Last reviewed: 2026-11-09. This page is general information from official sources and is not immigration advice. Nova Scotia can change or suspend the stream without notice. Check the official Entrepreneur page and speak to your immigration representative.
The Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) Entrepreneur stream is for people who will own and run a business in Nova Scotia. You cannot apply directly. You submit an online expression of interest (EOI), and the province invites selected candidates to apply. For experienced business owners and senior managers, the application includes a Business Establishment Plan. Nova Scotia graduate entrepreneurs, who must already have run their business for a year, describe it on a business information form (NSNP 500) instead.
Two pathways in one stream
| Requirement | Experienced business owner or senior manager | Nova Scotia graduate entrepreneur |
|---|---|---|
| Who | People with business ownership or senior management experience, aged 21 or over | Graduates of a program of two years or more of full-time study at a Nova Scotia university or NSCC, aged 21 or over |
| Net worth | At least $600,000 CAD ($400,000 outside the Halifax Regional Municipality) | No minimum listed in the guide |
| Investment | At least $150,000 CAD of own money ($100,000 outside the HRM) | No minimum listed; the business must already be operating |
| Ownership | At least one-third of the equity | At least one-third of the equity |
| Experience | At least 3 years as a business owner, or more than 5 years as a senior business manager, in the last 10 years | At least one full year owning and running the Nova Scotia business before applying, on a valid post-graduation work permit |
| Language | CLB 5 in all four skills | CLB 7 in all four skills |
| Business document | Business Establishment Plan | Business information form (NSNP 500) and a review engagement report on the business |
For experienced business owners, net worth is verified by a verifier from the province’s list. Table checked against the official page and the Entrepreneur Guide (September 2026) on 2026-11-09.
Fee: $2,000 for the Entrepreneur stream since 2026-09-01, payable within 90 days of the invitation (180 days if you are buying an existing business). There is no fee to submit an EOI. Draws are listed in the province’s draw history. The most recent we found was on 2026-07-23 (9 invitations, lowest score invited 101). The four draws held in 2026 issued 44 invitations in total (checked 2026-11-09).
What a Business Establishment Plan has to show
This section applies to experienced business owners and senior managers. The guide describes the content the province requires. We work from the current guide and organise the plan around:
- the business concept, the market in Nova Scotia and the competition
- your role in operating the business and your experience
- the investment breakdown and source of funds
- the business structure and ownership
- the staffing and economic contribution to the province
- financial projections with the assumptions explained
- where the business will operate, in or outside the Halifax Regional Municipality
- for a purchase, the documents and valuation behind the price
What Wealth Theory does
- A custom plan. Written from your business, your experience and your funds.
- Interview preparation. The guide expects you to know every detail of the plan, even if someone else wrote it. We take you through it in your language: English, Polish, Persian/Farsi, Russian, French, Mandarin or Hindi, with an interpreter we arrange or your own. Interpreter costs are priced separately. See interview preparation.
- Alongside your representative. We work with the consultant or lawyer you have chosen, by white-label or referral arrangement. See our page for immigration professionals. We never name the firms we work with.
We do not give immigration advice or file anything for you, and we cannot promise an outcome.
Price
The starting price is shown on this page and on our pricing page. The final price depends on the pathway and the business.
Related
See the program status page and our pages on Alberta and New Brunswick. Book a free consultation or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream open?
On 2026-11-09 the official page showed it open by invitation only, after an online expression of interest. The guide says the province may close or suspend the stream at any time, so check the official page.
What is a Business Establishment Plan?
It is the business plan that experienced business owners and senior managers submit with their application. The guide says the file will be closed if the plan does not include all the required information. You can write it yourself or have someone write it, but then you must help with its design and content and know every detail of it.
Is there a separate international graduate entrepreneur stream?
No. Since the guides were consolidated on February 18, 2026, the Nova Scotia graduate entrepreneur route is a pathway inside the single Entrepreneur stream. The official website still shows it on its own tab.
Do you give immigration advice?
No. We prepare business plans and work alongside your immigration consultant or lawyer.
Official sources
Last reviewed
- Nova Scotia: Entrepreneur stream
- Nova Scotia Nominee Program Entrepreneur Guide (September 2026)
- Nova Scotia: Entrepreneur invitation draw history
- Nova Scotia: application fees effective September 1, 2026
Program details are informational and are not immigration advice. Check the official sources above before relying on them.