COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
- Public health restrictions: Alberta entered Step 2 on March 1.
- Book your vaccine: Albertans 5+ can get it now. Get third dose when eligible.
COVID-19 Updates: Taking steps to return to normal.
Find out if you meet the criteria to apply to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program - Rural Renewal Stream.
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.
Learn about the job offer, community endorsement, settlement fund and other requirements for eligible applicants.
This page includes eligibility requirements for applicants who have been endorsed by the designated community to apply to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) under the Rural Renewal Stream. Applicants must meet all criteria to qualify for nomination under Rural Renewal Stream.
You must review the Rural Renewal Stream eligibility requirements for communities and information on the endorsement process for details.
The Rural Renewal Stream has a 2-step process:
The AAIP defines a rural Alberta community as any community outside of the Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) that are under 100,000 in population. Learn more about rural communities and the designation process.
At the time your application is submitted and at the time the AAIP assesses your application, you must intend to and be able to reside and work in your designated community in Alberta.
Refugee claimants or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process cannot apply for or be nominated under the Rural Renewal Stream. The AAIP does not intervene in the federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process.
At the time your application is submitted and at the time the AAIP assesses your application, you must have a valid Endorsement of Candidate Letter issued by the Economic Development Organization (EDO) of your designated rural community in Alberta. The recommendation must be based on criteria established by the EDO. In addition, you must meet the AAIP Rural Renewal Stream eligibility criteria.
All candidates must have an Endorsement of Candidate letter from their designated community. The letter must be issued by the local EDO of the community and must outline the following:
You must review the requirements for endorsement letters section for details.
At the time your application is submitted and at the time the AAIP assesses your application, you must have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in an eligible occupation in your designated community.
Your Alberta employer must be incorporated, or registered by or under, an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada and operating as a business that has an established production capability, plant or place of business in Alberta.
Your job offer or employment contract must be signed by you and your Alberta employer, and must offer:
You must meet the terms agreed to in your job offer or employment contract at the time of application and assessment.
At the time your application is submitted and at the time the AAIP assesses your application, you must meet the following licensing, registration and certification requirements:
The following individuals are not eligible to apply for or be nominated under the Rural Renewal Stream, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period:
At the time your application is submitted, and at the time the AAIP assesses your application, you must have a job offer in an eligible occupation. Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible under the AAIP.
Individuals with job offers for the following occupations at the time of application submission and assessment are not eligible to apply for or be nominated under the Rural Renewal Stream.
Table 1. List of ineligible occupations
NOC Code (2016) | NOC Skill Level | Occupation |
---|---|---|
0011 | 0 | Legislators |
0651 | 0 | Escort Agency Managers, Massage Parlour Managers |
4154 | A | Professional Occupations in Religion |
5121 | A | Authors and Writers |
5133 | A | Musicians and Singers |
5135 | A | Actors and Comedians |
5136 | A | Painters, Sculptors and Other Visual Artists |
1227 | B | Court Officers and Justices of the Peace |
3223* | B | Dental Laboratory Bench Workers who do not have certification through College of Dental Technologists of Alberta |
4217 | B | Other Religious Occupations |
5232 | B | Other Performers, n.e.c. |
5244 | B | Artisans and Craftspersons |
5251 | B | Athletes |
4411 | C | Home Child Care Providers |
4412 | C | Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations |
6533 | C | Casino Occupations |
6564 | C | Other Personal Service Occupations |
8611 | D | Harvesting Labourers |
At the time your application is submitted you must have a minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in an eligible occupation within the last 18 months prior to your application.
This work experience can be a combination of experience gained in Alberta, in Canada (outside Alberta) or abroad.
Work experience in the qualifying period must:
Skill level of job offer or current occupation is: | Skill level of work experience must be: |
---|---|
NOC 0 | NOC 0 or A |
NOC A | NOC 0, A or B |
NOC B | NOC A, B or C |
NOC C | NOC B, C or D |
NOC D | NOC D and must be in the same occupation – NOC code |
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders who have completed a two-year post-secondary education program at an IRCC designated learning institution in their designated community are not required to meet the 12 months of work experience criterion.
At the time your application is submitted, you must demonstrate that you meet the following language test score in English or French:
National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level | Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) test score required | Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) test score required |
---|---|---|
If your job offer is for NOC 0, A or B occupation | Minimum of 5 for each English language skill | Minimum of 5 for each French language skill |
If your job offer is for NOC C or D occupation | Minimum of 4 for each English language skill | Minimum of 4 for each French language skill |
You must provide your official test results with your AAIP application for one of the following language tests:
Official test results must be less than 2 years old at the time your application was submitted. The AAIP will not accept confirmation of registration to take a language test in place of a test result.
Check the federal guideline on CLB/NCLC equivalency for each of the tests.
At the time your application is submitted, you must have completed a minimum of high school education equivalent to the Canadian education standard or a foreign degree, diploma or certificate. You must provide a copy of an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by an organization designated by IRCC for your highest level of education.
You do not need to provide an ECA if:
At the time your application is submitted and at the time the AAIP assesses your application, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family members to settle in your designated community if
Minimum settlement funds requirements are based on the Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs). Table 2 below sets out the amount of settlement funds required. The amount of settlement funds you must have depends on the number of family members you have, including yourself, and the population size of your designated community where you plan to settle in Alberta.
Table 2. Settlement Funds Requirement for Rural Renewal Stream in Canadian Dollars
Population size of the community and funds required | |||
---|---|---|---|
Number of family members | Less than 1,000 | 1,000 to 30,000 | 30,000 to 99,999 |
1 | $8,922 | $10,151 | $11,093 |
2 | $11,107 | $12,636 | $13,810 |
3 | $13,655 | $15,534 | $16,977 |
4 | $16,579 | $18,861 | $20,613 |
5 | $18,803 | $21,392 | $23,379 |
6 | $21,208 | $24,127 | $26,367 |
7 | $23,611 | $26,861 | $29,356 |
Amount of funds required for each additional family member | $2,404 | $2,735 | $2,989 |
Funds must be unencumbered and readily available to you to meet the minimum settlement funds requirement. Real estate property, jewelry, cars and other personal assets are not eligible.
If your spouse is coming with you, you can count money you have together in a joint account. You may be able to count money in an account under your spouse’s name only, but you must prove you have access to the money.
The funds must be available at the time of application and assessment. You must prove to an AAIP officer that you can legally access the funds when you arrive in Alberta.
You must provide official letters from any banks or financial institutions where your funds are kept.
Letter(s) must:
Connect with us if you have questions about this program:
Email: [email protected]
Was this page helpful?
You will not receive a reply. Do not enter any personal information such as telephone numbers, addresses, or emails.
Your submissions are monitored by our web team and are used to help improve the experience on Alberta.ca. If you require a response, please go to our Contact page.