The Economic Immigration Program known as the Rural Entrepreneur Stream is designed to facilitate the nomination of skilled and capable entrepreneurs by Alberta. This stream enables individuals interested in establishing a new business or acquiring an existing one in a rural Alberta community to be nominated. The program’s objective is to harness the expertise and innovative spirit of entrepreneurs to generate employment opportunities for the residents of Alberta.
By focusing on communities with populations under 100,000 outside the Calgary and Edmonton census metropolitan area, the Rural Entrepreneur Stream aims to drive economic growth in rural Alberta.
Rural Entrepreneur Stream in Alberta
- Candidates interested in a specific rural Alberta community as per their business interests can initiate contact with the community contact person to discuss their business proposal and arrange an exploratory visit with them.
- After the exploratory visit, applicants are required to compile an Exploratory Visit Report which is a kind of Business Summary, providing a detailed account of their trip.
- The report should contain information about meetings with business contacts, interactions with economic development organizations, summaries of additional business activities, and specifics of visits to existing business locations. If the applicant intends to purchase an existing business, details of meetings with current owners should also be included.
- If the business project is considered beneficial and likely to have a positive impact on the community of Alberta, a Community Support Letter will be issued.
- The Community Support Letter serves as an endorsement of the business project, indicating that the community is aware of and supports the project’s development in Alberta.
- Upon receiving a copy of the Community Support Letter, entrepreneurs can proceed to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).
Establishing Your Business in Alberta
- Upon arrival in Alberta, candidates are required to submit an arrival report to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program within 30 days of signing the work permit.
- Subsequently, they must establish and actively manage an eligible business, holding 51% ownership for new businesses or 100% for business succession.
- Within one year of business establishment, candidates must fulfill the requirements outlined in the Business Performance Agreement. Additionally, they are obligated to submit business progress reports every six months to demonstrate ongoing business viability to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.
Eligibility Requirements of Entrepreneurs
To be considered for the Rural Entrepreneur Stream, candidates must meet the following requirements.
Area | Requirements |
---|---|
Education | Have completed a minimum of high school equivalent to the Canadian standard ; The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website lists the designated organizations for ECAs |
Work experience | Have either a minimum 3 years of experience as an active business owner/manager or a minimum of 4 years of experience as a senior manager within the past 10 years. |
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: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Official test results must be less than 2 years old at the time your Expression of Interest is submitted |
Net worth | Minimum net worth of $300,000. All assets must be candidate’s own personal holdings or spouse's or common-law partner’s. |
Business investment | Minimum investment of $100,000 from candidate’s own (and/or spouse/common-law partner) equity. 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. OR 100% ownership for business succession (the succession buy-out must result in a complete change in ownership where the candidate will assume full control of the business). |
Job creation | New businesses must create at least one full-time job for Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents; |
Community support letter | Candidates must have a Community Support Letter from a participating rural Alberta community. |
Factors Increasing Candidate’s Chances
Economic Benefit | Business succession |
---|---|
Age | 21 to 49 |
Spouse | 1.The spouse/common-law partner must have completed a minimum of one year of full-time post-secondary education. 2. Alternatively, they should have attained a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark 4 in English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens 4 in French across all four language abilities (Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking). |
Alberta relative | Relatives are defined as father, step-father, mother, step-mother, child, step-child, sister, step-sister, brother, step-brother of candidate or spouse or common-law partner |
List of Rural Communities Participating in Rural Entrepreneur Stream
- County of Wetaskiwin
- Red Deer County
- City of Wetaskiwin
- Town of Didsbury
- Town of Millet
- Town of Olds
- Village of Clive
- Town of Trochu
Selection of Expression of Interest Pool
- Step 1: Candidates applying under the Rural Entrepreneur Stream must submit a profile to the Expression of Interest pool.
- Step 2: Points are allocated to candidates based on the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid.
- Step 3: Alberta selects candidates with the highest-ranking points and invites them to submit a Business Application.
Criteria | Descriptions | Points |
---|---|---|
RURAL FACTOR (25 points) | ||
Business Location (Maximum of 25 points) Mandatory requirement | Rural Community | |
Community outside the Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas and under 100,000 population size (mandatory minimum) | ||
Tier 1: Less than 10,000 population | 25 |
|
Tier 2: 10,001 to 50,000 population | 17 | |
Tier 3: 50,001 to 99,999 population | 10 | |
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE FACTOR (20 points) | ||
Business owner-manager or senior management experience within the past 10 years (Maximum of 20 points) Mandatory requirement | Business owner-manager | |
3 to less than 4 years (mandatory minimum) | 12 | |
4 to less than 5 years | 16 | |
5 or more years | 20 | |
or Senior manager |
||
4 to less than 5 years (mandatory minimum) | 12 | |
5 to less than 6 years | 16 | |
6 or more years | 20 | |
BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT FACTORS (60 points) | ||
Total Business Investment (Maximum of 20 points) Mandatory requirement | $200,000 to $399,999 (mandatory minimum) | 5 |
$400,000 to $599,999 | 10 | |
$600,000 to $799,999 | 15 | |
$800,000 or more | 20 | |
Net Worth (Maximum of 10 points) Mandatory requirement | $300,000 to $399,999 (mandatory minimum) | 6 |
$400,000 to $499,999 | 8 | |
$500,000 or more | 10 | |
Job Creation 1. Job creation is a mandatory criterion, with positions required for Canadian citizens or permanent residents (excluding relatives) for a minimum duration of 6 months, carrying a maximum point allocation of 20. 2. In the case of business succession, while job creation is not obligatory, candidates will receive points for generating employment opportunities. | 1 job (mandatory minimum) | 4 |
2 jobs | 8 | |
3 jobs | 12 | |
4 jobs | 16 | |
5 jobs or more | 20 | |
Business Successions (Maximum of 10 points) Not a Mandatory requirement | Investment to takeover an existing business | 10 |
HUMAN CAPITAL FACTORS (35 points) | ||
Language Proficiency (Maximum of 25 points) Mandatory requirement | Proficiency in English or French: | |
CLB/NCLC 4 (4 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) (mandatory minimum) | 15 | |
CLB/NCLC 5 (5 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) | 20 | |
CLB/NCLC 6 or higher (6 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) | 25 | |
Education (Maximum of 10 points) Mandatory requirement | High-school Diploma equivalent to Canadian standards (mandatory minimum) | 4 |
Associate Degree or Diploma (at least one year) | 7 | |
Bachelor’s degree or higher | 10 | |
ADAPTABILITY FACTORS (35 points) | ||
Canada/Alberta experience from work or studies within the past 10 years (Maximum of 15 points) Not a mandatory requirement | In rural Alberta | |
12 to 24 months | 10 | |
More than 24 months | 15 | |
And / Or | ||
In non-rural Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area) | ||
18 to 30 months | 6 | |
More than 30 months | 10 | |
And / Or | ||
In Canada | ||
24 to 36 months | 3 | |
More than 36 months | 5 | |
Relative(s) in the community or Alberta (Maximum of 10 points) Not a mandatory requirement | Relatives are defined as father, step-father, mother, step-mother, child, step-child, sister, step-sister, brother, step-brother of candidate or spouse/common-law partner | |
Relative(s) living in Alberta | 5 | |
or | ||
Relative(s) living in the community where you intend to reside and operate a business | 10 | |
Spouse’s/Common-law partner’s Language Proficiency or Education Maximum of 5 points) Not a mandatory requirement | Proficiency in English or French: | |
CLB/NCLC 4 (4 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) | 3 | |
CLB/NCLC 5 (5 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) | 4 | |
CLB/NCLC 6 or higher (6 or higher for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) | 5 | |
and / or Education: | ||
Certificate, Associate Degree or Diploma (at least one year) | 3 | |
Bachelor’s degree or higher | 5 | |
Age (Maximum of 5 points) Not a mandatory requirement | 21 to 49 | 5 |
Maximum Points | 175 |
Criteria |
Descriptions |
Points |
RURAL FACTOR (25 points) |
||
Business Location (Maximum of 25 points) Mandatory requirement |
Rural Community |
|
Community outside the Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas and under 100,000 population size (mandatory minimum) |
||
Tier 1: Less than 10,000 population |
25 |
|
Tier 2: 10,001 to 50,000 population |
17 |
|
Tier 3: 50,001 to 99,999 population |
10 |
|
BUSINESS EXPERIENCE FACTOR (20 points) |
||
Business owner-manager or senior management experience within the past 10 years (Maximum of 20 points) Mandatory requirement |
Business owner-manager |
|
3 to less than 4 years (mandatory minimum) |
12 |
|
4 to less than 5 years |
16 |
|
5 or more years |
20 |
|
or Senior manager |
||
4 to less than 5 years (mandatory minimum) |
12 |
|
5 to less than 6 years |
16 |
|
6 or more years |
20 |
|
BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT FACTORS (60 points) |
||
Total Business Investment (Maximum of 20 points) Mandatory requirement |
$200,000 to $399,999 (mandatory minimum) |
5 |
$400,000 to $599,999 |
10 |
|
$600,000 to $799,999 |
15 |
|
$800,000 or more |
20 |
|
Net Worth (Maximum of 10 points) Mandatory requirement |
$300,000 to $399,999 (mandatory minimum) |
6 |
$400,000 to $499,999 |
8 |
|
$500,000 or more |
10 |
|
Job Creation Jobs must be created for Canadian citizens or permanent residents (not including relatives) for a period of at least 6 months. (Maximum of 20 points) Mandatory requirement For business succession, job creation is not mandatory; however, candidates will be awarded points for job creation. |
1 job (mandatory minimum) |
4 |
2 jobs |
8 |
|
3 jobs |
12 |
|
4 jobs |
16 |
|
5 jobs or more |
20 |
|
Business Successions (Maximum of 10 points) Not a Mandatory requirement |
Investment to takeover an existing business |
10 |
HUMAN CAPITAL FACTORS (35 points) |
||
Language Proficiency (Maximum of 25 points) Mandatory requirement |
Proficiency in English or French: |
|
CLB/NCLC 4 (4 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) (mandatory minimum) |
15 |
|
CLB/NCLC 5 (5 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) |
20 |
|
CLB/NCLC 6 or higher (6 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) |
25 |
|
Education (Maximum of 10 points) Mandatory requirement |
High-school Diploma equivalent to Canadian standards (mandatory minimum) |
4 |
Associate Degree or Diploma (at least one year) |
7 |
|
Bachelor’s degree or higher |
10 |
|
ADAPTABILITY FACTORS (35 points) |
||
Canada/Alberta experience from work or studies within the past 10 years (Maximum of 15 points) Not a mandatory requirement |
In rural Alberta |
|
12 to 24 months |
10 |
|
More than 24 months |
15 |
|
And / Or |
||
In non-rural Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area) |
||
18 to 30 months |
6 |
|
More than 30 months |
10 |
|
And / Or |
||
In Canada |
||
24 to 36 months |
3 |
|
More than 36 months |
5 |
|
Relative(s) in the community or Alberta (Maximum of 10 points) Not a mandatory requirement |
Relatives are defined as father, step-father, mother, step-mother, child, step-child, sister, step-sister, brother, step-brother of candidate or spouse/common-law partner |
|
Relative(s) living in Alberta |
5 |
|
or |
||
Relative(s) living in the community where you intend to reside and operate a business |
10 |
|
Spouse’s/Common-law partner’s Language Proficiency or Education (Maximum of 5 points) Not a mandatory requirement |
Proficiency in English or French: |
|
CLB/NCLC 4 (4 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) |
3 |
|
CLB/NCLC 5 (5 for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) |
4 |
|
CLB/NCLC 6 or higher (6 or higher for each Reading, Writing, Learning and Speaking) |
5 |
|
and / or Education: |
||
Certificate, Associate Degree or Diploma (at least one year) |
3 |
|
Bachelor’s degree or higher |
5 |
|
Age (Maximum of 5 points) Not a mandatory requirement |
21 to 49 |
5 |
Maximum Points |
175 |