COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
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COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
Prioritizing applications for Ukrainians
Temporary processing measures are now in place for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) for Ukrainian nationals who apply to the program. Find out how the AAIP is responding to the crisis in Ukraine.
COVID-19 response
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) continues to accept and process applications and Expressions of Interest (EOIs), with temporary adjustments to some application and assessment processes.
Find out how the AAIP is responding to COVID-19.
System maintenance for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program portal occurs Fridays from 11 pm to Sundays at 7 pm. If you experience technical issues during these times, try again later. We apologize for any inconvenience.
You may only have one Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) application in process at any time.
If you choose to request the withdrawal of an application, you must submit a request to the AAIP. The AAIP must confirm that your application has been withdrawn before a new application can be submitted in the AAIP portal.
The Business Application fee for the withdrawn Business Application will not be refunded.
As of June 9, 2021, candidates must submit their request to withdraw a Business Application using the AAIP portal.
The AAIP will review your request and notify you by email after the review is completed.
There are 7 steps in the Rural Entrepreneur Stream application process. Read each step carefully before you apply.
The availability of AAIP streams, categories, pathways and pilots is dependent upon application volumes and labour market needs. The AAIP reserves the right to close application intake for any AAIP stream, category, pathway or pilot at any time, without prior notice. Further, the AAIP may decline to consider applications to closed or suspended streams, categories, pathways or pilots, regardless of when the applications were submitted. The criteria for the AAIP are routinely evaluated and may be subject to change at any time and without notice. Changes to the AAIP, including notice of suspension or closure of its streams, categories, pathways and pilots and criteria changes, are available at AAIP – Updates.
The AAIP is not obligated to assess/process any applications submitted. Applications to the AAIP are treated as an expression of interest, and as such, will be processed according to quality of the application (completeness, eligibility), labour market information, occupational supply and demand forecasting, AAIP application volumes or any other factors at the AAIP’s discretion. By applying to the AAIP you acknowledge and agree that your application may not be processed in the order received, or at all. Further, the decision to assess or process any particular application, and the outcome of any such assessment / processing, is at the AAIP’s sole discretion.
Program criteria are eligibility minimums, and meeting program criteria does not guarantee that a candidate’s application will be assessed, processed, or granted. The AAIP may choose to assess applications with the most current criteria irrespective of the date of submission of an application.
Candidates must have a strong likelihood of becoming economically established in Alberta and the AAIP reserves the right to decline applications if the AAIP is of the opinion that the candidate may not economically establish in Alberta.
Review the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Eligibility Criteria and the AAIP Terms and Conditions (see Step 1 above) before submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI).
The AAIP does not guarantee that all complete Business Applications received will be assessed, or that all candidates who meet the eligibility criteria will be issued a Business Application Approval Letter and/or nomination. Review the AAIP Terms and Conditions for complete information (see Step 1 above).
Submission of a Business Application or nomination by the AAIP does not guarantee you will be issued a permanent resident visa.
If you meet the Rural Entrepreneur Stream criteria, you can submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) by accessing the AAIP Portal. The AAIP will review and score your EOI within 30 days of submission. Highest-ranking candidates will be requested to submit a Business Application.
For more information on the criteria used to assess EOIs, see the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Eligibility page.
The Rural Entrepreneur Stream Business Application form is not available online. Only candidates who receive a request to submit a Business Application will be able to access the AAIP portal to start the Business Application process.
The AAIP uses an online system to submit EOIs and Business Applications. You will need:
Before entering your application information in the portal, read the AAIP Portal Helpful Hints (PDF, 98 KB) for tips on filling out the online application.
The AAIP portal is for candidates only. You are responsible for your AAIP online portal account. Portal access is not available for third party representatives and family members.
You must have a basic MyAlberta Digital ID (MADI) account to access the portal. A MADI account is a free online identity for accessing Government of Alberta services online. Instructions on how to create a MADI account are in the portal and on the MADI website. You may also use an existing basic or verified MADI account.
The email address used to set up your MADI account is the email address that the AAIP will use to correspond with you. If you need to change your email address for corresponding with the AAIP, you must update your MADI account.
You should not share your MADI account with others, including family members and third-party representatives, as your information or documents could be modified without your knowledge or consent.
You are responsible for the information provided to the AAIP for your EOI and business application. Incorrect or fraudulent information could result in your business application being declined, and you could be banned from applying to the AAIP for a period of time.
Entrepreneurs can submit an EOI for the Rural Entrepreneur Stream through the AAIP portal. See the AAIP Business Plan (Guidelines) (PDF, 633 KB) for what to include in your business plan when submitting your EOI to the AAIP.
Once you start your EOI in the AAIP portal, you have 120 days to complete and submit the required documents. After 120 days, your EOI will be purged. You can submit a new EOI if you choose.
You must ensure your EOI is up to date at the time of submission, and that all your information is complete, true, and correct.
There is no fee for submitting an EOI.
Once your EOI is completed, you can submit it to the AAIP by clicking the ‘Submit’ button in the AAIP portal. You must ensure that your EOI has the status of ‘Submitted’ or it will not be reviewed by the AAIP.
Note: once your EOI is submitted, you will not be able to update it until the AAIP has reviewed and scored it, and the status is ‘Eligible.’ If your EOI status is ‘Not Eligible’ then you will not be able to update it and must submit a new EOI if you choose. The AAIP will score your EOI within 30 days of submission.
EOIs are placed in the pool of qualified candidates for a period of 12 months from the date of their original submission. If your EOI is not selected in this 12-month period, it will be cancelled, and you will have to submit a new EOI if you choose.
While your EOI is in the pool of qualified candidates, you can update or cancel your submission by accessing the AAIP portal. By updating or cancelling your submission, you will no longer be in the pool of qualified candidates. If you choose to resubmit, your new EOI will have a new submission date and it will be assessed against the program criteria at that time.
Candidate’s information will be assessed based on the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid. Candidates with the highest-ranking points will be contacted directly by the AAIP and invited to submit a Business Application. Only candidates who receive a request to submit a Business Application under the Rural Entrepreneur Stream will be considered.
An EOI is not an application. There is no guarantee that if you meet the selection requirements you will receive a request to submit a Business Application. Requests to submit a Business Application are affected by the volume of potential candidates meeting these requirements, the type (occupation/sector) of submissions in AAIP processing queues, and the number of available nominations.
PDF form issues
Fillable PDF forms do not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. To fill in and save the form:
Your EOI list of documents may include one or more of the following forms:
If you receive a request to submit a Business Application, you can submit your Business Application online using the AAIP portal. A draft of the Business Application will be created in the AAIP portal with the information you provided during your EOI. Make sure you update this information, and upload all the required forms and supporting documents in the AAIP portal and pay the $3,500 non-refundable fee.
A complete Business Application package includes all the required documents listed on the Rural Entrepreneur Stream – Business Application Document Checklist (PDF, 468 KB). If any documents are missing, your Business Application may be declined. A complete Business Application must be submitted within 90 days of receiving the email from the AAIP requesting you to submit a Business Application.
The following report(s) must be submitted with your Business Application:
Business Plan Evaluation Report
One of the following Qualified Service Provider must evaluate your business plan. You must provide the same copy of the Business Plan to the Qualified Service Provider that you will submit to the AAIP with your Business Application. Contact the Qualified Service Provider for Business Plan Evaluation Report as soon as you receive the request to submit a Business Application from the AAIP.
KPMG LLP
3100 - 2005 5 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 4B9
Telephone: 416-777-3887
Fax: 403-691-8008
Email: [email protected]
MNP LLP
Suite 1600, MNP Tower
10235 101 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3G1
Telephone: 587-441-6021
Fax: 403-269-8450
Email: [email protected]
Qualified Service Provider Report
One of the following Qualified Service Provider must assess your net worth and business investment. Contact the Qualified Service Provider for the Qualified Service Provider Report as soon as you receive the request to submit a Business Application from the AAIP. The AAIP will only accept a Qualified Service Provider Report from one of the following Qualified Service Provider:
Grant Thornton LLP
1701 Scotia Place 2
10060 Jasper Avenue NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3R8
Phone: 780-422-7114
Fax: 780-426-3208
Email: [email protected]
KPMG LLP
3100 - 2005 5 Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 4B9
Telephone: 416-777-3887
Fax: 403-691-8008
Email: [email protected]
MNP LLP
Suite 1600, MNP Tower
10235 101 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3G1
Telephone: 587-441-6021
Fax: 403-269-8450
Email: [email protected]
Only candidates who receive a request to submit a Business Application will be able to access the AAIP portal to start Business Application process. A request to submit a Business Application will be sent by email. After logging into the AAIP portal, click on ‘Check Existing Applications'. A draft Business Application is automatically created for you. Review and update the Business Application and provide all additional required documents. Your Business Application must be current and complete.
If you do not submit your Business Application within the specified deadline, your draft Business Application will be cancelled in the AAIP portal. If you are still interested in applying to the AAIP, you will have to submit a new EOI under the relevant criteria in place at the time of submission. EOIs that are cancelled due to failure to submit a Business Application by the deadline are not eligible for a Request for Reconsideration.
The AAIP will not accept changes to an EOI submitted after the request to submit a Business Application has been issued. You may only submit a Business Application if you can demonstrate you meet Rural Entrepreneur Stream eligibility criteria. You will be assessed against the Rural Entrepreneur Stream eligibility criteria in place at the time your Business Application is received.
When the AAIP selects candidates, it expects that information contained in the AAIP portal is accurate. The information and documents you identified in the AAIP portal must be provided to the AAIP at the time your Business Application is submitted. Documents and information provided in the Business Application must confirm the information already identified in the AAIP portal. If there are discrepancies between the information in the AAIP portal and the information the AAIP receives, your submission may be declined.
Fee conditions
A $3,500 non-refundable fee applies to all online Business Applications.
The Business Application fee is non-refundable once a Business Application has been submitted to the AAIP. Refund requests for Business Application fees will not be considered. The Business Application fee covers the cost of processing your Business Application and is required whether your Business Application is approved or not. There is no guarantee you will be issued a nomination certificate.
Refund requests for Business Application fees will not be considered. Each Business Application requires a separate Business Application fee and the fee will not be refunded.
Paying the Business Application fee
Instructions on how to pay your fee are available in the portal. For any online fee payment issues, contact the Service Alberta Contact Centre at:
Phone: 1-844-643-2788
Email: [email protected]
You will need to pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your Business Application in the portal.
The $3,500 fee must be paid online using a single credit or debit card.
If you do not pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your Business Application, your Business Application will be cancelled. Cancelled Business Applications cannot be reinstated and are not eligible for a Request for Reconsideration. Your Business Application is linked to your EOI. If the Business Application is cancelled, candidates must submit a new EOI for consideration and selection.
Check the status of your Business Application on the MyApplications page of the AAIP portal to confirm your Business Application fee has been paid:
Emails from the AAIP will always come from a Government of Alberta account (@gov.ab.ca). The Alberta government does not use email accounts such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. If you receive a suspicious email, contact your local police and report the incident to the AAIP by email at [email protected].
Once you submit a complete Business Application, the AAIP portal will automatically generate a file number. If any documents are missing, your Business Application will be declined.
If you use an immigration representative to submit your Business Application, your notification email will be sent to you and copied to your representative.
Keep your Business Application information up to date while you wait for it to be assessed and while it is being assessed by an AAIP officer.
You must update the AAIP if you wish to:
Use the AAIP portal to:
To change your email address for corresponding with the AAIP:
For all other updates, you must email the updated information or change request to [email protected], along with your AAIP Business Application number. You must advise of the update or change that is required and attach relevant documents. You will receive an automated email response indicating your email is received. You must keep track of the requests you send to the AAIP. The AAIP will update its internal system with changes.
The AAIP will review your request to withdraw and will notify you by email after the review is completed.
We will make the changes to your contact information in our internal system. Contact information changes will only be reflected in the Update Contact Information section in the portal. Changes to your contact information will not be reflected in the online Business Application.
A Program Officer with the AAIP will contact you by email or phone if more information is needed to assess your Business Application. You must submit this information in the format requested by the Program Officer to their government email address. The only other information you should send to your assigned Program Officer is documents showing changes to your contact information, work permit status or family situation.
Once the Business Application and supporting documents are received, the AAIP will assess your Business Application. There is no guarantee that all complete Business Applications will be assessed or that all candidates who meet the criteria will be issued a nomination.
An AAIP Officer may contact you by email or phone if additional information is needed to assess your Business Application and will tell you how to send the information.
Your Business Application will be assessed against the eligibility criteria and your
The AAIP will not consider any requests to change the terms of the Business Performance Agreement other than an extension to the term of your Business Performance Agreement after it is approved and signed by you.
Once all parties have signed the Business Performance Agreement, the AAIP will provide you with a copy of the signed Business Performance Agreement, a Business Application Approval Letter along with a 205(a) Letter of Support. The 205(a) Letter of Support allows you to apply for a two-year work permit to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). There is no cost associated with this 205(a) Letter of Support. Any subsequent 205(a) Letter of Support request will require a $100 processing fee.
Entrepreneurs who are approved under the established businesses in Alberta criteria are not required to sign a Business Performance Agreement. These entrepreneurs will be issued a nomination certificate to apply for permanent residence to IRCC.
A work permit is the official document issued by the Government of Canada that allows a foreign national to work legally on a temporary basis in Canada. The duration of the work permit validity period may vary at the discretion of IRCC.
You are required to submit your application for a work permit to IRCC along with your 205(a) Letter of Support within 3 months of receiving this letter, to facilitate your arrival in Alberta within 12 months of receiving your Business Application Approval Letter.
To apply for a work permit, follow the instructions on IRCC’s website.
You must first register as an employer in IRCC’s Employer Portal as the employer of your business (self-employed person). You will need to pay an employer compliance fee but you will be exempt from the LMIA fee.
Issuance of a 205(a) Letter of Support does not guarantee that you will receive a work permit. Only IRCC can issue a work permit.
After receiving the work permit, you can move to Alberta to establish your business. Review the information on:
The Business Application Approval Letter is not a nomination and cannot be used to apply for permanent residence. It recognizes that the AAIP approves your Business Application and proposed business outlined in the Business Performance Agreement and expects that you will reside and operate your business in Alberta. The 205(a) Letter of Support will allow you to apply for a work permit to come to Alberta to establish your business.
If your Business Application is declined, you will be emailed a decision letter providing the reasons your Business Application was declined. If you identified an immigration representative to act on your behalf for your Business Application, the decision email will be sent to you and copied to your representative.
If you can demonstrate an error was made in assessing your Business Application, you may be eligible to submit a Request for Reconsideration.
Upon receiving your Business Application Approval Letter and your work permit, you must:
Once you meet all the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement, submit the Final Report for Nomination as described in Step 7.
Candidates must:
If you need to extend your work permit to meet the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement, you must submit a Request for a 205(a) Letter of Support to the AAIP within 90 days of your work permit expiry. All requests for a 205(a) Letter of Support will be reviewed and granted on a case-by-case basis. Requests for a 205(a) letter of Support are subject to a service fee of $100.
There is no guarantee that the AAIP will extend your Business Performance Agreement term length or will issue you a 205(a) Letter of Support to extend your work permit. In addition, the issuance of the 205(a) Letter of Support by the AAIP does not guarantee that IRCC will extend your work permit.
Once candidates satisfy all the conditions of the Business Performance Agreement, they can apply to be nominated by the AAIP for permanent residency. Candidates must submit a Final Report for Nomination along with the supporting business documents.
The AAIP will assess your Final Report for Nomination and will inform you of the decision. You will be assessed based upon your compliance with your Business Performance Agreement and any other criteria in place at the time you started your Business Application process.
If your Final Report for Nomination is approved, the AAIP will:
You must continue to meet the conditions of your Business Performance Agreement during the AAIP nomination assessment. If you no longer meet the conditions of your Business Performance Agreement, you will not be issued a nomination certificate and you will be declined.
You may use your nomination to renew your work permit.
A one-time nomination extension may be issued under the Rural Entrepreneur Stream if all nomination extension requirements are met. Request for a nomination extension is subject to a processing fee of $100.
IRCC will contact you for further clarification or additional documents for your Application for Permanent Residence. If IRCC approves your application, you and your dependents will receive a permanent resident visa from IRCC.
Learn more about what to do after you are nominated.
If your Final Report for Nomination is declined, you will be emailed a decision letter providing the reasons your Business Application was declined. If you identified an immigration representative to act on your behalf for your Business Application, the decision email will be sent to you and copied to your representative.
If you can demonstrate an error was made in assessing your Business Application, you may be eligible to submit a Request for Reconsideration.
All requests for reconsideration are subject to a service fee of $100. Information on how to pay the fee is provided below.
You may only submit one request for reconsideration for each decision that you receive from the AAIP on your Business Application.
Requests will not be processed until full payment is received.
You may submit a request for reconsideration on the decision of your Business Application only if you meet the following criteria.
A request for reconsideration must:
A request for reconsideration cannot be used:
All requests for reconsideration are subject to a service fee of $100.
Fee conditions
The AAIP request for reconsideration fee will automatically be refunded by the AAIP only if the original decision on your Business Application is overturned. Other refunds for requests for reconsideration fees will not be considered.
Online payment
Instructions on how to pay your fee are available in the portal. For any online fee payment issues, contact the Service Alberta Contact Centre:
Phone: 1-844-643-2788
Email: [email protected]
You will need to pay your fee in full within 24 hours of submitting your request in the portal. If you do not pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your request, your request will be cancelled. Cancelled requests cannot be reinstated and a new request must be created and submitted.
Check the Request Status on the Check Existing Requests page to confirm if your request fee has been paid. Your fee has not been paid if the status is 'Payment Pending.' Your request has been accepted for processing by the AAIP if the status is 'Submitted'. You will also receive an email from eServices with your fee payment receipt.
You can check the online portal for the status of your request.
The information you submitted will be reviewed and if the request meets the required conditions, a Program Officer with the AAIP who was not involved in the original decision will conduct a review of the decision on your Business Application.
There is no guarantee that a request for reconsideration will result in your Business Application being re-assessed.
An email with the decision on your request for reconsideration will be issued within 30 calendar days of the date the request was received.
If you do not meet the conditions listed above to request reconsideration, you may wish to review the AAIP website for information and updates to AAIP criteria, to determine if you meet the eligibility criteria to re-apply.
Connect with us if you have questions about this program:
Email: [email protected]
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