Alberta launches two new immigration streams
This week, Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) announced the launch of the Rural Renewal Stream and the Rural Entrepreneur Stream.
These new streams empower rural Alberta communities to recruit and retain foreign nationals. Moreover, it helps communities that have fewer people of working age or are facing declining population. In 2018, less than a quarter (1,369 of 5,601) of the Alberta nominees settled in rural areas.
Eligible rural communities interested in receiving newcomers must apply to become a designated community. During the first year, Alberta will select a limited number of communities to participate as a designated community.
Candidates interested in a specific rural Alberta community should connect with the community contact person to discuss their business proposal. They also need to schedule an exploratory visit. Please be aware that each community will have their own process for scheduling an exploratory visit. In addition, communities reserve the right to meet only with potential entrepreneurs whom they deem as a fit.
Premier Jason Kenney made the announcement at the inaugural Premier’s Summit on Fairness for Newcomers, on Feb 16, 2022. The same day, the Government of Alberta rename the AINP to the ‘Alberta Advantage Immigration Program’ to help promote the province’s reputation. Of course, the province will update the new name in the portal in the coming weeks.
About the Rural Renewal Stream
In order to be eligible for the Rural Renewal Stream, communities must:
- Have a community population of less than 100,000 and be outside Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas.
- Also, be represented by an economic development or similar organization with a primary function in economic development.
- Have an economic development plan and have expressed support from the town/municipality council. They must also have support from a local/regional settlement-providing organization.
- In addition, communities must have local employers with permanent, full-time, non-seasonal work available.
About the Rural Entrepreneur Stream
To be eligible for this stream, candidates must meet the following criteria:
| Work experience | Have either a minimum of 3 years of experience as an active business owner/manager. You can also have a minimum of 4 years of experience as a senior manager within the past 10 years. |
|---|---|
| Education | Completed a minimum of high school equivalent to the Canadian standard with an Education Credential Assessment (ECA). |
| Language | Have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4 for each English language skill or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) of 4 for each French language skill. |
| Net worth | Minimum net worth of $300,000. Moreover, all assets must be candidate’s own personal holdings or spouse’s or common-law partner’s. |
| Business investment | Minimum investment of $200,000 from candidate’s own (and/or spouse/common-law partner) equity. Also, higher levels of investment will be awarded more points. |
| Business establishment | Minimum ownership of 51% for a new business. Business Partners must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents. You can also have:100% ownership for business succession. Business must not be on the list of ineligible businesses. Moreover, resources on how to establish a business in Alberta are available on the Small business resource page. |
| Job creation
Community support letter |
In addition, new businesses must create at least one full-time job for Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents (not including relatives). Further, more job creation will be awarded more points.
Candidates must have a Community Support Letter from a participating rural Alberta community. |
Communities wishing to participate in the Rural Entrepreneur Stream can submit a Community Enrollment form, available at: alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream-community-designation.aspx. Information on workforce consultants is available at: alberta.ca/workforce-contacts-employer-resources.aspx.
Of course, these are just general requirements, you can find more information about this program at: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-entrepreneur-stream-eligibility.aspx
<<Also Read: Alberta: New Immigration Tech Pathway>>
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