Alberta Entrepreneur Streams
Rural Entrepreneur Stream
The Rural Entrepreneur Stream allows Alberta to nominate qualified and capable entrepreneurs who want to start a new or buy an existing business in a rural Alberta community. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) defines rural Alberta communities as any community with a population of less than 100,000 according to the Statistics Canada census.
Eligibility
Net Worth – Minimum net worth of $300,000. All assets must be candidate’s own personal holdings or spouse/common law partners.
Business Investment – Minimum investment of $100,000 (reduced since from candidate’s own equity, or spouse / common law partners.
Business Establishment – Minimum ownership of 51% for a new business. Business Partners must be Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident or 100% ownership for business succession results in complete change of ownership where the candidate will assume full control of business. Business must not be on list of ineligible businesses within Alberta.
Work Experience – 3 years as an active business owner / manager or 4 years as a senior manager within the past 10 years
Education – High School equivalent to Canadian Standard through an Education Credential Assessment
Language – CLB 4 for English or NCLC 4 for French language. Official tests must be less than two years old
Business Establishment – Must establish a new business or buy an existing business in Alberta with a minimum ownership of 34%. Business must not be on list of ineligible businesses within Alberta. Business must be established only once the Business Application is approved by the AAIP. Business Partners may be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Community Support Letter – Must be obtained from the participating rural Alberta Community
Selection Process
The information provided in the EOI, the Business Proposal Summary and Net Worth Worksheet will be assessed, and points will be awarded by the AAIP based on the Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid. Candidates with the highest-ranking points (maximum number of points is 175) will be selected and invited to submit a Business Application.
Factors Increasing Your Changes
- Business Succession
- Age 21-49
- Spouse / common law partner has completed either a 1-year full time post-secondary education, or has a CLB 4 in English, or NCLC 4 in French in all four language abilities
- Alberta Relative – father, stepfather, mother, step-mother, child, step-child, sister, step-sister, brother, step-brother of either the candidate or spouse / common law partner
Participating communities
Candidates interested in a specific rural Alberta community should connect with the community contact person to discuss their business proposal and schedule an exploratory visit. Each community has their own process for scheduling an exploratory visit. Communities reserve the right to meet only with potential entrepreneurs whom they deem as a fit. The AAIP provides a list of participating communities, however, if a community is not listed and they wish to participate, they can submit the Community Enrolment Form to their workforce consultant.
List of Participating Communities:
- City of Brooks
- City of Camrose
- City of Cold Lake
- City of Grande Prairie
- City of Lacombe
- City of Lethbridge
- City of Wetaskiwin
- County of Camrose
- County of Wetaskiwin
- Flagstaff County
- Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo
- Lac Ste. Anne County
- Lacombe County
- Municipal District of Peace – No. 135
- Municipal District of Smoky River – No. 130
- Municipal District of Spirit River – No. 133
- Red Deer County
- Town of Blackfalds
- Town of Bonnyville
- Town of Claresholm
- Town of Didsbury
- Town of Fairview
- Town of Falher
- Town of Grimshaw
- Town of High Prairie
- Town of Innisfail
- Town of McLennan
- Town of Nanton
- Town of Olds
- Town of Oyen
- Town of Peace River
- Town of Penhold
- Town of Provost
- Town of Sedgewick
- Town of Slave Lake
- Town of Stettler
- Town of Sundre
- Town of Sylvan Lake
- Town of Taber
- Town of Trochu
- Town of Wainwright
- Town of Whitecourt
- Village of Acme
- Village of Berwyn
- Village of Clive
- Village of Consort
- Village of Donnelly
- Village of Forestburg
- Village of Girouxville
- Westlock County
Exploratory visit
All candidates are required to complete an exploratory visit in person or web-based video conferencing. The community and the candidate will determine together which option they will choose. An Exploratory Visit Report with the Business Application must be submitted for in-person or by web-based video conferencing. If you decide to have an in person conference, you must obtain a temporary resident visa (TRV) on their own. The province will not provide a letter of support to submit with your TRV application.
The Exploratory Visit Report must include the following information:
- The name of the professional business service providers or settlement organizations you visited during your trip or spoke to in your video conference, including mailing addresses, telephone numbers and emails.
- A description of the activity, in-person meeting or video conference and how it relates to your business establishment or settlement.
- Copies of business cards you collected from relevant contact and business service providers contacted during your in-person visit (if applicable).
- Details of visits to existing business locations and meetings with current owners if you are planning to purchase an existing business. You should include the business name, location and the current owners’ names and contact details.
After the exploratory visit, provide a copy of the complete Rural Entrepreneur Stream Business Proposal Summary, to the community contact person. If the community deems that you and your business proposal is a benefit to the community, a Community Support Letter is issued, and the community endorses the Business Proposal Summary.
An Expression of Interest (EOI) to the AAIP may be submitted after receiving a copy of the Community Support Letter and endorsed Business Proposal Summary from the community.
Selection Process
The information candidates provide in their Business Proposal Summary, Net Worth Worksheet and Community Support Letter are assessed for points based on the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid. Candidates with the highest-ranking scores are selected by the AAIP to submit a Business Application which will be assessed against the eligibility criteria. The AAIP will issue a Business Application Approval Letter and/or nomination certificate.
Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
This stream is open to international graduates of Alberta post-secondary institutions who want to establish or operate a business in Alberta.
Eligibility
Education – Two years of full-time education, resulting in diploma or degree from an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.
Work Permit – Must have a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) valid at the time the EOI is submitted.
Language – CLB 7 for English or NCLC 7 for French language. Official tests must be less than two years old.
Job Creation – New business must create at least 1 full time job for Canadian citizen / permanent resident (not including relatives) for a minimum of 6 months. More job creation will be awarded more points. Note: for business succession, job creation is not required
Farm Stream
This stream is open to entrepreneurs who wish to establish a new or purchase an existing farm in Alberta and are able to prove the following:
- financial resources
- Proof of ability to invest a minimum of $500,0000 CDN of equity in a primary production farming business in Alberta)
- Documentation of minimum net worth of $500,000 CDN or ability to access a similar amount of funds from other sources
- farm management experience proof may include:
- financial documentation of existing farm business
- documentation of education, training and work experience
- proposed business plan for the proposed farming enterprise in Alberta
- proof that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance your proposed farming business
A proposed business plan and application must be submitted to the AAIP for assessment. The AAIP will consult with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation to ensure the business plan is feasible, viable and meets the needs of Alberta’s agriculture industry. Candidates displaying the greatest opportunity for Alberta’s agri-food targets are prioritized.
Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
The AAIP also nominates foreign graduates who have a degree from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada and want to launch a start-up enterprise and innovative business in Alberta. Candidates work alongside an approved designated agency, which issues a letter of recommendation, should they meet the AAIP requirements. The letter of recommendation is then submitted with their Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AAIP portal.
Role of Designated Agency
- Review business plans
- Determine whether the foreign graduate demonstrates a market need or demand for their enterprise
- Potential for successful market entry in the short-term to medium-term, customer acquisition, business development, key partnerships and financial plans to fund the development and operation of the start-up.
- The designated agency providse a written report on their assessment of the proposed business plan and Foreign graduates must submit this report with their Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Business Application.
- support the marketing of Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
- determine the entrepreneurial readiness of a foreign graduate and the potential success of the start-up by reviewing the business idea and provide support on the development of a business plan
- select foreign graduates to recommend for the AAIP
- connect foreign graduates with the appropriate networks, and provide business counselling, coaching and guidance when launching their business in Alberta and while they are trying to achieve the requirements of the Business Performance Agreement
- Foreign graduates should contact one of the following designated agencies: Empowered Startups or Platform Calgary
Eligibility Criteria
Work Experience – 6 months of full-time work experience with a combination of actively managing or owning a business, or equivalent (work experience with business incubator or business accelerator).
Education – Completion of a Canadian degree equivalence through an education credential assessment (ECA) within the last 10 years at the time of EOI
Business Establishment – Minimum ownership of 34% for businesses located in urban centre or 51% ownership for businesses located in regional area outside Calgary or Edmonton. Business must not be on list of ineligible businesses within Alberta. Business Partners must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Business Plan – Must have projected financials.
Pitch Deck – 10 minute slide presentation that outlines proposed business venture and investors vision. Business must be connected to the following sectors: technology, aerospace, financial services, energy, agriculture, tourism, life sciences, pharmaceuticals
Language – CLB 5 for English or NCLC 5 for French language. Official tests must be less than two years old.
Business Investment – Minimum investment of $100,000 from candidate’s own equity, or spouse / common law partners or from a recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital, or angel investment firm prior to coming to Alberta. Investment for an urban centre must be $100,000 and for a regional area it is $50,000. Higher levels of investment prior to coming to Alberta will be awarded more points. Points are awarded for urban centre or regional area, not both.
Letter of recommendation – An AAIP-approved designated agency must provide this.
Settlement Funds – Candidates must demonstrate that they have the funds needed to set up their business and support themselves while they are on a work permit and launching their start-up. Minimum settlement funds requirements will be based on the Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs), based on the number of family members and the population size of the community of the intended business.
Current Business Owners
Foreign graduates who currently own and operate a business in Alberta can apply to the AAIP as a pathway for permanent residency. They must demonstrate they meet the criteria highlighted in the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream mandatory minimums grid at the time of EOI submission. The established business must have operated in Alberta for at least one year immediately prior to submitting an EOI in the AAIP portal.
Eligible foreign graduates will be issued a nomination certificate after submitting their Business Application to the AAIP and must continue to operate their business in Alberta while they go through the permanent residence application process with IRCC.
Selection
Points will be awarded based on the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream points grid below. Candidates with the highest-ranking points (maximum 200 points) will be invited to submit a Business Application.
Information to be assessed include:
- EOI
- Business Plan
- Pitch Deck
- Net Worth Worksheet
- Letter of Recommendation from a Designated Agency
- and if applicable:
- Authorization to Collect and Disclose Personal Information for Spouse, Common-Law Partners and Dependents
For more information on the application process, see How to Apply
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – FAQ
Yes, an immigration lawyer can assist with provincial nominee programs (PNPs) in Ontario. They can guide you through the specific requirements of Ontario’s PNP, helping you understand the criteria, preparing your application, and maximizing your chances of nomination for permanent residency.
It’s essential to consult with an immigration lawyer in Ontario for personalized guidance on your specific immigration needs and circumstances.
Immigration lawyers in Ontario offer various services, including evaluating your eligibility, preparing and submitting applications, representing you in immigration hearings or appeals, and providing legal advice throughout your immigration journey.
When selecting an immigration lawyer in Ontario, consider their experience, specialization in immigration law, and track record of successful cases. It’s also essential to ensure they are licensed and in good standing with the relevant legal authorities.
Hiring an immigration lawyer in Ontario is beneficial because they possess in-depth knowledge of Canadian immigration laws, policies, and procedures. They can help you understand your options, prepare your applications correctly, and navigate the complex immigration system, increasing your chances of success.
An immigration lawyer in Ontario specializes in Canadian immigration law and provides legal assistance to individuals and families seeking to navigate the immigration process. They offer guidance on various immigration matters, including visa applications, permanent residency, work permits, family sponsorships, and legal representation in immigration proceedings.
There are several categories for which you can apply to work in the U.S. This is dependent on your skills, education and work experience. For example, there are several non-immigrant, temporary visas, such as H-1B Specialty Occupation, or L-1 Intra-company transferee. There are even immigrant work visas that can be obtained through a labor certification, or if you are a individual who has extraordinary ability.
The minimum investment amount depends on whether you are investing in a targeted employment area (TEA) or not. For TEA investment, the amount is $900,000 and if you invest in non-TEA, the minimum investment amount is $1.8 million
Yes. Marriage Based sponsorship is available to both U.S. citizens and U.S. green card holders; however, the processing times may be longer if your spouse is not a U.S. citizen.
No. K-1 visas are specifically for fiancés who are residing outside of the U.S. and eventually come to the U.S. to get married. The fiancé enters the U.S. on a temporary visa and then the couple has 90 days to get married.
A “Green Card” is the other term for permanent resident card. It allows you to live, work and study in the U.S. permanently. There are multiple ways you can receive a green card, some of which include family sponsorship, employment, diversity visa or asylee
No. Express Entry is an online management system that Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) uses to rank potential candidates against one another
Technically, there is no minimum threshold. However, by looking at scores for 2020, CRS scores have ranged from 471-478 for FSW, FST average is 450 and CEC is 415. In addition, there are Provinces who actively pick candidates from the Express Entry pool (Nova Scotia, Ontario) and if they are within the parameters being targeted, the CRS score is much lower.
Anyone with a bachelor’s degree or higher should consider applying; however, those between the ages of 20-29, with a master’s degree / PhD, plus 3+ years of work experience will generally be the most competitive
PNP Nominations are issued by the Province to candidates who have the required skills and experience targeted by the Province. PNP nominations add 600 points to your overall CRS score and will give you enough points to guarantee that you will be picked from the Express Entry pool and receive an Invitation to Apply
Alberta has typically been one of the easiest Provinces because the minimum CRS score was around 300. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are only choosing candidates who already reside (work, school) in the Province. Saskatchewan also has a PNP program where candidates do not require a job offer, but candidates must score high enough on the Province’s score criteria. Ontario is the most active PNP and has targeted occupations where the CRS score is around 450 and a job offer is not required. We may explore other Province’s depending on your specific skills and experience.
Most, if not all Pathways require language testing, with their own requirements. Generally, Federal Programs have higher minimum language score requirements, while Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) and Pilot Programs are lower. For example, each of the (3) Federal Express Entry programs do require language tests and each has its own Canadian language benchmark (CLB) requirement. Once you determine which program you are eligible for, you determine if you have the minimum language scores. Under the FSWP = NOC 0, A, or B, with a CLB 7 (6 in each area), CEC = NOC 0, A, with a CLB 7, NOC B, with a CLB 5, and, FST = Speaking/Listening = CLB 5, Reading Writing = CLB 4. On the other hand, non-Express Entry PNP’s typically require a minimum CLB of 4 (Saskatchewan, Alberta, etc). The higher the language scores, more competitive you will be in the pool.
Yes. So long as your Express Entry CRS scores are high enough, you do not need a job offer. A job offer may be difficult to obtain if you are not in Country. Essentially, a job offer is recommended if your CRS scores are too low to qualify you for the Federal Skilled Worker program.
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