Rural Renewal Stream – Eligibility

Overview

Learn about the job offer, community endorsement, settlement fund and other requirements for eligible applicants.

The Rural Renewal Stream has a 2-step process:

1. A community designation process – community recruits newcomers to meet labour needs and provides an Endorsement of Candidate letter.
2. Candidate submits the AAIP application.

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.

Requirements

Important: The National Occupational Classification (NOC) has been updated. The NOC 2021 version applies to all AAIP applications submitted on or after November 16, 2022. Review the AAIP updates page for details on how the NOC change affects eligibility for this stream. Review the information on this Eligibility page to understand how AAIP criteria has changed.

If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022, review the NOC 2016 version of the requirements (PDF, 299 KB) that apply to you.

Community residency requirement

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.

Ineligible applicants

Community endorsement requirement

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.

Endorsement of Candidate letter

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:

• name and address of the EDO supporting the application
• your full name and residential address
• details of the bona fide job offer:
  • name of the business
  • name and contact information of the employer
  • location of employment
  • position and description of job duties
  • duration of employment and work conditions
• detailed description of how filling the position you are offered aligns with the economic growth of the designated community
• your employer’s efforts to fill the position within Canada and outcomes
• name, title and contact information of the person issuing the endorsement of the Candidate letter.

You must review the requirements for endorsement letters section for details.

Job offer requirements

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:

• continuous, paid work in your designated community
• full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week
• employment for 12 months or more
• wages and benefits that meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out on the Alis website
  • if your employer has obtained a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for your occupation, wages and benefits must meet or exceed the requirements set out in your LMIA.
  • if your job offer is for NOC 41302 – Religious leaders or NOC 42204 – Religion workers meal and lodging deductions that meet Employment Standards are permitted. Proof of employee authorization of deductions is required.

Important: If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022, review the NOC 2016 version of the wage requirement for religious workers (PDF, 299 KB) requirements that apply to you.

You must meet the terms agreed to in your job offer or employment contract at the time of application and assessment.

Licensing, registration and certification requirements

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:

• You must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta or occupation in your Alberta job offer. Information on the occupation specific requirements is set out on the Alis website.
• If you are working or have a job offer in a compulsory trade in Alberta, you must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate.
• If you are working as childcare worker in Alberta, you must have valid certification as a Level 2 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Worker) or Level 3 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Supervisor) prior to applying to AAIP.

Ineligible job offers

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:

• part-time, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of their working hours
• independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed as directors, shareholders or agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES)
• employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business
• employees who do not work on premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a ‘virtual’ location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta

Occupation requirements

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.

Important: The National Occupational Classification (NOC)  has been updated. The NOC 2021 version applies to all AAIP applications submitted on or after November 16, 2022. Review the AAIP updates page for details on how the NOC change affects eligibility for this stream. Use IRCC’s Find your NOC tool to find the NOC 2021 version of your occupation and understand how your occupation may be impacted by this change.

If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022 review the NOC 2016 version of the occupation requirements (PDF, 299 KB) that apply to you.

The list of ineligible occupations has been updated with the NOC 2021 version. Read the updated list to assess your eligibility for this stream.

Most occupations under NOC TEER categories 0, 1, 2, 3 4 and 5 are eligible under the AAIP.

Ineligible occupations

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

Qualifying work experience requirements

Important: If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022, review the NOC 2016 version of the qualifying work experience requirements (PDF, 299 KB) that apply to you.

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:

• have been paid full-time employment, for a minimum of 30 hours a week
• meet the following requirements:

• have been authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and with valid temporary resident status if obtained in Canada
• not have been gained while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program, unless you are a PGWP holder who completed paid co-op work terms as a part of your program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution. To qualify, the work terms must have been:
  • paid and full-time (minimum 30 hours per week), and
  • for work experience all gained in Alberta

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.

Language requirements

Important: The language requirements for some candidates may have increased or decreased with the implementation of the NOC 2021 version. You must confirm the TEER Category for your occupation in the NOC 2021 and use the TEER Category to determine your minimum language score using the table below.

If you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022, review the NOC 2016 version of the language requirements (PDF, 299 KB) that apply to you.

At the time your application is submitted, you must demonstrate that you meet the following language test score in English or French:

You must provide your official test results with your AAIP application for one of the following language tests:

• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Test
• Test d'évaluation de français Canada (TEF Canada)
• Test de connaissance du français Canada (TCF Canada)

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.

Education requirements

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:

• you have a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate from a recognized Canadian post-secondary, technical college or secondary institution, or
• you have a valid Alberta Qualification Certificate or a trade certificate recognized by AIT.

Settlement fund requirements

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

• you are not residing in Canada, or
• you are currently in Canada but are not working.

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

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:

• be printed on the financial institution’s letterhead
• include contact information of the financial institution – address, telephone number and email address
• include your name
• list all outstanding debts such as credit card debts and loans
• include, for each current bank and investment account, the:
  • account numbers
  • date each account was opened
  • current balance of each account
  • transactions made within the past 3 months
  • average balance for the past 6 months