The Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program

The Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSPNP) targets immigrants with skills and experience. A Nova Scotia Provincial Nomination Certificate expedites the immigration process. There are several NSPNP streams through which potential immigrants may qualify:

Entrepreneur:

This stream is designed for experienced business owners or high-level managers who want to live in Nova Scotia. They must establish a new business or buy an existing one, and will also have to actively manage the business on a daily basis. After one year of managing the business the business-owner would be eligible for nomination for permanent resident status. Entrepreneurs may apply to this stream by invitation only. To be eligible, you must:

Be 21 years old or above
Intend to permanently live in Nova Scotia while managing and owning a Nova Scotia business
Prove that you have a net worth of at least $600,000 CAD
Have the ability to invest a minimum of $150,000 CAD from you own money to establish a business in Nova Scotia
Have a minimum of 3 years of experience actively managing and owning at least 1/3 of a business OR more than 5 years of experience as a senior business manager
Have a minimum score of 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading and writing in either English or French
Submit an online Expression of Interest
And receive an Invitation to Apply from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration.

International Graduate Entrepreneur

This stream is designed for recent graduates of a Nova Scotia University or Community College. They must have already founded or purchased a Nova Scotia business that they have been operating for at least one year. If the graduate plans to permanently settle in Nova Scotia, he or she may then be nominated for permanent resident status. Applications are by invitation only. To be eligible you must:

Plan to permanently reside in Nova Scotia while owning and managing a Nova Scotia business
Have at least one year’s experience continuously managing and owning (100%) your Nova Scotia business.
Hold a valid work permit after graduation
Score at least 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in speaking, listening, reading and writing in English or French
Submit an online Expression of Interest
Receive an invitation to apply from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration

Skilled Worker

This stream is designed to help employers find foreign workers and international students who have recently graduated, and whose skills are needed in Nova Scotia. An employer is only permitted to hire foreign employees for jobs that they have tried and not been able to fill with Canadian citizens and permanent residents. To be eligible you must:

Have a permanent full-time job offer from a Nova Scotia employer
Have 1 year of job-related work experience. Semi-skilled and low-skilled workers need to have six months of work experience with the employer
Be 21 to 55 years old
Have a high school diploma
Be fully qualified for the job, including any necessary accreditation
Achieve a score of 5 on the Canadian Language Benchmark if you are a skilled worker; skilled workers whose first language is English or French need provide no other proofs of language competence
Semi-skilled and low-skilled workers must attain a score of 4 on the CLB even if English or French is their first language.

Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry

This stream was established for the selection for highly skilled persons who intend to permanently reside and work in Nova Scotia. Applicants’ skills must be sought after in Nova Scotia’s job market. Nova Scotia’s Office of Immigration will only consider occupations that are needed by the current labour market. To be eligible you must:

Have a minimum of 1 year of skilled work experience in one of Nova Scotia’s focus occupations
Have a Canadian high school diploma or its equal
Have a score of 7 on the Canadian Language Benchmark in English or French
Have a score of 67 points or more in the stream’s six selection factors
Prove you have the financial resources to settle in Nova Scotia
Have registered your profile in Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Express Entry system

Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry

This stream chooses highly skilled people who want to permanently live and work in Nova Scotia. Applicants will need at least one year’s work experience in a highly skilled profession in Nova Scotia. To be eligible you must:

Have at least 1 year of work experience in Nova Scotia
Be 21 to 55 years old
Hold a Canadian high school diploma or its equal
Demonstrate language competence on the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) in English or French. You must have a score of CLB 7 for skilled work in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 0 and A, and A CLB 5 for NOC B positions
Have registered your profile in Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Express Entry

The application process varies, depending on the stream you qualify for. Eligible applications will require a processing time of 3 months or more. You may apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for your permanent resident visa within 6 months of receiving your nominee certificate. The nominee, spouse and dependents must all meet requirements for medical, security and criminal admissibility. Sometimes the nominee will need to go for an interview. CIC has the right to make the final decision with regard to the issuance of a permanent resident visa.