Entrepreneur Category

This is one of the streams of the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, a PNP operated by the province of Nova Scotia. It targets experienced business owners or senior business managers who have the intention to live in Nova Scotia.

The successful applicants must either buy an existing business or start a new one in which they should participate in the day-to-day management duties. The applicant may be nominated for PR status upon operating the business for one year successfully.

Program Requirements

Requirement

 

Express Entry Profile

No

Connection to Province

No

Job Offer

No

Language Proficiency

CLB 5

Level of Education

No minimum

Work Experience

3 years business ownership or 5 years senior business management

Investment Requirement

Investment: $150,000 CAD

Personal Net Worth: $600,000 CAD

Language Proficiency

In order to be eligible for this stream, the candidates must have official language test scores exhibiting proficiency equivalent to CLB level 5 or higher.

Work Experience

The candidates must be able to demonstrate that their business ownership or management experience is sufficient to successfully establish and run a business in Nova Scotia. The candidates must have experience of at least 3 years of business ownership or 5 years of senior business management.

Investment Requirement

Candidates should be able to prove a personal net worth of at least $600,000 CAD. Also, successful applicants must invest at least $150,000 CAD in a Nova Scotia business that they will establish and manage.

Application Procedure

As this stream operates on the system of Expression of Interest, the eligible candidates must submit their profile to the pool of candidates, after which they get a score based on the Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Ranking System. The highest-ranking profiles get Invitation to Apply in the program’s periodic intakes. It is essential for candidates to include a business establishment plan and a net worth verification report along with their application.

The applicants get an invitation to participate in an interview with an immigration officer in Nova Scotia if they successfully meet the stream requirements. In case the interview turns out to be successful, the candidate gets invited to sign a business performance agreement. After the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration receives the signed business performance agreement, a letter of support is issued to the applicant for a work permit. The applicant must then apply to IRCC for a temporary work permit. These work permits generally do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

The applicant may travel to Nova Scotia in order to establish their business if they are issued a temporary work permit. They will be eligible for a provincial nomination from Nova Scotia if conditions described in the business performance agreement are met and the business has been in operation for at least 1 year.

After the provincial nomination is received, an applicant gets six months to submit a federal application for Canadian PR. The applicants must complete and submit a paper-based application for PR and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Such applications generally get processed within 18 months.

Nova Scotia Entrepreneur Ranking System

This stream uses the following system to rank candidates who have submitted EOIs. Only the candidates with the most competitive scores get invited to apply to the program.

Overview of Factors

Selection Factor

Points

Language

35

Education

25

Business Ownership or Management Experience

35

Net Worth

10

Age

10

Adaptability

10

Economic Priorities

10

Investment

15

 

Language

Language Ability

Points

Documentation Required

First Official Language

Speaking

Listening

Reading

Writing

English 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 7 or higher

7

7

7

7

CLB level 6

6

6

6

6

CLB level 5

5

5

5

5

Second Official Language

At least CLB 5 in each of the four abilities

7

Maximum

35

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

Education

Points

Canadian high school diploma, or equivalent

8

Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a one-year program, or equivalent

12

Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a two- year program, or equivalent

19

Canadian post-secondary degree or diploma for a program of three years or longer, or equivalent

21

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 equivalent

23

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 equivalent

25

Maximum

25

 

Business Ownership

Business Ownership or Senior Management Experience

Points

3 to 5 years of business ownership experience (minimum 1/3 ownership) in the last 10 years

20

Greater than 5 years of experience in a senior management role in the last 10 years

20

Greater than 5 years of business ownership experience (minimum 1/3 ownership) in the last 10 years

35

Maximum

35

 

Net Worth

Net Worth

Points

$600,000 CAD – $999,999 CAD

5

1Million CAD – $1.5 Million CAD

7

Greater than $1.5 Million CAD

10

Maximum

10

 

Age

Age

Points

21-24

5

25-32

7

33-39

10

40-44

7

45-55

5

56+

0

Maximum

10

Adaptability

Adaptability

Ranking Points

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

Maximum

10

 

Economic Priorities

Nova Scotia Economic Priorities

Points

Export-oriented business

5

Proposed business location outside of Halifax County

5

Business succession

5

Maximum

5

 

Investment

Investment

Points

$150,000 CAD– $300,000 CAD

10

Greater than $300,000 CAD

15

Maximum

15

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