Rural Entrepreneur Stream

To qualify under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Rural Entrepreneur Stream, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Experience

• At least 3 years of business ownership or management experience, or
• At least 4 years of senior management experience within the last 10 years.
   

Education

• Minimum of high school education equivalent to Canadian standards, verified by an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
   

Language Ability

• Minimum CLB/NCLC 4 in English or French (IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF, or TCF), taken within the last 2 years.
   

Net Worth

• Minimum CAD 300,000 in personal and/or spouse’s assets.
   

Investment

• Minimum CAD 100,000 investment from personal equity.
• Higher investments may receive additional points.
   

Ownership

• Minimum 51% ownership for new businesses (if partnering with Canadian citizens/PRs).
• 100% ownership if purchasing an existing business.
   

Job Creation

• For new businesses: create at least one full-time job for a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (not a family member) for a minimum of six months.
• Not required for business succession cases.
   

Community Support & Exploratory Visit

• Must secure a Community Support Letter from a participating rural Alberta community (population under 100,000 and outside Calgary or Edmonton CMA).
• An exploratory visit (in-person or virtual) is mandatory before endorsement.

• Exploratory Visit – Visit or virtually meet the chosen rural community to discuss your business idea and receive support.

• Community Support Letter – Obtain a formal letter of support from the participating community.

• Submit Expression of Interest (EOI) – Your EOI will be scored and ranked; candidates profile remain active for 12 months. 

• Receive EOI Score –  If selected during an AAIP draw, you’ll receive an ITA email to submit your full business application. .

• Submit Business Application –  Provide your detailed business plan, financial documents, community support letter, and pay fee.

• Interview (if required) – AAIP may request an interview to clarify your proposal.

• Sign Business Performance Agreement (BPA) –  If approved, you’ll sign a BPA outlining your commitments and milestones.

• Your EOI enters the AAIP selection pool, where draws are conducted periodically.

• There is no fixed draw schedule; selections are based on total points and program priorities.

• If chosen in a draw, you’ll receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) via email.

• After submitting your complete application and signing the BPA, AAIP will issue a Business Application Approval Letter and a Work Permit Recommendation Letter.

• With this letter, you may apply to IRCC for a two-year work permit to operate your business in Alberta.

• You must reside full-time in Alberta, actively manage your business, and meet the BPA requirements before requesting nomination.

• Once you’ve operated your business for at least 12 months and fulfilled all BPA commitments, you may request nomination from AAIP.

• If approved, you’ll receive an AAIP Nomination Certificate, allowing you to apply to IRCC for Permanent Residence under the Provincial Nominee Program.

• Continue to live and manage your business in Alberta while your PR application is being processed.

>>  Participating communities list from I

Entrepreneurs interested in a particular rural Alberta community are encouraged to reach out directly to the community’s designated contact person to discuss their business concept and arrange an exploratory visit. Each community manages its own process and timeline for scheduling exploratory visits.

Please note that participating communities have full discretion to decide which prospective entrepreneurs they wish to meet.

The list of rural Alberta communities currently participating in the Rural Entrepreneur Stream. When reaching out, be sure to use only the contact information provided in each community’s official profile.

>>  Participating communities list from AAIP

>>  Try our Interactive Map to explore participating rural Alberta communities and see where your business could grow.