Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (NSIGE)
- P.N.P: Provincial Nominee Programs
- E.O.I: Expression of Interest
- P.S: Point System
- C.E: Canadian Experience
- Permanent Resident
- Open
GSB
SUMMARY
Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP)
Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
1- Age
2- Language Ability
You must have taken an approved test results taken within two (2) years and have obtained a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark CLB 7 in all for abilities in English or French (➨Appendix 5).
3- Education
4- Post-Graduation Work Permit
You must have a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) (➨ Page) at time of application to NSOI.
5- Business Experience
You must demonstrate that you are receiving compensation in the form of a salary from the business, which must, at minimum, meet the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) (➨ Appendix 2).
6- Ineligibility
- You are a passive investor (individuals who intend to invest in a Nova Scotia business with very limited or no involvement in the day-to-day management of the business).
- You are a refugee claimant in Canada, a failed refugee claimant, had a removal order, are prohibited from entering or being in Canada, do not have status in Canada or are living illegally in your country of residence.
- Businesses that are conducted remotely (from another Canadian jurisdiction or from another country)
- Property rental, investment, and leasing activities.
- Real estate construction/development/brokerage, insurance brokerage or business brokerage. Unless the applicant can prove their business in one of these areas is of compelling benefit to the Province of Nova Scotia.
- Any self-employed business operators requiring licensing or accreditation.
- Pay day loan, cheque cashing, money changing and cash machines.
- Pawnbrokers.
- Credit unions.
- Home-based businesses; unless the applicant can prove their business will have a compelling benefit to the Province of Nova Scotia.
- Businesses involved in the production, distribution or sale of pornographic or sexually explicit products or services.
- Co-operatives.
- Investments into a business operated primarily for the purposes of deriving passive investment income.
- Joint ventures between NSNP program applicants.
- Any other type of business that by association could would tend to bring NSOI, NSNP, or the Government of Nova Scotia into disrepute.
Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.
CALCULATE YOUR SCORE
The Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream selection factors may be summarized as follows (immilib.com/NSIGE-Grid):
| Selection Factor | Maximum Points |
| Factor 1: Language Ability | 35 |
| Factor 2: Education | 25 |
| Factor 3: Experience | 15 |
| Factor 4: Adaptability | 10 |
| Factor 5: Age | 10 |
| Factor 6: Economic Priorities | 5 |
| Maximum Points Total | 100 |
| Selection Pass Mark | Varies * |
| * For latest draws go to (➨ immilib.com/NSIGE-Draws) | |
Factor 1: Language Ability
To be awarded point for language, you must have taken an approved test results (➨Appendix 5).
| First official language (English or French) | ||||
| Speaking | Listening | Reading | Writing | |
| CLB 9 or Higher | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| CLB 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| CLB 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Below CLB 7 | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible | Not Eligible |
| Second official language (English or French) | |
| At least CLB 5 in all of the 4 abilities | 7 |
| CLB 4 or less in any of the 4 abilities 0 | 0 |
- English: IELTS General or CELPIP General or PTE Core
- French: TEF Canada or TCF Canada
Factor 2: Education in Nova Scotia
You can receive up to 25 points for your education.
| Level of Education | Points |
| Doctoral (PhD) level | 25 |
| Master's degree or equivalent | 22 |
| University level entry-to-practice professional degree | 22 |
| Two or more post-secondary credentials, one of which is a three-year or longer post-secondary credential | 17 |
| Three-year or longer post-secondary credential 15 | 15 |
| Two-year post-secondary credential | 12 |
| None of the above | Not Eligible |
Factor 3: Work Experience
| Experience | Points |
| 3 to 5 years of work experience in the last 10 years at TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 | 10 |
| Greater than 5 years of work experience in the last 10 years at TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 | 15 |
Factor 4: Adaptability
| Adaptability |
Points (Maximum 10) |
| Spouse/common-law partner Language level at least CLB 4 in all abilities in English of French | 5 |
| Spouse/Common-law partner 2 years full-time study in Nova Scotia (secondary or post-secondary) | 5 |
| Spouse/Common-law partner 1 year of full-time work in Nova Scotia | 5 |
| Yours or your spouse/Common-law partner’s relatives in Canada (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew) who are 19 years or older, living in Nova Scotia for at least one continuous year as permanent resident or citizen) | 5 |
Factor 5: Age
| Age | Points (Maximum 10) |
| Under 21 | Not Eligible |
| 21-39 | 10 |
| 40-44 | 7 |
| 45-55 | 5 |
| 56+ | 0 |
Factor 6: Nova Scotia Economic Priorities
| Priorities | Points (Maximum 10) |
| Export-oriented business | 5 |
| Business location outside of Halifax County | 5 |
| If you are purchasing at least 33.33% of a business in Nova Scotia that has been in operation by the same owner for the past 5 years | 5 |
| Your Total Score |
GCYSA
WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE?
Step 1: Complete Your Studies in Nova Scotia
In order to apply under the International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, the first step is to complete a full-time Nova Scotia post-secondary diploma or degree of at least two (2) years (15 hours of class per week) in length from a recognized university in Nova Scotia or the Nova Scotia Community College:
- Acadia University (➨acadiau.ca)
- Atlantic School of Theology (➨astheology.ns.ca)
- Cape Breton University (➨cbu.ca)
- Dalhousie University (➨dal.ca)
- Mount Saint Vincent University (➨msvu.ca)
- NSCAD University (➨nscad.ca)
- Nova Scotia Community College (➨nscc.ca)
- Saint Mary’s University (➨smu.ca)
- St. Francis Xavier University (➨stfx.ca)
- Université Sainte-Anne (➨usainteanne.ca)
- University of King’s College (➨ukings.ca)
You need a study permit (➨Page) in order to study in Canada. Before you apply for a study permit, you need an acceptance letter from one of the above institutions.
You must reside in Nova Scotia during the academic program, so no distance-learning programs or compressed academic programs will be eligible.
Step 2: Apply for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
After completion of studies in Nova Scotia, in order to purchase or establish a business you need to apply for and obtain a Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) (➨Page).
Step 3: Business Establishment in Nova Scotia
You must own 33.33% of the equity of the eligible business and provide active and on-going participation in the day-to-day management and direction of the business.
You must demonstrate that you are receiving compensation in the form of a salary from the business, which must, at minimum, meet the Statistics Canada Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) (➨ Appendix 2).
If starting a business you must have created a minimum of one full-time or equivalent part-time employment opportunity for a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident in Nova Scotia.
If you have purchased an existing Nova Scotia business, the business must have been in continuous operation in Nova Scotia by the same owner for the previous five (5) years, and must have offered employment on similar terms and conditions to existing staff, including maintaining existing wages and employment terms.
Step 4: Complete the online Expression of Interest (EOI)
Now that you meet all the requirements, you can complete an online Expression of Interest (➨ immilib.com/NSIGE-Apply) for yourself.
EOI is an online system where you submit information about yourself to the Nova Scotia Nominee Program.
To complete the EOI, you’ll need information from some documents including passports, language test results, etc. But you don’t need to upload any documents.
If you’re not invited to apply within twelve (12) months of submitting your EOI, it will automatically expire and removed from the system. You can still create a new EOI. If you are able to acquire additional points after submitting your EOI, you will need to submit a new EOI.
|
Recent Draws – Nova Scotia International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream |
||
| Date of Draw | No. of ITA | Min. Score |
| Oct 30, 2024 | 1 | 60 |
| Aug 1, 2024 | 1 | 53 |
| Apr 25, 2024 | 2 | 70 |
| Feb 6, 2024 | 2 | 61 |
| Jun 9, 2023 | 5 | 47 |
| Nov 1, 2022 | 6 | 47 |
| Dec 22, 2021 | 2 | 53 |
| Sep 13, 2021 | 2 | 57 |
| May 3, 2021 | 2 | 44 |
| Dec 9, 2020 | 2 | 42 |
|
Updates and Complete list of previous Draws available at: immilib.com/NSIGE-Draws |
||
Step 5: Prepare Documents
In addition to the applications forms and supporting documents, before submission of complete application, you need to obtain a Review Engagement and Special Purpose Report.
The Review Engagement will include a review of the financial statements of your business.
The Special Purpose Report will include the following:
- The financial viability and sustainability of the business discussing any relevant issues affecting the business’ ability to continue in the near future as a going concern;
- Recommendations for the business to improve its viability and sustainability
- A determination of any issues, challenges or concerns pertaining to reviewing the financial statements;
- A business review which may for example include but not be limited to: market analysis, product analysis, competitive analysis, and financial analysis.
| List of Nova Scotia Financial Statement Review Service Providers | ||
|
MNP 200 – 100 Venture Run Dartmouth NS B3B 0H9 (902) 493-5452 |
||
Step 6: Submit Application to NSNP
- Application Forms;
- All supporting documentation;
- Review Engagement and Special Purpose Report
You will have ninety (90) calendar days from the issuance date of the ITA letter to submit a complete application form, all required supporting documents, and your Review Engagement and Special Purpose Report.
If you submit a complete application, it will be assessed against the eligibility criteria and your EOI points assessment will be verified.
After assessment of the application is complete, if you appear to meet the International Graduate Entrepreneur Eligibility Criteria you will be contacted to participate in an in-person interview with NSOI Staff. The interview will include a site visit to the eligible business. It is anticipated that the interview will take place within 15 business days of NSOI’s request.
| NSNP Application | |
| Submit Application by email to: | |
|
Nova Scotia Office of Immigration 1469 Brenton Street, 3rd floor PO Box 1535 Halifax, NS, Canada B3J 2Y3 |
|
| Official Program Guide: | |
| immilib.com/NSIGE-Guide | |
| NSNP Application Fee: | |
| None | |
| Processing Time: | |
| immilib.com/NS-PT | |
| Document Checklist: | |
|
(page 35) |
|
| Contact: | |
| 902-424-5230 | |
| nsnp@novascotia.ca | |
Step 7: Apply for Permanent Residence
You must submit your application using the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal (PR Portal) (➨ immilib.com/PR-Portal).
If your application is complete, you will receive a letter or an email confirming that your file has been received and accepted for processing. This letter is called the Acknowledge of Receipt (AOR) and will include your IRCC file number.
Once you have received your acknowledgement of receipt, you can create an online account and link your application to it. By creating an account, you will be able to receive email updates and a more detailed case status.
Step 8: Landing in Canada
You will only become a Permanent Resident of Canada when you cross a Canadian port of entry. This is referred to as ‘landing in Canada' (➨Page).
You must land in Canada before the expiry date, which appears on your Canada Immigration Visa. Usually, the expiry date is one (1) year from the time medical examinations were completed. As this is not always the case, be sure to verify the expiry date as soon as the Canada Immigration Visa is received.
Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.
WELCOME TO NOVA SCOTIA!
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