The Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream is a pathway under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). It is designed to attract entrepreneurs to rural areas of Alberta. AAIP offers various streams for entrepreneurs such as the Rural Entrepreneur Stream, Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, Farm Stream, and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream. If you are willing to establish or buy a business in a rural community, the Rural Entrepreneur Stream is ideal for you to get Canada PR.
Table of Content
- Eligibility Criteria
- Points for Rural Entrepreneur Stream
- Application Process
- Document Checklist
- Processing Time and Fee
Eligibility Requirements
To apply for provincial nomination through the Alberta Rural Entrepreneur stream, you must meet the eligibility requirements below.
| Factors | Eligibility criteria for Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream |
|---|---|
| Business Investment | a. Applicants must invest a minimum of $100,000 from their own equity. b. If your investment is more then you will get more points. |
| Net Worth | Applicants need to possess a net worth of at least $300,000. (All assets should belong to the applicant’s own or spouse/common-law partner) |
| Business Ownership | Applicants must have a minimum 51% ownership in their new business and business partners must be Canadian permanent residents or citizens. OR Must have 100% ownership for business succession |
| Job Creation | The applicant must create at least one full-time job for the new business for Canadian Permanent Residents and Citizens (excluding PR/citizen’s relatives). Points will be allocated based on the creation of more jobs. |
| Work Experience | Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as an active business owner/manager.ORMust have 4 years of experience as a senior manager in the last 10 years. |
| Education Proficiency | Applicants must have completed a minimum high school education, equivalent to the Canadian standard. If the education is outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) must be submitted (the validity of an ECA is 5 years. |
| Language Proficiency | Score CLB/NCLC 5 for each English or French language skill. The language test must not be more than two years old. AAIP accepts IELTS and CELPIP for English proficiency and TEF and TCF for French proficiency. |
| Community Support Letter | The applicant requires a letter of community support from a rural community in Alberta. |
Additional Favourable Factors
Some additional factors may increase your chances of receiving a request to submit your business application. These additional factors are mentioned below.
Age: If your age is between 21 to 44 years, your chances of getting selected are more.
Economic benefits: If you are buying an existing business in Alberta, it will increase your chances of receiving a Request to Submit a Business Application.
Spouse: The applicant’s spouse/common-law partner must have completed at least one year of post-secondary education and must have a CLB 4 (both English and French) score on the language test.
Alberta relative: If the applicant’s relative resides in Alberta, this also increases their chances of getting selected. These relatives include mother, stepmother, father, step-father, child, step-child, sister, step-sister, brother, step-brother of the candidate, or spouse/common-law partner.
Points for Rural Entrepreneur Stream
All interested applicants have to submit Expression of Interest (EOI) under the Rural Entrepreneur Stream of AAIP. Based on EOI information, points are given to you by AAIP based on the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid. Alberta selects the highest-ranking candidates or requests them to submit a business application. You can score a maximum of 175 points in this points grid.
Points Breakdown
Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream points grid includes the following factors:
| Factors | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| Maximum points for Rural factor | 25 points |
| Maximum points for the Business Experience factor | 20 points |
| Maximum points for Business Establishment factor | 60 points |
| Maximum points for the Human Capital factor | 35 points |
| Maximum points for the Adaptability factor | 35 points |
| Total Points | 175 points |
The points grid for the Alberta Rural Entrepreneur stream awards points in the following manner.
| Criteria | Descriptions | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Rural Factor (25 points) | ||
| Mandatory requirement Business Location | Rural community | |
| 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 Establishment Factors (60 points) | ||
| Mandatory requirement Total Business Investment (Max. 20 points) | $100,000 to $399,999 (required minimum investment) | 5 |
| $400,000 to $599,999 | 10 | |
| $600,000 to $799,999 | 15 | |
| $800,000 or more | 20 | |
| Mandatory requirement Net Worth (Max. 10 points) | $300,000 to $399,999 (mandatory minimum) | 6 |
| $400,000 to $499,999 | 8 | |
| $500,000 or more | 10 | |
| Mandatory requirement Job Creation (Max. 20 points) must create at least 6 months one full-time job for the Canadian Permanent Residents and Citizens (excluding applicant’s relatives) | 1 job | 4 |
| 2 jobs | 8 | |
| 3 jobs | 12 | |
| 4 jobs | 16 | |
| 5 jobs or more | 20 | |
| Not a Mandatory requirement Business Successions (Max. 10 points) | Investments to acquire existing businesses in Alberta | 10 |
| Business Experience Factors (20 points) | ||
| Mandatory requirement Senior manager or business owner/manager within the past 10 years(Max. 20 points) | Senior Manager | |
| 4 to less than 5 years | 12 | |
| 5 to less than 6 years | 16 | |
| 6 or more years | 20 | |
| Business Owner/Manager | ||
| 3 to less than 4 years | 12 | |
| 4 to less than 5 years | 16 | |
| 5 or more years | 20 | |
| Human Capital Factors (35 points) | ||
| Mandatory requirement Language Proficiency(Max. 25 points) | Language proficiency in English and French | |
| CLB/NCLC 4 for each reading, writing, learning, and speaking | 15 | |
| CLB/NCLC 5 for each reading, writing, learning, and speaking | 20 | |
| CLB/NCLC 6 or more for each reading, writing, learning, and speaking | 25 | |
| Mandatory requirement Education (Max. of 10 points) | Must have a high-school Diploma equivalent to Canadian standards | 4 |
| Have at least one year of relevant Degree/Diploma | 7 | |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 10 | |
| Adaptability Factors (35 points) | ||
| Not mandatory Age (Max. 5 points) | 21 to 49 | 5 |
| Not mandatory Language proficiency and education of the applicant’s spouse/common-law partner (Max. 5 points) | Language proficiency in English and French | |
| CLB/NCLC 4 for each reading, writing, learning, and speaking | 3 | |
| CLB/NCLC 5 for each reading, writing, learning, and speaking | 4 | |
| CLB/NCLC 6 or higher for each reading, writing, learning, and speaking | 5 | |
| Education | ||
| Minimum one year of Certificate, relevant degree/diploma | 3 | |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 5 | |
| Not mandatory Relatives in Alberta or the community(Max. 10 points) | A relative living in Alberta Or A relative living in the community where you want to live and start your business. | 5 10 |
| Not mandatory Work and study experience in Canada or Alberta within the last 10 years(Max. 15 points) | In rural areas of Alberta | |
| 12 to 24 months | 10 | |
| More than 24 months | 15 | |
| In non-rural areas of Alberta (Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Area) | ||
| 18 to 30 months | 6 | |
| More than 30 months | 10 | |
| In Canada | ||
| 24 to 36 months | 3 | |
| More than 36 months | 5 | |
Application Process for Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream
The application process for Rural Entrepreneur Stream is divided into three sections. The first section is about EOI submission. The second section is about getting a request to submit a business application. The third section is about arriving in Alberta and getting the nomination.
Follow these steps to apply for the Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream:
Phase 1 – Creation and Submission of Expression of Interest
1. Create an EOI and submit it within 120 days: If you fulfill the minimum eligibility requirements of the Rural Entrepreneur Stream, you can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) on the AAIP portal. You have 120 days to submit the EOI with all the required documents.
2. Get a score within 30 days: AAIP will review your EOI within 30 days or score you based on the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid.
3. EOI is placed in the pool for a year: Eligible candidates are kept in the pool for 12 months. If your Expression of Interest is not chosen within this timeframe, it will be invalidated, and you will need to submit a fresh one.
4. Get a request to submit a Business Application: If you score a high rank, AAIP will invite you to submit your Business Application package.
Phase 2 – Submission and Approval of Business Application
1. Submit the Business Application: After receiving the request to submit the Business Application, you must submit your application within 90 days. Your business plan should be evaluated by the Qualified Service Provider Report.
You will be provided with a draft of the Business Application on the AAIP portal which will provide all the information you entered during your EOI submission. Make sure you update all your information or upload all supporting documents or required forms to the AAIP portal. Applicants must pay $3,500 when submitting the Business Application package.
2. Application Assessment: In this stage, AAIP will assess your business application or verify your EOI points. If additional information is required while evaluating your business application, the AAIP officer will inform you via email or phone.
3. Approval and Getting the Business Performance Agreement and Approval Letter: If the applicant fulfills all the Rural Entrepreneur Stream criteria, AAIP will send you the Business Performance Agreement via email for the applicant’s signature and review.
You must sign and scan your Business Performance Agreement within 14 days and email it to the AAIP.
After the Business Performance Agreement is signed by all parties, you will receive a copy of the signed agreement, as well as a Business Application Approval Letter and a 205(a) Letter of Support from the AAIP. This will enable you to apply for a 2 year work permit with IRCC.
4. Apply for Work Permit: To apply for a work permit, the applicant must submit the application along with the letter of support within 3 months.
Phase 3 – Business Establishment in Alberta and Nomination
After receiving your Business Application Approval Letter and work permit you will have to:
1. Live in a rural Alberta area.
2. Actively own and run a qualifying business in rural Alberta for at least 12 months with 51% ownership for new business or full ownership for succession.
3. Fulfill the terms of the Business Performance Agreement signed with the Government of Alberta.
4. Show successful business operation by providing products or services one year after starting.
If you meet all the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement, you are eligible to seek nomination for permanent residency by AAIP.
Documents Checklist
The following documents are required for the Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream:
Document checklist for EOI submission
You must include one or more of the following forms for your EOI submission
- Net Worth Worksheet
- Use of Representative form
- Community Support Letter
- Rural Entrepreneur Stream Business Proposal Summary
- Spouse, Common-Law Partners, and Dependants Authorization form
Document Checklist for Business Application
- Valid passport
- Work Permit (if applicable)
- Language Assessment – IELTS, PTE, and CELPIP for English language proficiency and TCF or TEF for French language proficiency (test result must not be older than two years).
- Academic documents (senior secondary/high school diploma, certificates, and degrees)
- Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report (if education is outside Canada). The validity period of the ECA report is five years.
- Employment Reference Letters – This shows your work experience. The reference letter must be on the company letterhead of the company and include:
- Job Title
- Period of Employment
- Employer contact information
- Job Responsibilities
- Salary
- Exploratory Visit Report
- Qualified Service Provider Report (must include your business net worth and business investment assessment)
- Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) – if applicable
- Licensing and certification
Processing Time and Fee
The processing time for Rural Entrepreneur Stream:
- Expression of Interest (EOI) scoring (from EOI submission till completion of scoring): 1 month
- Business Application decision (from submission of complete business application to issuance of support letter): 3 months
- Final report and nomination (from submission of final report to final decision on nomination): 4 months
The processing fee for the Alberta Rural Entrepreneur Stream is $3,500. The application fee is non-refundable and you will have to pay for it through debit or credit card.
About TCWW
Talent Connected Worldwide (TCWW) is a government-approved consultancy that recently won the best immigration company award. Our expert will
1. Assist in preparing and organizing required documents accurately and suggest alternatives (if required).
2. Help you to submit your PR application correctly and on time
3. Assist you in preparing and organizing the required documents, ensuring accuracy to avoid delays or rejections in your application process.
4. Keep you informed about the status of your application
5. Provide updates on any changes in immigration policies or procedures, and advise you on the next steps to take.
6. Provide free IELTS training
If you are willing to establish or buy a business in a rural community in Alberta. The Rural Entrepreneur Stream is ideal for you. For a smooth Canada immigration process Contact TCWW now.
