About Canada's Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream

The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream offers a route to permanent resident status while supporting entrepreneurial candidates and their families in the establishment and operation of a business in Nova Scotia.

Successful applicants to this stream receive a Temporary Work Permit, with which they can start a business in Nova Scotia. After operating the business for a year, they can be nominated for permanent resident status.

Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream eligibility requirements

Candidates wishing to apply to the stream must:

be at least 21 years old,
have a net worth of at least $600,000 CAD,
be able to make a personal investment of at least $150,000 CAD to establish a business in Nova Scotia,
demonstrate at least three years’ experience in actively owning and managing a business, with an ownership share of at least ⅓ OR, at least five years’ experience in a senior business management role,
score at least a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 in all factors of an official language test, in English or French, and
intend to settle in Nova Scotia, actively owning and managing a business.

How to apply

Interested candidates are required to complete an online Expression of Interest (EOI) form. Candidates are issued a score based on the points assessment (see below) and are then entered into a candidate pool, where they are ranked according to their score. A EOI can remain in the pool for up to 12 months, at which point it expires and the candidate can submit a new EOI.

The Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) contacts the candidates it wishes to nominate; only successful candidates are contacted. These candidates receive an invitation to apply.

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EOI points grid

Candidates are ranked based on their points score, which is allocated according to the following factors.

Factor 1: Language

First official language

First official language	Points awarded: Speaking	Points awarded: Listening	Points awarded: Reading	Points awarded: Writing	Total points: (minimum 20 points required)
CLB 9+	7	7	7	7	28
CLB 8	6	6	6	6	24
CLB 7	5	5	5	5	20

Second official language

Second official language	Points awarded
At least CLB 5 in all four abilities	7

Factor 2: Education

Education	Points (maximum 25)
Canadian high school diploma, or equivalent	8
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma from a one-year program, or equivalent	12
Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma from a two-year program, or equivalent	19
Canadian degree or diploma from a post-secondary program of three years or longer, or equivalent	21
Two or more Canadian post-secondary degrees or diplomas (at least one must be of at least three years’ duration)	22
Master’s level degree or equivalent	23
University-level entry-to-practice professional degree related to a TEER 1 profession which is licensed by a provincial regulatory body	23
PhD-level degree or equivalent	25

Factor 3: Work experience

Work experience	Points (maximum 35)
3 to 5 years’ business ownership experience (minimum ⅓ ownership) in the last 10 years	20
More than 5 years’ work experience in a senior management role in the last 10 years	20
More than 5 years’ business ownership experience (minimum ⅓ ownership) in the last 10 years	35

Factor 4: Net worth

Net worth	Points (maximum 10)
$600,000 CAD – $999,999 CAD	5
$1 million CAD – $1.5 million CAD	7
More than $1.5 million CAD	10

Factor 5: Age

Age at time of EOI submission	Points (maximum 10)
21–24	5
25–32	7
33–39	10
40–44	7
45–55	5
56+	0

Factor 6: Adaptability

Adaptability	Points (maximum 10)
Spouse or partner’s language level: at least CLB 4 in all abilities in English or French	5
Candidate’s past study in Nova Scotia: at least two academic years of full-time study at secondary or post-secondary level in Nova Scotia	10
Spouse or partner’s past study in Nova Scotia: at least two academic years of full-time study at secondary or post-secondary level in Nova Scotia	5
Candidate’s past work in Nova Scotia: at least one year of full-time work in the province on a valid work permit, in an occupation in TEER categories 0, 1, 2, or 3.	10
Spouse or partner’s past work in Nova Scotia: at least one year of full-time work in the province on a valid work permit	5
Relatives in Nova Scotia: candidate or spouse/partner has a parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, aged 19 or older and living in Nova Scotia for at least one continues year as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident	5

Factor 7: Nova Scotia Economic Priorities

Nova Scotia Economic Priorities	Points (maximum 10)
Export-oriented business	5
Business located outside of Halifax County	5
Business succession (Nova Scotia-based business must have been in continuous operation by the same owner for previous five years)	5

Factor 8: Investment

Investment	Points (maximum 15)
$150,000 CAD – $300,000 CAD	10
More than $300,000 CAD	15

PNP Live Tracker

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Citation "Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream." Moving2Canada. Last modified January 31, 2024. https://moving2canada.com/immigration/pnp/provinces/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-entrepreneur-stream/. Copy for Citation

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Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream

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The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Stream offers a route to permanent resident status while supporting entrepreneurial candidates and their families in the establishment and operation of a business in Nova Scotia.