Alberta Rural Renewal Stream (ARR)
- Permanent Resident
- Open
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ASB
SUMMARY
Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
The Alberta Rural Renewal Stream (ARR) is for foreign nationals with a job offer to work in a rural Alberta community to become permanent residents. Candidates under this stream must be endorsed by the Economic Development Organization (EDO) of their designated rural community in Alberta with a population less than 100,000.
This stream is community-driven. After designation, the community works with employers to attract, recruit, and retain newcomers by sharing information about settlement supports. This may include housing, education, medical care, and services like language instruction.
Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.
ASA
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
The following requirements must be met if you intend to and be able to reside and work in your designated community in Alberta and are applying to Alberta Rural Renewal Stream:
1- Community Endorsement
You must have an Endorsement of Candidate letter from a designated community in Alberta. The letter must be issued by the local Economic Development Organization (EDO) of the community.
Currently the participating rural communities in Alberta are listed here (➨immilib.com/ARR-Communities).
2- Job Offer from Alberta rural community
You must have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta participating employer to work in an eligible occupation in your designated community.
Your Alberta employer must operate as a company with a manufacturing facility, plant, or place of business in Alberta and be incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada.
Your job offer cannot be for a part-time, home-based, casual or seasonal job. Independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers are not eligible to apply under this program. Job offers for virtual jobs from location outside Alberta are not eligible either.
3- Occupation Requirements
You must have a job offer in an eligible occupation. Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) (➨Appendix 1) are eligible under the AAIP.
The following occupations are not eligible:
| NOC Code | Occupation | TEER |
| 00010 | Legislators | 0 |
| 60040* | Escort agency managers, message parlour managers (other managers in customer and personal services are eligible) | 0 |
| 41100 | Judges | 1 |
| 51111 | Authors and writers (except technical) | 1 |
| 51122 | Musicians and singers | 1 |
| 42200* | Justices of the peace (Paralegal and other related occupations are eligible) | 2 |
| 53121 | Actors, comedians and circus performers | 3 |
| 53122 | Painters, sculptors and other visual artists | 3 |
| 53124 | Artisans and craftspersons | 3 |
| 53200 | Athletes | 3 |
| 33100* | Dental laboratory bench workers (other dental assistants are eligible) | 3 |
| 44100 | Home child care providers | 4 |
| 44101 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 4 |
| 64321 | Casino workers | 4 |
| 55109 | Other performers | 5 |
| 65229 | Other support occupations in personal services | 5 |
| 85101 | Harvesting labourers | 5 |
| *This National Occupational Classification (NOC) code includes both eligible and ineligible occupations. The ‘Occupation' column indicates which occupations are ineligible for each listed NOC Code. | ||
4- Licensing, registration and certification
All applicants 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 at the time your application is submitted and at the time the AAIP assesses your application for nomination.
- If you are working 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, you must have valid certification as a child development worker or child development supervisor.
5- Work Experience
You must have a minimum of twelve (12) months authorized full-time work experience in an eligible occupation within the last eighteen (18) months prior to your application. Your work experience can be abroad, in Alberta or Canada.
Your work experience in the qualifying period must meet the following requirements:
| TEER category of job offer or current occupation is: | TEER category of work experience must be: |
TEER 0 | TEER 0 or 1 |
TEER 1 | TEER 0, 1 or 2 |
TEER 2 and 3 | TEER 1, 2, 3 or 4 |
TEER 4 | TEER 2, 3, 4 or 5 |
TEER 5 | TEER 5 and must be the same occupation |
Your work experience must 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. In such case you work experience must all been gained in Alberta.
If you are a PGWP holder who has completed a 2-year eligible study program in your designated community, you are exempt from meeting the 12 month experience criterion.
6- Language Ability
If you are working in a NOC TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupation, you must have taken an approved test results and have obtained a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark CLB 5 in all for abilities in English or French (➨Appendix 5).
If you are working in a NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupation, you must have taken an approved test results and have obtained a minimum score of Canadian Language Benchmark CLB 4 in all for abilities in English or French (➨Appendix 5).
7- Education
You must have one of the following from a high school or a post-secondary institution:
- Canadian educational credential (certificate, diploma, or degree); or
- A valid Alberta Qualification Certificate or trade certificate
- equivalent foreign credential
Candidates with a foreign education must provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report (➨Appendix 3) for their foreign education.
8- Settlement Funds
Unless you are in Canada, you must show that you have enough money for you and your family to settle in your designated community based on 50% of Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut-Off (LICO) based on the population of the community. For the updated table please see (➨Appendix 2).
9- Ineligibility
You are not eligible to apply under the Alberta Rural Renewal Stream if you are a refugee claimant in Canada, a failed refugee claimant, had a removal order, are prohibited from entering or being in Canada, do not have status in Canada or are living illegally in your country of residence.
Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.
AGMRA
CALCULATE YOUR SCORE
If you meet the above minimum requirement, then you must calculate your total score based on the following selection factors (➨immilib.com/AAIP-Grid). As of September 30, 2024, you must submit a Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) to be considered for an invitation to apply to one of the AAIP's worker streams. There is no fee for submission. The EOI requires you to self-declare information, which will be scored and ranked using a points grid. Candidates may be selected based on their EOI score, labour market needs, available nominations, and application levels. Selected individuals will receive an invitation to apply via email.
The selection factors may be summarized as follows:
| Selection Factor | Maximum Points |
| Factor 1: Education | 22 |
| Factor 2: Language Ability | 13 |
| Factor 3: Work Experience | 21 |
| Factor 4: Age | 5 |
| Factor 5: Family Connection to Alberta | 8 |
| Factor 6: Alberta Job Offer | 31 |
| Maximum | 100 |
Factor 1: Education
| Level of Education | Points |
| Doctoral (PhD) level | 12 |
| Master’s level | 10 |
| Bachelor’s degree | 7 |
| Trade certification/Diploma | 7 |
| Diploma/Certificate | 4 |
| Secondary school/high school diploma or less | 0 |
You will be awarded points for your Canadian educational credential or foreign credential accompanied by Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) Report.
The ECA Report must not be more than five (5) years old prior to the date AAIP receives your application and the date you will submit your application for Expression of Interest.
| Location of Highest Level of Education Completed in Canada | Points |
| Completed in Alberta | 10 |
| Completed in another province or territory in Canada | 6 |
Factor 2: Language Ability
| Official Language (Lowest score in any of 4 skills) | Points for English | Points for French |
| CLB 6 and higher | 10 | 8 |
| CLB 5 | 8 | 5 |
| CLB 4 | 5 | 3 |
| Below CLB 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Bilingual Language Proficiency | Points |
| CLB/NCLC score of 4 or higher in both English and French | 3 |
To prove your language abilities you must take any of the following approved tests:
- English: IELTS General or CELPIP General or PTE Core
- French: TEF Canada or TCF Canada
To find out the equivalent CLB level for any of the above approved tests (➨Appendix 5).
Factor 3: Work Experience
| Experience | Points |
| Total Work Experience, Including all experience accumulated in Canada and abroad | |
| 12 months or more | 11 |
| 6-11 months | 7 |
| Less than 6 months | 3 |
| Work Experience in Canada | |
| 6 months or more in Alberta | 10 |
| 6 months or more in another province or territory in Canada | 6 |
Factor 4: Age
| Age | Points |
| Under 18 | Not Eligible |
| 18-20 | 3 |
| 21-34 | 5 |
| 35-49 | 4 |
| Over 50 | 3 |
Factor 5: Family Connection to Alberta
| Family Connection to Alberta | Points |
| Close family relative in Alberta (parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew) | 8 |
Factor 6: Alberta Job Offer
| Job offer to work in select Alberta rural communities or sector | Points |
| Endorsement letter from a designated community in the Rural Renewal Stream | 6 |
| Job offer for the tourism and hospitality sector from an employer who is a member of a required sector association under the Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 6 |
| Job offer in a law enforcement occupation from an employer who is a member of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) | 6 |
| Job offer Location in Alberta | Points |
| Rural Renewal Stream Designated Community or any other job location outside of the Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas and Rural Renewal Stream designated communities | 5 |
| Calgary or Edmonton Census Metropolitan Areas | 0 |
| Your Total Score |
WHAT STEPS SHOULD YOU TAKE?
Step 1: Find for Job in a Designated Community in Alberta
The first step is to obtain a job offer from an employer in a designated community in Alberta. A designated community, in partnership with their local economic development organization and participating employers, are responsible for recruiting foreign nationals. Candidates may be recruited from within Alberta, Canada or outside of Canada.
The community partnership reviews candidate applications to ensure that they meet all criteria, including program eligibility. Communities may choose to have additional criteria in addition to the mandatory criteria of the stream. This can include a specific skill set or occupations that help the community fill a specific labour need.
If you are confident that you meet the eligibility requirements, you may apply for employment by checking the employment opportunities in one of the following designated communities. Please review the job postings carefully and only submit an application if a job is a fit with your skills, education and experience.
- City of Brooks (including: Town of Bassano, Village of Duchess, County of Newell and Village of Rosemary) (➨immilib.com/ARR-Brooks-Jobs)
- City of Grande Prairie (➨immilib.com/ARR-GP-Jobs)
- Town of Taber (including: MD of Taber and Town of Vauxhall) (➨immilib.com/ARR-Taber-Jobs)
- Town of Whitecourt (➨immilib.com/ARR-Whitecourt-Jobs)
Step 2: Endorsement from Designated Community in Alberta
If a participating employer provides you a job offer the next step is endorsement by the community. An Endorsement of Candidate Letter is issued to the candidate chosen by the community for the Rural Renewal Stream. The letter includes the information about the candidate, the employer and the job as well as the employer’s efforts to fill the position within Canada.
Step 3: Submit an Online Expression of Interest (EOI)
Now that you meet all the requirements, you can complete an online Expression of Interest (EOI) in your AAIP Portal (➨immilib.com/AAIP-Apply).
| AAIP Application | |
| Submit Online Application: | |
| immilib.com/AAIP-Apply | |
| Official Program Guide: | |
| immilib.com/ARR-Guide | |
| AAIP Application Fee: | |
| $840 | |
| Processing Time: | |
| immilib.com/AB-PT | |
| Document Checklist: | |
| immilib.com/ARR-Doc | |
| Contact: | |
| 780-6382843, 780-6447534 | |
| [email protected] | |
EOI is an online system where you submit information about yourself to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.
To complete the EOI, you’ll need information from some documents including passports, language test results, etc. But you don’t need to upload any documents.
After you submit the EOI, the system will calculate your score based upon the information you enter and your EOI will be placed in a pool for potential selection. The highest-scoring, qualified candidates will be invited to submit an application to the AAIP.
If you’re not invited to apply within twelve (12) months of submitting your EOI, it will automatically expire and removed from the system. You can still create a new EOI. If you are able to acquire additional points after submitting your EOI, you will need to submit a new EOI.
Step 4: Submit Application to AAIP
If you are selected by the AAIP, you will receive an email invitation to apply for a specific stream or pathway, sent to the same email address used for your EOI. Your status in the AAIP portal will show as “Invited.” You must login using the same account that you created for your EOI profile
You have thirty (30) days to start the application and sixty (60) days to submit it. During this time, you'll be removed from the Worker Stream pool and cannot receive other invitations. If you don't complete and pay for the application, you'll be returned to the pool to wait for another selection.
Complete the different sections of your online application. Scan and upload all your completed forms and required documents in PDF format onto your online application. Keep the originals for your records.
Save, pay the fee and submit your application online.
If your application is complete, you will receive an email confirming that your file has been received and accepted for processing. Your application number will not change. Use it in all your submissions or any inquiries you may have during the assessment process.
A AAIP officer may contact you or your current or past employers by email or phone if information is needed to assess your application and will tell you how to send the information.
You will receive a decision on your application by email. If your application is approved, you will become a Provincial Nominee and get a nomination package by email.
Step 4: Apply for Permanent Residence
If you are nominated by the Province of Alberta, then your next step is to submit a complete application for a permanent resident visa within six (6) months (➨Page).
You must submit your application using the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal (PR Portal) (➨ immilib.com/PR-Portal).
Once you have received your acknowledgement of receipt, you can create an online account and link your application to it. By creating an account, you will be able to receive email updates and a more detailed case status.
Apply for a Temporary Work Permit
After you receive a nomination certificate, you may request AAIP for a Work Permit Support Letter. If accepted, this letter permits you to apply for a work permit from the federal government without the need for an LMIA.
If you are in Canada on a valid work permit and your PR application is not finalized, you may be able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) (➨Page). This will let you to stay and continue working on a valid work permit until your PR application is finalized.
Step 5: Landing in Canada
If your application is approved, you will be asked to pay your right of permanent residence fee if you haven’t already done so. You will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) and if you are from a country that requires a visa you will also be issued a permanent resident visa.
You will only become a Permanent Resident of Canada when you cross a Canadian port of entry. This is referred to as ‘landing in Canada’ (➨page).
You must land in Canada before the expiry date, which appears on your Canada Immigration Visa. Usually, the expiry date is one (1) year from the time medical examinations were completed. As this is not always the case, be sure to verify the expiry date as soon as the Canada Immigration Visa is received.
Ready to take the next step towards your Canadian immigration journey? Fill out the form below and embark on your path to new opportunities.
AWSYTA
WELCOME TO ALBERTA!
AWA