AAIP Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur

The Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is a programme nominating talented graduates from outside Canada for permanent residence where they start a business in the province of Alberta.

Overview of the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

The Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is a partnership between the province of Alberta and designated approval bodies. Candidates interested in applying to immigrate to Canada under this stream are required to work with a designated body.

Where candidates meet the requirements set by theAlberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), the designated body issues a letter of recommendation.

Candidates are then required to submit that letter together with an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AAIP Portal, the province’s online portal. Candidates are required to submit an EOI to express their wish to immigrate to the province of Alberta.

The designated body reviews the candidate’s business plan against its ability to demonstrate the potential for successful market entry, customer acquisition, business growth, key partnerships, and a financial plan to fund the development and operation of the business. The body provides a report on its assessment of the business plan. Candidates must submit this report as part of their Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Business Application.

Designated approval bodies

Candidates interested in the Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream should contact one of the following bodies:

• Empowered Start-Ups
• Platform Calgary

Minimum requirements

To apply to the Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, candidates must meet the following requirements:

Work experience

Candidates need at least 6 months of full-time work experience in actively managing or owning a business, or work experience with a business incubator or business accelerator.

Education requirements

Candidates must have completed a degree from a post-secondary institution within the past 10 years. Candidates must also hold anEducational Credential Assessment (ECA).

The business plan

Candidates are also required to submit a business plan with projected financial information.

The pitch

Candidates must prepare a 10-minute pitch outlining the proposed business. Assume this pitch is aimed at investors.

Language requirements

Candidates must have aCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)of at least 5 for each English skill (reading, writing, listening and speaking), or an NCLC of at least 7 for each French skill (reading, writing, listening and speaking).

Test results more than 2 years old at the time of submitting the EOI are not accepted.

Establishing the business

Candidates must own at least 34% where the business is located in an urban centre, or at least 51% where the business is located in a rural area outside Calgary and Edmonton.

Business investment

Before arriving in the province of Alberta, candidates must make an investment of at least CAD 100,000 where the business is located in an urban centre, or CAD 50,000 where it is in a rural area. The more a candidate invests, the more points they receive.

The investment must come from the candidate’s own equity, or from a recognised Canadian financial institution, venture capital fund or angel investment firm.

The letter of recommendation

Candidates must hold a letter of recommendation from an AAIP designated approval body.

Settlement funds

In addition to the requirements above, candidates are required to demonstrate that they hold thefunds needed to establish the business and to support themselveswhile doing so.

The amount candidates need in order to support themselves depends on 2 factors:

• The number of people in their family
• The population of the community in which they will start the business.

The points scale

Human capital

Language ability (maximum 30 points)

Criterion	Points
CLB 5	10
CLB 6	15
CLB 7	20
CLB 8	30

Education (maximum 35 points)

Criterion	Points
A bachelor’s degree (the mandatory minimum requirement)	5
A master’s degree	10
A doctoral degree	15
A degree completed within the past 5 years as at the date of the EOI	10
A degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics	5
A business degree	5

Experience in management, business ownership or the equivalent (maximum 35 points)

Criterion	Points
6 months (the mandatory minimum requirement)	5
More than 6 months to under 1 year	10
1 to 2 years	15
More than 2 years	20
Additional points: business ownership experience	15

Business factors

The business plan (maximum 40 points)

Criterion	Points
A business plan with projected financial information following AAIP guidance	40

Investment before arriving in the province of Alberta (maximum 25 points)

Urban centres	Points
$100,000 (the mandatory minimum requirement)
$100,001 to $500,000
$150,001 to $200,000
More than $200,000

Areas outside urban centres	Points
$50,000 (the mandatory minimum requirement)	5
$50,001 to $100,000	11
$100,001 to $150,000	18
More than $150,000	25

Additional investment after starting the business (maximum 20 points)

Urban areas and communities outside the Edmonton and Calgary metropolitan regions	Points
$100,000 to $150,000	5
$150,001 to $200,000	10
$200,001 to $250,000	15
More than $250,000	20

Rural areas	Points
$50,000 to $100,000	5
$100,001 to $150,000	10
$150,001 to $200,000	15
More than $200,000	20

Job creation (maximum 15 points)

Creating jobs	Points
1 job	5
2 jobs	10
3 jobs or more	15

The assessment grid

• Start-up ownership (the mandatory minimum requirement)
  • Must own at least 34% where the business is located in an urban centre, or 51% in a rural community:Pass or fail.
• A business in a key or priority sector (the mandatory minimum requirement):
  • The business must relate to one of the following sectors:Pass or fail
    • Technology
    • Aerospace
    • Financial services
    • Energy
    • Agriculture
    • Tourism
    • Life sciences
    • Pharmaceuticals
• Settlement funds (the mandatory minimum requirement):
  • Candidates are required to have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family while holding a work permit and starting a business in the province of Alberta:Pass or fail
• The pitch (the mandatory minimum requirement):
  • A 10-minute slide-only pitch describing the candidate and their proposed business:Pass or fail
• The letter of recommendation (the mandatory minimum requirement):
  • Candidates must obtain a letter of recommendation from a designated approval body:Pass or fail