Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is an economic immigration program that nominates people to get their permanent residency in Alberta. Nominees must have skills to fill job shortages or plan to start or buy a business in Alberta. They must also be able to support their families. The governments of Alberta and Canada run the program.

If nominated through the program, they may apply for permanent residence status with their spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) manages applications for permanent residence. The federal government makes final decisions on these applications.

STREAMS FOR WORKERS

Alberta Opportunity Stream

The Alberta Opportunity Stream is for temporary foreign workers who already have been working full-time in Alberta and have a full-time job offer from an Alberta employer in an eligible occupation.

Candidates for this stream must have a positive LMIA or hold one of the accepted LMIA exemption work permits. In addition to LMIA, candidates must meet language, occupation, residency and work permit type, education, Alberta job offer and work experience criteria for AINP.

When the application is submitted and the AAIP assesses your application, the applicant must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes them to work in Canada, that is, a temporary foreign worker permit.

When your application is submitted and the AAIP assesses your application, you must have a valid work permit – not status maintained during processing (formerly implied status) or restoration status.

Valid work permits must be on one of the following:

• a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• an LMIA exemption for workers based exemptions determined by IRCC
• an open work permit issued by IRCC
• a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) held by a graduate of an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution
• an open work permit issued under one of IRCC’s open work permit public policies

Some ineligible individuals cannot apply for or be nominated under the Alberta Opportunity Stream:

• refugee claimants or individuals who are involved in a federal appeal or removal process
• temporary residents working or living in a province/territory of Canada other than Alberta or
• foreign nationals who do not have valid temporary resident status living or working in Canada

Occupation requirements

• There are some requirements for the occupations. At the time of the application submitted, and the AAIP assesses the application, the applicant must work in an eligible occupation in Alberta. Occupation requirements must apply to your work experience and job offer.
• The applicant must review the work experience criteria and eligible job offers. The occupation which the applicant is working at the time of application is submitted is the applicant’s ‘current occupation.’
• There are also some ineligible occupations. Find more information on ineligible occupations for the Alberta Opportunity Stream.

Language Requirements

When submitting their application, the applicants must demonstrate they meet the following language test scores based on a single test result in English or French.

If the applicants work in a NOC 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation, then the language requirement must be a Minimum language test score of CLB 5 for each English or French language skill.

If the applicants work in a NOC 4 or 5 occupation, the Minimum language requirement must be a minimum language test score of CLB of 4 for each English or French skill.

Suppose you apply to the AAIP under NOC code 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates). In that case, the AAIP requires a minimum language test score of CLB of 7 for each English or NCLC of 7 for French language skills.

Official language test results must be received 2 years before applying.

Education requirements

All applicants (except post-graduate work permit holders) must have completed a minimum of high school education equivalent to Canadian standards at the time they submit the application.

If the degree is completed outside Canada, the applicants must provide a copy of an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by an organization designated by IRCC for their highest level of education.

If the applicants are PGWP holders, they must meet the additional education requirements at the time of application submission. An Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution must issue the applicant’s credential.

Work experience requirements

The ‘current occupation’ is the work when the application is submitted.

The current occupation must also match the work experience when the application is submitted and the AAIP assessment.

At the time the application is submitted, the applicant must have either:

• a minimum of 12 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months or
• A minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months or both

Post-graduation work Permit (PGWP) holders require a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months.

• The requirements on work experience for all applicants, including PGWP holders, must have been full-time, for a minimum of 30 hours a week, for the same occupation as their current occupation, and have been authorized by IRCC and with valid temporary resident status if completed in Canada.
• The applicants who are PGWP holders who completed during paid co-op work terms as a part of your program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution only have been gained while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program. To be qualified, the work terms must have been paid and full-time, directly related to your current occupation, and all gained in Alberta. 

At the time their application is submitted and the time the AAIP assesses their application, all applicants, including PGWP holders, must meet the following licensing, registration and certification requirements:

• Must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta.
• Applicants who work in a compulsory trade in Alberta must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate.
• Suppose the applicants are working as a childcare worker. In that case, they must have valid certification as a Level 2 or Level 3 Early Childhood Educator.

Eligible job offers

For all applicants, including PGWP holders, when their application is submitted and the AAIP assesses their application, they must have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in their current occupation in Alberta.

The Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada and operating as a business with an established production capability, plant or place of business in Alberta.

The applicant and the Alberta employer must sign the job offer or employment contract. They must offer continuous, paid work, full-time work (minimum of 30 hours per week), employment for 12 months or more, and the applicant will work in the current occupation. The wages and benefits that meet the minimum provincial salary. The job offer must Meet or exceed the requirements set out in your LMIA. If the application is LMIA exempt, the job offer must meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta.

Alberta General Express Entry Stream 

In the Alberta Express Entry Stream, which allows Alberta to nominate a limited number of qualified candidates from the IRCC Citizenship Canada Express Entry system, priorities and approaches to candidate selection are shared as a courtesy and are subject to change without notice.

The candidates must be invited to apply for a nomination in the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

If the candidates have one of the following requirements, then they may receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) letter:

• experience in an in-demand occupation and an immediate family connection in Alberta
• must have a licence to practice in one of the eligible healthcare professions under the Designated Healthcare Pathway and a job offer from an Alberta employer in the healthcare sector
• A job offer for an eligible tech occupation from an Alberta employer in an eligible tech industry under the Accelerated Tech Pathway
• Experience needed to help support labour needs in key sectors, including agriculture, construction, tourism, and hospitality

Alberta may send an Expression of Interest letter or invite candidates to apply for the program based on their federal Express Entry portal profile information. It makes this invitation or letter depending on the selection factors or road design. Alberta’s selection Profile information is submitted by candidates in the federal Express Entry pool.

The eligibility limit for Express Entry is now TEER 3.

Information regarding the Express Entry process and priorities is shared here as a courtesy and is subject to change without notice. Selection for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) through Express Entry is often based on multiple factors.

You must obtain an Expression of Interest letter from Alberta to be considered for this stream. You must email a copy of the letter and additional information to AAIP within 2 weeks of receiving the letter. Once AAIP receives your response, it will send you an email with a link inviting you to apply. Before this email, AAIP may request additional information from you.

Even if your profile matches the information on this page, there is no guarantee that you will receive an Expression of Interest letter or be invited to apply. NOI letters and invitations to apply are influenced by the volume of potential candidates who meet these requirements, the type of applications (occupation or industry) in AAIP processing queues, and the number of available candidates.

Minimum requirements

AAIP selects candidates based on the information they declare in their Express Entry profiles.

The applicants may receive a NOI if they have an active Express Entry profile in any federal Express Entry pool class with a minimum CRS score of 300. (Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Federal Skilled Worker Program) The applicant has stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta.

The applicants are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification; in addition, the AAIP is more likely to select the candidates if they have one or more adaptability factors, such as having a valid Alberta job offer and/or work experience and/or have a degree from an Alberta post-secondary institution with a valid Alberta job offer and/or have a family member (parent, child, brother and/or sister) who has PR or Canadian citizen living in Alberta.

The applicant must receive an email request to submit an application to apply to the program.

• Factors that may decrease the chances of receiving a NOI letter include an Express Entry profile that expires in three (3) months or less. Also, the applicant works in an occupation on the list of High-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta or on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list or with a high volume of submissions across all AAIP streams.

Dedicated Healthcare Pathway

Alberta may select candidates based on available profile information on the Federal Express Entry portal and send them an Expression of Interest letter via the candidates’ profiles.

In 2023, AAIP will use approximately 2% of its Express Entry allocations for category-based selection of practicing individuals whose primary occupation is in an eligible NOC code and who have a valid, verifiable job offer with a qualifying health service from an Alberta employer in the healthcare industry. Eligible healthcare professionals in Alberta will be selected from individuals who provide verifiable evidence that they meet the minimum requirements prescribed by the regulatory body.

The regulatory body identified under this pathway includes:

• Physicians – College of Physicians and Surgeon of Alberta (CPSA)
• Registered Nurses (RNs) – College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA)
• Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) – College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA)
• Nurse Practitioners (NPs) – College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA)
• Physician Assistants – College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA)
• Occupational Therapist – Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT)
• Physiotherapist – College of Physiotherapist of Alberta (CPA)
• Clinical Social Worker – Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)
• Psychologist – College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP)

Accelerated Tech Pathway

In addition to the minimum requirements specified for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, the Accelerated Technology Pathway has a specific invitation to apply the requirements and evaluation criteria provided below.

If the candidates meet all AAIP requirements and criteria, they must complete and submit the Accelerated Tech Pathway form. This form includes their Alberta-based job offer or employment information and their federal Express Entry profile.

The AAIP will review the information in the form and determine if the candidate meets the Minimum and Invitation to apply requirements. If the review is positive, the AAIP will then send an email with a link inviting them to submit their application.

The candidates may be invited to submit their application if they meet the Minimum requirements of the Alberta Express Entry Stream, are working full-time in Alberta under an employment contract or have a bona fide job offer for full-time employment based in Alberta signed by them and their employer that meets job offer and current employment contract requirements identified in the Assessment criteria. The occupation on the list of eligible Accelerated Tech Pathway occupations has a base monetary wage or salary. It must have valid immigration status (work permit or implied status) if they work in Alberta for an Alberta employer at the time of AAIP application. The primary occupation in their Express Entry profile is the same as their current Alberta employment or job offer.

Priority sectors

Agriculture, construction, tourism and hospitality

Alberta may select candidates based on their current profile information on the federal Express Entry portal and send them an Notification of Interest letter from their profile.

AAIP will use an estimated 21% of Express Entry allocations in 2023 for category-based selection of individuals whose primary occupation is related to agriculture, construction, or the hospitality and tourism industries.

Some candidates may get some priority because they have a verifiable Alberta job offer from a legitimate, established and verifiable business in Alberta or whose primary occupation is requested.

The AAIP will advise the candidates by email if they are invited to submit an application. The candidates who invited to submit an application, must also meet assessment criteria.

When applicants receive a Notification of Interest letter, they must also demonstrate that they meet certain selection parameters for the draw. AAIP will verify the parameters used in the draw when evaluating applications.

Alberta job offer or current employment contract requirements

The following job offer and current employment contract requirements apply to all Alberta Express Entry Flow Routes. You can find more information about where there are differences in requirements for a particular road here.

Job offers and existing employment contracts in Alberta must be from a legitimate, established and verifiable Alberta employer:

Must be a business established or registered by a province, territory or Parliament of Canada that operates a production capacity, facility or business located in Alberta and where the applicant owns not more than 10% of the total voting shares of the Business. The job offer must be bona fide, legitimate, established and verifiable.

It must be signed by the Alberta employer and contain certain terms. – permanent, paid employment under an employer-employee relationship

• Employment for 12 months or more
• Full-time employment defined as at least 30 hours per week
• Wages and benefits that meet or exceed the state minimum wage
• A business located in Alberta (if it is a home-based business in Alberta, the employer must be authorized to operate the business from a personal residence)

Accuracy of information

When selecting candidates, AAIP expects the information in the federal Express Entry portal to be accurate. The information and documents that candidates identify on their Federal Express Entry portal must be provided to AAIP when the Express Entry application package is submitted. The application may be rejected if there are inconsistencies between the information in the Federal portal and the information AAIP receives.

AAIP does not guarantee that all applications received will be thoroughly evaluated or that all candidates who meet the evaluation requirements will be nominated. An application or nomination by AAIP does not guarantee that the candidate will be granted a permanent residence visa.

Rural Renewal Stream 

The Rural Renewal Stream is a stream that supports attracting and retaining newcomers to rural Alberta through a community-focused approach that supports local economic development needs and contributes to community growth.

With this stream, the rural communities are empowered to recruit and retain foreign nationals to live, work, and settle for their economic development.

Communities and employers can work on their own to recruit foreign workers. Once nominated, temporary foreign workers are eligible to work while they await the decision on their permanent residence applications.

Communities and employers can work with an approved non-governmental organization, a Designated Referral Partner, to recruit refugees under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).

This stream has a 2-step process.

First step is one of the following community endorsement processes:

• The community directly recruits temporary foreign workers to meet labour needs and provides endorsement letters to selected candidates.
• Once the community completes Alberta’s Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) referral process to hire refugees, the EMPP referral partner organization works with the community and the Alberta employer to help find a refugee to meet the relevant workforce needs. The community sends a Candidate Approval letter to the selected candidate. The referral partner will also send an EMPP Referral Partner letter to the selected candidate.

The second step is for the candidate to submit the AAIP application. A rural Alberta community is defined as any place with a population below 100,000 that is outside the Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs).

Requirements

• When the application is submitted, and the AAIP assesses the application, The applicant must show the intention and be able to reside and work in the designated community in Alberta.

• Refugee claimants already in Canada are ineligible to apply for this stream.

• When your application is submitted, and the AAIP assesses it, the applicant must have a valid Endorsement of Candidate letter issued by the Economic Development Organization (EDO) of the designated rural community in Alberta.

• There needs to be a recommendation based on criteria set by the EDO. In addition, The applicant must meet the AAIP Rural Renewal Stream eligibility criteria.

• All candidates must possess a Candidate Approval letter from the designated community. The community’s local EDO must publish the letter. The name and address of the EDO supporting the application in the letter summary, the candidate’s full name and residential address, details of the bona fide job offer (name of the business, employer’s name and contact information, place of employment, location and description of job duties, working hours and working conditions), It should include a detailed description of how filling the proposed position aligns with the economic growth of the designated community, the employer’s efforts and results in filling the position in Canada, and the name, title and contact information of the person issuing the Candidate Confirmation letter.

• A Referral Partner letter is needed for EMPP refugee applicants only. This letter must be issued by one of EMPP’s referral partners.

• The letter must contain the information for the partner organization representative(s) issuing the letter, the applicant’s full name and date of birth, and job information. The letter also needs to confirm that the referral partner has completed an assessment of the principal applicant relating to verifying their status and indicate it with the document named on the province website.

• Suppose the applicant does not have one of the documents on the website. In that case, the applicant must apply with the support of an EMPP partner who can issue a federally trusted partner referral letter (IMM 0183).

• When the application is submitted and the AAIP assesses the application, the applicant must have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in an eligible occupation in the designated community.

• The Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province or the Parliament of Canada. The business must be an established production capability, plant or place of business in Alberta.

• The applicant and the Alberta employer must sign the job offer or employment contract. The job offer must contain the job will be continuous, paid work in the designated community, full-time, the employment will be for 12 months or more, and the wages and benefits that meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for the occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out on the Alis website.

• When the application is submitted and the AAIP assesses it, the applicant must meet some licensing, registration, and certification requirements. The applicant must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in the current occupation or the job offer in Alberta.

• • • Suppose the applicant is working or already has a job offer in a compulsory trade in Alberta. The applicant must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate in that case.
    • Suppose the applicant works as a childcare worker in Alberta, which requires a valid certification as a Level 2 or Level 3 Early Childhood Educator. In that case, the applicant must have this licence before applying to AAIP.

• At the time the application is submitted, and the AAIP assesses the application, you must have a job offer in an eligible occupation. There are also some ineligible occupations to apply for or be nominated under the Rural Renewal Stream. The list of eligible and ineligible occupations has been updated with the NOC 2021 version.
• When the application is submitted, if the applicant is a temporary foreign worker, the applicant must have a minimum of 12 months of full-time work experience in Alberta, other provinces in Canada or outside Canada in an eligible occupation within the last 18 months before the application.
  • Suppose the applicant is an EMPP refugee applicant when the application is submitted. In that case, the applicant must have at least 12 months of full-time work experience in an eligible occupation within the last 10 years before your application.
• The language requirements for some applicants may have increased or decreased with the implementation of the NOC 2021 version. The applicants must confirm the TEER Category for their occupation in the NOC 2021 and use the TEER Category to determine their minimum language score using the table on the Alberta PNP official website.
• When the application is submitted, the applicant must have completed a minimum of high school education equivalent to the Canadian education standard or a foreign degree, diploma or certificate which is confirmed by the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
• The applicant must meet the settlement fund requirement if the applicant is a temporary foreign worker. However, EMPP refugees do not need to meet settlement fund requirements. Minimum settlement funds requirements are based on the Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICOs); find more information on the Alberta PNP official website.

STREAMS FOR ENTREPRENEURS 

Rural Entrepreneur Stream

This economic immigration program is for entrepreneurs who want to start or buy an existing business in a rural Alberta community; those eligible for this stream can submit an Expression of Interest.

An entrepreneur is a person who sets up a new business with the aim of making a profit. Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in Alberta’s economy, using their skills and initiative to anticipate needs and create jobs for Albertans.

The rural Alberta communities are defined by The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) as any community with a population of less than 100,000 and outside of the Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area.

Candidates should contact that community’s contact person in whichever rural Alberta community they are interested in to discuss job offers and schedule a discovery visit.

Each rural community has its own process, and communities reserve the right to interview only suitable candidates.

Exploratory visit

Candidates must complete the discovery visit before applying. This discovery visit can be done in person or via web-based video conference. The community and the candidate decide together in one of these ways.

Regardless of how the reconnaissance visit is conducted, candidates must submit a Reconnaissance Visit Report with the Job Application.

Candidates who will make the discovery visit in person must meet the visa requirements to come to Alberta. However, AAIP or the community does not provide the candidate with a letter of support for obtaining a visa for an exploratory visit.

Candidates are encouraged to research current market opportunities in the community, licensing and registration requirements, and steps involved in starting a business in Alberta before arriving for a Research visit.

This Discovery visit aims to help you make an informed decision about operating and managing a business in your rural Alberta community.

It will be necessary to keep records for use during the survey when preparing the Exploratory Visit Report.

The Exploratory Visit Report must include the following information:

• Postal addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of professional business service providers whom the candidate visited during the trip or with whom you spoke in a video conference
• How the activity is performed and how it relates to the business establishment or location
• If you visited in person, copies of business cards were collected from contact persons and business service providers.
• If the candidate is planning to purchase an existing business, details of discussions and visits with the current business owner

After the discovery visit, the candidate must provide a copy of the entire Rural Entrepreneur Stream Business Proposal Summary to the community contact person.

The Business Proposal Summary provides information about the business venture in the community.

If the community feels that the candidate and their proposal will benefit the community, they will issue a Community Support Letter and approve the Business Proposal Summary.

By approving the Community Support Letter and Business Proposal Summary, the community supports the candidate remaining in Alberta.

Once the candidate receives a copy of the Community Support Letter and the approved Business Proposal Summary from the community, the candidate may submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to AAIP.

The candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this stream:

• Work experience: within the past 10 years, the candidate must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as an active business owner(or manager) or a minimum of 4 years of experience as a senior manager 
• Education: the candidate must complete a minimum of high school equivalent to the Canadian standard with proof of an Education Credential Assessment.
• Language: The candidate must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4 for each English or French language skill. At the time the Expression of Interest is submitted, the official test results must be less than 2 years old.
• Net worth: for this stream, the minimum net worth is $300,000. All the assets must be the candidate’s holdings or spouse’s or common-law partner’s.
• Business investment: the minimum investment of $100,000 from the candidate’s own and/or spouse/common-law partner equity. If the investment is on higher levels, that will be awarded more points.
• Business establishment: For a new business, the minimum ownership is 51%, and the business partners must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents.
• Job creation: New businesses must create at least one full-time job for Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents. If there is more job creation, more points will be awarded.
• Community support letter: The Community Support Letter from a participating rural Alberta community.

Some factors may increase a candidate’s chances:

• The candidate is between 29 and 49 years of age;
• The spouse/common-law partner has completed at least one year of full-time post-secondary education or has a minimum level Canadian Language Benchmark 4 in English or French in all reading, writing, listening, speaking);
• to have a relative in Alberta

Selection and notification process

Once AAIP receives the candidate’s job application, they are evaluated against eligibility criteria and the candidate’s EOI Scores are verified.

AAIP does not guarantee that all Business Applications will be evaluated and will issue a Business Job Application Approval Letter and/or certificate of candidacy to all candidates, even if they meet the required criteria.

Submission of a Business Application and nomination by AAIP is not a guarantee that the applicant can obtain a permanent resident visa.

Find more information

• Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

Qualified international graduates of Alberta post-secondary institutions who wish to start or operate a business in Alberta are eligible to apply for permanent residence by being nominated by Alberta through this stream.

An entrepreneur is a person who sets up a new business with the aim of making a profit. Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in Alberta’s economy, using their skills and initiative to anticipate needs and create jobs for Albertans.

The candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this stream:

• Education: the candidate must complete at least two years of full-time education, resulting in a degree or diploma from Alberta Advanced Education.
• Work permit: the candidates must have a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) issued by IRCC and valid at the time of the Expression of Interest (EOI) submission.
• Language: Language: The candidate must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7 for each English or French language skill. At the time the Expression of Interest is submitted, the official test results must be less than 2 years old.
• Business establishment: For a new business, the minimum ownership is 34%. The proposed business type must be removed from the list of ineligible businesses. Business Partners must be Canadian Citizens or PR holders.

Business requirements

You must make sure that your business meets the requirements. Otherwise, your Business Application can be refused.

Your business must have the potential to create economic benefits for Alberta. Your proposed business must meet the following general requirements:

• The purpose of the business must be to make a profit from active income – not passive income;
• Your business must comply with any federal, provincial or municipal legal, regulatory or licensing requirements;
• Your business must comply with applicable trade certification requirements for the province;
• Your business must have a physical location in Alberta;
• If your business is a franchise, the ownership requirements are the same as other businesses. You must also prove that you received support from the master franchisor to operate a franchise;
• You must own at least 34% of your business, stay in Alberta, and be involved in its day-to-day management. You cannot do this remotely.

Farm Stream

This stream suits entrepreneurs with the financial resources and farm management experience to establish a new farm or purchase an existing one in Alberta.

Once candidates submit their applications and proposed business plan to AAIP for evaluation, AAIP will consult with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation to ensure the business plan is feasible and meets the needs of Alberta’s agricultural industry.

If the AAIP ever discovers fraud or misrepresentation in an application, that candidate may be banned for up to 5 years from reapplying to the AAIP.

Candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this stream when their application is mailed to the AAIP and during the assessment by the AAIP. However, it does not mean that assessment guarantees the applicant a nomination or permanent residence.

Candidates must prove they have farm management skills.

Evidence of this may include, but does not have to be limited to, candidates:

– must show the proof of financial documentation of an existing farm business

– must provide documentation of education, training and work experience

– must prepare a Recommended business plan for the agricultural business you are considering in Alberta

– must have Evidence that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance your proposed farming business

Applicants must be able to make a minimum equity investment of CDN$500,000 in a primary production farming business in Alberta, or documentation showing a minimum net worth of CDN$500,000 or confirmation that a similar amount of funding is available from other sources.

Candidates must document their investment plans in a proposed business plan and submit this with their application to the AAIP. Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation will review the proposed business plan to be sure the farming operation aligns with Alberta farming industry requirements.

Ineligibility

The candidates are not eligible to apply under the AAIP Farm Stream if they:

• Refugee claimants or involved in a federal appeal or removal process;
• Live-in caregiver currently residing in Canada;
• Temporary Foreign Workers who are working and residing in a province other than Alberta; and
• International students studying in Canada, including doing a co-op work placement or internship as part of their study program.

Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

The Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is an economic immigration program for qualified foreign-educated graduates from outside Canada who wish to establish new ventures and innovative businesses in Alberta, nominating them for permanent residence after establishing start-ups and innovative businesses in Alberta.

This Stream cooperates with the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) and approved designated institutions.

Foreign graduates applying within the scope of this flow must work with a designated agency. This institution will issue a letter of recommendation if it determines that the foreign graduate meets AAIP requirements. The candidate must submit this letter of recommendation through the AAIP Portal along with the Expression of Intent (EOI).

The designated organization will submit a written report evaluating their evaluation of the proposed business plan. Foreign graduates are required to submit this report along with the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Business Application.

The candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible for this stream:

Work experience: the candidate must have a minimum of 6 months full-time work experience, This experience can be a combination of actively managing or owning the business or equivalent.

Education: the candidate must complete a degree from a post-secondary institution within the last 10 years at the time of EOI submission outside Canada with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). 

Business plan: The candidate must have a business plan with projected financials. 

Pitch deck: The candidate must prepared a 10-minute presentation (slides only) that outlines the proposed business venture and focuses on what an investor would want to see.

Language: The candidate must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 5 for each English or French language skill. At the time the Expression of Interest is submitted, the official test results must be less than 2 years old.

Business establishment: If the business is located in an urban centre, the candidate must have a minimum of 34% ownership. If the business is located in a regional area outside Calgary and the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Areas, then the candidate must have a minimum of 51%. Business Partners must be Canadian Citizens or PR holders. Businesses must not be on the list of ineligible businesses.

Business investment: Before coming to Alberta, the candidate must show a minimum level of investment from the candidate’s equity (or spouse or common-law partner) or from a recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital, or angel investment firm. The minimum investment for an urban centre is $100,000; for a regional area, the minimum investment is $50,000. If the investment is at higher levels before coming to Alberta, the candidate will be awarded more points for urban centres or restricted areas.

Letter of recommendation: The candidate must have a letter of recommendation from an AAIP-approved designated agency.

Settlement funds: The candidates must demonstrate that they have the funds needed which will be based on Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs), to set up their business and support themselves while on a work permit and launching their start-up.

The process of selection and notification

Once AAIP receives the candidate’s job application, they are evaluated against eligibility criteria and the candidate’s EOI Scores are verified.

AAIP does not guarantee that all Business Applications will be evaluated and will issue a Business Job Application Approval Letter and/or certificate of candidacy to all candidates, even if they meet the required criteria.

Submission of a Business Application and nomination by AAIP is not a guarantee that the applicant can obtain a permanent resident visa.