Nova Scotia Entrepreneur PNP: A Complete Guide for Business Owners

Nova Scotia’s Entrepreneur PNP allows applicants to start a new business or purchase an existing one. Both paths have their own requirements, and the quality of your research forms the foundation of every subsequent step.

When starting a new business, you must be ready to employ at least one permanent full-time equivalent employee who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. When purchasing an existing business, the business must have been continuously operated by the same owner for the five years immediately before your purchase, must not be in receivership, and you must visit it in person and meet the current owner.

Nova Scotia specifically encourages businesses with export potential, businesses located outside Halifax, and those that introduce new technology or specialized knowledge to the province. These factors earn additional points on the EOI grid.

Helpful Tip: When selecting your business concept, start within sectors where you have direct experience. Export-oriented businesses and those located outside the Halifax Regional Municipality receive bonus points on the EOI grid. A business that earns more points is a business that is more likely to receive an Invitation to Apply.

Once you have developed your business concept and gathered your supporting documents, you submit an Expression of Interest online through the NSNP portal. Your EOI is assessed on a points grid across eight factors: language ability, education, business ownership or management experience, proposed investment level, net worth, age, adaptability, and Nova Scotia priorities such as business location and export orientation.

Your EOI enters a pool. LSI conducts periodic draws and selects profiles based on points, available spaces, and provincial economic priorities. EOIs remain valid for 12 months. You will only be contacted if your submission is selected for processing. Nova Scotia receives far more EOIs than it can invite under its federal allocation, so a high score matters. Submitting an EOI is free; the $2,000 application fee applies only if you are invited.

Helpful Tip: Before submitting your EOI, calculate your points carefully against the full grid. Language proficiency is worth up to 28 points and is one of the highest-value categories you can control. If your score is borderline, improving your language test result or obtaining an ECA for a higher-level credential before submitting is more effective than resubmitting later.

If your EOI is selected, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) from LSI. From that date, your deadlines are:

• Within 20 calendar days: select an LSI-designated Net Worth Verifier and notify LSI
• Within 90 calendar days (starting a new business): submit your completed Business Application, Business Establishment Plan, supporting documents and proof of the $2,000 application fee
• Within 180 calendar days (buying an existing business): submit the same package, plus the preliminary purchase price and business evaluation
• Within 180 calendar days (all applicants): submit your Net Worth Verification Report (completed by the designated verifier and submitted directly to LSI)

Your application must include:

• Completed application forms (eNSNP 100 and NSNP 400)
• Proof of identity for you and your family
• Proof of business ownership or senior management experience, including reference letters from each employer
• Education credentials with ECA for foreign credentials
• Approved language test results (not older than 2 years from EOI submission date)
• Business Establishment Plan
• Net Worth Verification Report from an LSI-designated verifier
• If purchasing an existing business: preliminary purchase price and a business evaluation

Your Business Establishment Plan is the centrepiece of your application. LSI assesses it for commercial viability, depth of market research, realistic financial projections, and your understanding of Nova Scotia’s business environment. You must know every detail of the plan — if LSI determines during the interview that you do not, your file will be closed.

Helpful Tip: The net worth verification process requires extensive documentation. Engage your designated verifier as soon as you receive your ITA and provide them with organized records: banking history, business ownership records, corporate financial statements, certified property valuations, and tax documents. Missing your 180-day deadline means your file is closed.

Once your application passes an initial completeness and eligibility review, LSI will invite you to an interview. This is typically conducted virtually, though in-person interviews can be requested. The interview is a critical step — a failed interview results in file closure with no right of appeal.

LSI officers will assess your business concept in detail: the viability of your idea, the quality of your market research, your sales and marketing plan, your action plan with specific dates and milestones, your understanding of Nova Scotia regulations that apply to your business, and your plan for hiring Canadian employees. You should be able to speak to every section of your Business Establishment Plan from memory and with conviction.

Helpful Tip: Treat the interview as seriously as you would a high-stakes investor pitch. LSI officers are looking for genuine, first-hand knowledge of your proposed business and the Nova Scotia market. Applicants who have completed an exploratory visit to Nova Scotia, met with potential suppliers, and spoken with local business contacts are consistently better prepared than those who have not.

If you pass the interview, LSI issues a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) — a legal contract between you and the Government of Nova Scotia. The BPA sets out your specific commitments: the amount you will invest, the type of business you will operate, the number of Canadian employees you will hire, and any other terms relevant to your plan.

Investment money you spend before signing the BPA does not count toward your investment commitment. This is an important rule, particularly for applicants who are considering purchasing a business before receiving their approval: the purchase price will not count if it is paid before the BPA is signed.

Helpful Tip: Read the Business Performance Agreement carefully before signing. The BPA terms are based on your Business Establishment Plan, so there should be no surprises — but this document governs your entire performance period. If you have questions about any clause, this is the time to raise them with your legal representative.

After you sign the Business Performance Agreement and provide your Nova Scotia business registration documents, LSI issues an Entrepreneur Approval Letter (your work permit support letter). You use this to apply to IRCC for your work permit application. IRCC decides the work permit for you. Your spouse or common-law partner may qualify for an open work permit if your permit meets IRCC’s current family rules (since January 2025, including at least 16 months of validity remaining). School-age children can usually attend school as accompanying minors, or apply for study permits.

You must arrive in Nova Scotia within six months of receiving your port of entry letter. Within 60 calendar days of receiving your work permit, you must attend an Arrival Meeting with LSI and provide copies of your passport, work permit, Nova Scotia driver’s licence and/or health card, proof of residence in the province, and proof that you transferred your committed funds to a Nova Scotia bank account.

Helpful Tip: Apply for your work permit as soon as LSI issues your Approval Letter — the 60-day deadline is strict. IRCC work permit processing times vary, and you need to leave yourself enough time to arrive in Nova Scotia within your six-month window. Delays in applying can push your entire timeline back significantly.

Your performance period begins when you arrive in Nova Scotia and start operating your business. You must operate the business for a minimum of one continuous year before you can request nomination. During this period you must:

• Actively manage and operate the business from its physical location in Nova Scotia
• Make the investment commitment in your Business Performance Agreement
• Hire at least one permanent full-time equivalent Canadian citizen or permanent resident who is not a family member
• Maintain at least 1/3 ownership of the business
• Reside in Nova Scotia and maintain your legal status in Canada
• Submit progress reports and allow LSI monitoring and audits as required

Helpful Tip: Plan your first hire within the first 6 months of your performance period. LSI will look for a hiring history — not just a recent hire — when reviewing your nomination request. Building your payroll records early gives you a stronger file at the nomination stage.

After operating your business for at least one year in compliance with your Business Performance Agreement, you submit a nomination request to LSI. This includes:

• A Review Engagement of your business financial statements, prepared by an approved Financial Statement Review Service Provider
• A Special Purpose Report confirming business viability, investment compliance, and hiring
• Confirmation that you have fulfilled all terms of your Business Performance Agreement

LSI reviews your compliance and issues a nomination decision. If nominated, your certificate is valid for 12 months — you must apply for permanent residence to IRCC within that window. LSI may withdraw your nomination at any time before you receive confirmation of permanent residence if you no longer meet the stream’s requirements.

Helpful Tip: Decisions under the NSNP Entrepreneur Stream are final — there is no appeal process at any stage. Keeping thorough, organized records of your business operations, financials, and employment throughout the performance period is your best protection if LSI ever has questions about your compliance.

Once nominated by Nova Scotia, you submit a complete permanent residence application to IRCC within 12 months. IRCC conducts health, security, and criminal checks before issuing your permanent resident visa to you and your dependents. Your nomination certificate does not guarantee that IRCC will grant permanent residence — LSI and IRCC operate independently.