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Home Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program Family Business Nomination

Nova Scotia Provincial Nominees Program - Family Business Workers

Immigrants seeking immigration to Canada who wish to reside in Nova Scotia can apply under the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP)), Family Business worker.

The Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP) is designed to assist employers (employer driven) who are unable to recruit Canadian citizens or permanent residents to fulfill their recruitment needs. The employer driven category of the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP) allows for the recruitment of immigrants to these skill shortage areas.

Successful immigrant applications under this scheme pave the way for successful Canadian immigration to the province of Nova Scotia and the gaining of permanent residency status.

The Role of the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominees Program - Family Business Stream

The Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) Family Business Worker stream helps employers in hiring workers who are close relatives and also have the required skills for positions that they may have been unable to fill with a permanent resident or Canadian citizen.

This stream is employer-driven. The worker must have a guaranteed, permanent job offer in Nova Scotia from an employer who is a close relative and who owns an established business in Nova Scotia.

The worker must be related to the family business owner (or his/her spouse or common-law partner) in one of the following ways.
  • Son or daughter
  • Brother or sister
  • Niece or nephew (children of brothers or sisters)
  • Uncle or aunt (parents’ brothers or sisters)
  • Grandchild
  • Step and half relatives are included, and skilled, semi-skilled and low-skilled workers are included.

The Employers Role in the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP) - Skilled Worker Stream

While each immigration nomination application is judged on its own merit, priority will be given where the employer:
  • Has made genuine efforts to recruit qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
  • Can demonstrate that they will provide supports to assist immigrants with their settlement needs.
  • Have an acceptable strategy to recruit and retain immigrant workers in Nova Scotia.
  • It should be noted that priority processing will be given to applicants whose family employer can demonstrate that they will provide additional support to the applicant and their dependants with their settlement needs.

The Employees (Applicants) Role in the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP) - Skilled Worker Stream

To make an application under the skilled worker stream of the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee Program (NSNP) the skilled worker must meet the criteria for the appropriate occupational category below:

The Office of Immigration differentiates between skilled workers, semi-skilled and low-skilled workers as per the National Occupation Classification(NOC).

Skilled workers are defined as people with occupations within NOC skill level O, A or B. Priority will be awarded to these higher skilled occupations.

Semi-skilled workers have NOC skill level C occupations. The Office of Immigration may consider applications based on local labour market requirement and conditions, and six months of work with the Nova Scotia employer supporting the application.

Low-skilled workers have NOC skill level D occupations. The Office of Immigration may consider applications from individuals in these occupations only if all other eligibility criteria are met, the applicant has worked a minimum of six  months with the Nova Scotia employer supporting the application, the application is likely to be successful, and there is strong employer support.

The Office of Immigration will consider only certain types of jobs and occupations for nomination,  depending on the current Nova Scotia labour market.


Positions in all skill level occupations need to receive the going wages for their industry per Canadian wage standards.