In order to be eligible under the NSNP International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, applicants must
In order to qualify as an eligible business under the Entrepreneur program, the business must:
In addition the the above requirements, if starting a business, the applicant must:
If the applicant is purchasing an existing Nova Scotia business, the following requirements must be met
When candidates submit their Expression of Interest in Step 1, a points matrix will be used to select the strongest applicants who best align with Nova Scotia’s business and economic priorities based on six factors: language abilities, education, work experience, age, adaptability, and Nova Scotia economic priorities.
Candidates are required to get at least the minimum available score in each factor in order to submit an Expression of Interest.
There are four steps to the nomination process:
Prospective immigrants will indicate their interest in operating a business and residing in Nova Scotia by completing an Expression of Interest (EOI) in the form of a short online survey. On this survey, candidates will provide required information about their work experience, language, education, age, adaptability and business. Only applicants who meet the minimum criteria will be able to submit an EOI. Candidates will be assessed based on a points matrix according to their profile and then assigned a score and added to the EOI pool.
EOIs can remain in the pool for up to one year from the date of receipt. If the EOI is not selected during this time, it will be removed from the pool. After this point candidates may submit a new EOI if they so choose. If candidates are able to acquire additional points after submitting their EOI, they will need to submit a new one.
Top scoring applicants will be notified by the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration (NSOI) that they are being invited to submit a formal application to the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP). Complete applications received from those invited to apply will then undergo an assessment by the NSOI.
Complete applications are expected to contain the following:
Once an applicant has been assessed and is deemed to meet the criteria of the program, the applicant will be contacted about an in-person interview with an official of the NSOI. All interviews will take place in Nova Scotia and are expected to take place within 15 business days of the candidate being contacted. The interview will include a site visit to the eligible business. Unsuccessful interviews or failure to participate in the interview within the 15 day time limit will result in closure of the application.
If the NSOI officer assessing the application is satisfied that the candidate meets all program criteria, and there are no other reasons that would prevent the nomination, the candidate will be nominated for Canadian permanent residence by Nova Scotia under the NSNP.
Upon nomination, the applicant will apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status within six months. Candidates should note that an NSNP nomination does not guarantee the issuance of a Permanent Resident Visa. If the application is approved by the visa office, the candidate will be issued a Confirmation of Permanent Residence. He or she is required to provide a copy of the confirmation to the NSOI within 30 business days.
Who is not eligible to apply to the International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
Candidates are considered to be ineligible under the IGE Stream if they:
The following businesses are considered ineligible under this stream: