AAIP Rural Renewal Stream

The Alberta Rural Renewal Stream of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is designed to attract newcomers to rural communities in the province of Alberta. The stream rests on a community-based approach to meeting local economic development needs and fostering community growth. Participating communities are responsible for recruiting and retaining foreign nationals to live, work and settle in their area.

Overview of the Alberta Rural Renewal Stream

The Alberta Rural Renewal Stream of theAlberta Advantage Immigration Programwas created to address current labour needs and skills shortages in rural communities in the province of Alberta. The first step is for communities to apply to the Alberta provincial government for designation.

Once this step is complete, communities may begin the process of recruiting candidates. The community works with employers to attract and recruit newcomers, and partners with a settlement agency to retain newcomers by sharing information about settlement supports.

Candidates must therefore be endorsed by a designated community and meet all the criteria of the Rural Renewal Stream. Foreign nationals should not apply to the province of Alberta without a letter of support from a community.

Read about the Alberta Rural Renewal Stream on the provincial government website athere.

How it works

The Rural Renewal Stream process comprises 2 steps:

• Step 1: the community endorsement process — the community recruits newcomers to meet labour needs and issues a letter of endorsement to the candidate.
• Step 2: the candidate applies to the AAIP.

Requirements for designated communities

Rural communities must meet the following requirements to be considered for designation:

• Have a population of under 100,000 (communities within the same economic region may form partnerships to apply).
• Lie outside the Calgary and Edmonton census metropolitan areas.
• Have one or more employers interested in taking part and offering permanent, full-time, non-seasonal employment.
• Receive a letter of support from the community or the municipal council.
• Submit an application signed by the economic development organisation holding the principal economic development function, including an economic development plan or a similar document.
• Receive a letter of support from a settlement agency.

See thelist of communities designated under the Alberta Rural Renewal Stream.

Applicant requirements

To be considered under the Rural Renewal Stream component, candidates must:

• Hold a letter of endorsement from their nominating community.
• Hold a valid full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in an eligible occupation in their designated community.
• Hold the licence, registration or certification required to practise in their current occupation in the province of Alberta, or in the occupation listed in their job offer in the province of Alberta.
• Not be working in a job appearing on the list of ineligible job offers published by the province of Alberta (that is, covering full-time employees), or in a job appearing on the list of ineligible employment opportunities published by the province of Alberta (that is, part-time, temporary or seasonal employees; independent contractors, business owners or workers from temporary agencies; employees working in the province of Alberta at a location not zoned for commercial or industrial activity, such as a home-based business; employees working in a virtual position or serving the employer remotely from a location outside the province of Alberta).
• Have a minimum of 12 months of full-time work experience in an eligible occupation in the 18 months before applying, whether in the province of Alberta, elsewhere in Canada or abroad.
• Meet the English or French language requirement.
• Have completed at least a secondary school qualification equivalent to Canadian educational standards, or a foreign degree, certificate or diploma.
• Demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family members in settling in the designated community, where they are not residing in Canada, or where they are currently in Canada but not working.

How to apply

• Step 1: read the AAIP terms and conditions.
• Step 2: review the pathway’s eligibility criteria.
• Step 3: apply online to the AAIP, including all the required supporting documents.
• Step 4: pay the application fee.

Having completed these steps, candidates must wait for a decision on their application. Decisions on applications are sent by email.

If the application is approved, the candidate becomes a provincial nominee and receives a nomination package by email.

If the application is refused, the candidate is also notified by email. Read the reasons for refusal. If the candidate can demonstrate that there was an error in the assessment of their application, they may be eligible to request a review.