What you need
These are the thresholds. Meeting them lets you submit a scored Expression of Interest; it does not get you invited.
- Age. 21 or older.
- Intention. To live permanently in Nova Scotia while owning and actively managing a Nova Scotia business.
- Net worth. At least $600,000 CAD if the business is within the Halifax Regional Municipality, or $400,000 CAD outside it. Legally obtained, and verified independently.
- Investment. At least $150,000 CAD of your own money within HRM, or $100,000 CAD outside it.
- Experience. Within the last 10 years, at least 3 years actively managing and owning a business with a one third ownership minimum, or more than 5 years in a senior business management role.
- Language. CLB 5 or higher in speaking, listening, reading and writing, in English or French.
- Process. An online Expression of Interest, and an Invitation to Apply from Labour, Skills and Immigration. Application is by invitation only.
On education. Some guidance states a high school diploma is required for this route. The province's published eligibility list does not set an education minimum: education is a scoring factor, worth 8 points at high school level and up to 25 for a doctorate. If your education is limited but your ownership record is strong, the route is not necessarily closed to you, and that is worth a conversation rather than an assumption.
How the score is built
Eight sections, 200 points. Ownership experience and language carry the most weight, and locating outside Halifax is one of the few levers you can still pull late in planning.
Business, net worth and experience
| Factor | Level | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Business idea | Export business | 5 |
| Business located outside HRM | 10 | |
| Buying an existing business | 10 | |
| Personal investment $100,000 to $300,000 | 10 | |
| Personal investment more than $300,000 | 15 | |
| Net worth | $400,000 to $999,999 | 5 |
| $1 million to $1.5 million | 7 | |
| More than $1.5 million | 10 | |
| Senior management experience | More than 5 years in the last 10 | 20 |
| Business ownership experience | 3 to 5 years in the last 10 | 20 |
| More than 5 years in the last 10 | 35 |
Education, language and personal factors
| Factor | Level | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Education | High school diploma, Canadian or equivalent | 8 |
| Completion of a 2-year program at a Nova Scotia high school, college or university | 10 | |
| 1-year college or university diploma or degree | 12 | |
| 2-year college or university diploma or degree | 19 | |
| 3-year or longer diploma or degree | 21 | |
| Two or more diplomas or degrees, at least one a 3-year program | 22 | |
| Master's degree, or a degree needed to enter a licensed profession in Nova Scotia | 23 | |
| Doctorate | PhD | 25 |
| Language | First official language CLB 5 / 6 / 7 or higher | 20 / 24 / 28 |
| Second official language CLB 4 or higher | 7 | |
| Spouse's language CLB 4 or higher | 5 | |
| Past work in Nova Scotia | Your past work | 10 |
| Your spouse's past work | 5 | |
| Spouse's education | 2-year program at a Nova Scotia high school, college or university | 10 |
| Age at EOI | 21 to 24 · 24 to 32 · 33 to 39 · 40 to 44 · 45 to 55 · 56 or older | 5 / 7 / 10 / 7 / 5 / 0 |
| Family in Nova Scotia | Qualifying relative | 5 |
From the NSNP Entrepreneur Guide points grid, reviewed 15 August 2026. Ownership and senior management sections are additive if you hold both.
The process, and the deadlines
- Expression of InterestScored, free, and completed in one sitting because the form cannot be saved. Held for 12 months. Everything you assert here must survive independent verification later.
- Invitation to ApplyThe province selects the highest scores first, sometimes within a priority sector. Selection starts every clock below and triggers the $2,000 fee.
- Name your Net Worth Verifier, within 20 calendar daysChosen from the province's published list. You will also need a Financial Statement Review Service Provider from a second list.
- File, within 90 days if starting or 180 days if buyingThe eNSNP 100 form and your Business Establishment Plan. If you are buying, that filing also includes the Net Worth Verification Report and a preliminary purchase price and evaluation. The report itself is due within 180 days in every case.
- Interview, usually within 30 days of contactVirtual by default, in person on request. If you do not pass, the file closes and the decision is final with no appeal.
- Business Performance Agreement, signed within 15 business daysYour legal agreement with the Province to operate the business you described.
- Work permit within 60 days, then arrive and meet NSNP within 60 daysApply to IRCC within 60 calendar days of the Entrepreneur Approval Letter, and meet NSNP staff no later than 60 calendar days after arriving.
- Operate for a full year, then nomination and permanent residenceRun the business for at least one year, request nomination, then apply to IRCC within 12 months. Tell NSNP within 30 business days once permanent residence is confirmed.
Entrepreneur points estimate
Estimate your Expression of Interest score and test it against the thresholds. There is no pass mark, so treat the number as a position rather than a verdict. An indication only, not an official score, not legal advice.
Your profile
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Estimated position
0 / 200
Business and net worth0
Experience0
Education and language0
Personal factors0
Based on the NSNP Entrepreneur Guide points grid, reviewed 15 August 2026. Nova Scotia selects the highest scoring Expressions of Interest and may target priority sectors, so there is no fixed pass mark and no score guarantees an invitation. Net worth is verified independently and a figure you cannot evidence is worse than a lower one you can. General information, not legal advice.