Scotia business for at least 12 months. The candidate must have one-third ownership of the business. Finally, applicants must currently be residing in Nova Scotia with a valid post-graduation work permit.

Language Proficiency

Candidates for this stream must have official language test scores showing proficiency equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 or higher.

Level of Education

Candidates must have completed a minimum two-year diploma or degree from an eligible university or community college in Nova Scotia.

Work Experience

Candidates must have owned and operated a business in Nova Scotia for at least one (1) year while on a valid post-graduation work permit.

Application Procedure

The Nova Scotia International Graduate 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 International Graduate 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 an audit opinion and special purpose report attesting to the viability of the business 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 issued a provincial nomination for permanent residence.

After receiving a provincial nomination, the candidate 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 International Graduate Entrepreneur Points Grid

The Nova Scotia International Graduate 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 International Graduate Entrepreneur – Recent Draws & Invitation History

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