Nova Scotia invites international students, skilled workers, and experienced businessmen through its different immigration streams. Here are the Nova Scotia PNP immigration streams:

• Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry
• Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry
• Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities
• Skilled Worker Stream
• Entrepreneur Stream
• International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
• Physician Stream

Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry

This immigration is an “enhanced” PNP immigration stream which means this stream is in line with the federal government’s Express entry program. Through this stream, Nova Scotia can search for skilled immigrants in the express entry pool. Highly skilled immigrants are selected who want to live in the provinces as permanent residents. 

There are two categories under this stream:

• Category A – for applicants with a job offer;
• Category B – for applicants with experience in an opportunity occupation. But the category has been closed by NSNP;

To apply Category A, the following are the eligibility criteria:

• Must have a profile registered in the Express Entry program;
• Get at least 67 points on the stream’s six selection factors;
• Must have a job offer from an eligible employer of the province for full-time skilled work that lasts at least one year after the candidate’s permanent resident visa is issued
• Must have a minimum of 1 year of skilled work experience that is directly related to the job;
• Must have at least a Canadian high school credential or its equivalent;
• Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7 is required;
• Must possess enough financial resources to settle in the province successfully;

Nova Scotia Experience: Express Entry

This stream selects candidates through the express entry program. Candidates need to meet the following minimum requirements to be nominated through this stream:

• Have at least 1 year of work experience in the province;
• The age must be between 21 to 55 years old;
• Have at least a Canadian high school credential or its equivalent;
• For NOC skill type 0 or skill level A – CLB level 7 OR For NOC skill level B – CLB 4;
• Have a valid express entry profile;

Nova Scotia Labour Market Priorities

This immigration stream is for skilled express entry candidates who can meet the labour market needs.

To be eligible to apply, the candidate must:

• Get a Letter of Interest (LOI) from NSNP within the express entry system;
• Apply within 30 calendar days of which the LOI was issued;
• Meet the minimum work-experience experiment requirement for the express entry stream;
• Demonstrate sufficient funds to successfully establish themselves and accompanying family members and pay immigration costs and travel expenses;
• Have legal status in the current country of residence;
• Meet eligibility criteria in place at the time of LOI issuance;

Skilled Worker Stream

This immigration stream is for skilled workers who have got a job offer from an eligible employer in the province. Immigrants in skilled, semi-skilled, and low-skilled occupations may be eligible to apply.

Following is the minimum requirements to be eligible for this stream:

• Have a full-time permanent job offer from a provincial employer;
• Have at least one year of work experience that is directly related to the job;
• Age must be between 21 to 55 years old;
• Have a high school diploma;
• Have the appropriate training, skills, and/or accreditation for the job;
• For a skilled worker, a minimum CLB level of 5 is required. For semi-skilled and low-skilled, a minimum CLB level 4 is required;
• Show enough financial resources to successfully settle in the province of Nova Scotia;

Entrepreneur Stream

Experienced businessmen from all over the world who want to buy or invest in a business and settle permanently in Nova Scotia can apply through this stream. The following are the eligibility criteria, for candidates to fulfill:

• Be at least 21 years of age or older;
• Must have the intention to live permanently in the province while owning and actively managing a Nova Scotia business;
• The minimum net worth of CAD 600,000;
• Be able to make a personal investment of CAD 150,000 to establish a business in the province;
• Must have at least 3 years of work experience for actively managing and owning a business (1/3rd ownership minimum) OR more than 5 years of work experience in a senior business management role;
• Have a score of at least 5 on CLB in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in either English or French;
• Complete an online Expression of Interest (EOI);
• Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) to apply from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration;

International Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

Graduates who have completed at least two years of full-time study from a recognized university or community college of the province, have operated their own business in the province for at least one year, and intend to settle permanently in Nova Scotia can apply under this stream. To apply the candidate must:

• Want to live permanently in the province while owning and managing a provincial business;
• Have a minimum of one year’s continuous experience actively managing and owning a current business (33.3% ownership minimum);
• Have completed a degree or diploma after at least 2 full-time academic years, in-person study at a university in the province of Nova Scotia community college;
• Have a valid post-graduation work permit;
• Must get at least CLB level 7 in speaking, reading, writing, and listening in either English or French;
• Completed an online Expression of Interest;
• Receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration;

Physician Stream

This stream is open to internationally-trained general practitioners, family physicians, and specialist physicians with a signed employment offer from Nova Scotia’s healthcare authorities. To apply the candidate must:

• Want to live in the province permanently while owning and managing a Nova Scotia business
• Have a minimum of one year’s continuous experience actively managing and owning a current provincial business (33.3% ownership minimum)
• Have completed a degree or diploma after a minimum 2 academic years of full-time, in-person study at Nova Scotia university or Nova Scotia Community College
• Have a valid post-graduation work permit
• Must have minimum CLB level 7 in reading, listening, speaking, and writing in either English or French
• Receive an ITA from the Nova Scotia Office of Immigration