The Alberta Rural Renewal Immigrant Category supports the attraction and retention of newcomers to rural Alberta through a community-centred approach, supports local economic development needs and promotes community development to address the current challenges of rural Alberta communities. Employment needs and skills shortages.
The Rural Revitalization Immigrant Category empowers rural communities to recruit and retain foreigners to live, work and settle in their communities. The rural community must first apply to the Alberta government to become a designated community designation. The applicant must be endorsed by the designated community and meet all the application requirements of the immigration project.
Designated community
1. Community living requirements:
At the time of submitting the application and the AAIP assessment application, the applicant must intend and be able to live and work in a designated community in Alberta.
At the time of submitting the application and the AAIP assessment application, the applicant must intend and be able to live and work in a designated community in Alberta.
Applicants must hold a valid Endorsement of Candidate Letter issued by an Economic Development Organization (EDO) in a designated rural community in Alberta at the time of submission of the application and AAIP assessment application. This endorsement letter must outline the following:
- The name and address of the EDO supporting the application;
- the full name and residential address of the applicant;
- Real job offer details:
- Company Name;
- the name and contact details of the employer;
- work place;
- a description of the position and job responsibilities;
- term of employment and working conditions;
- detail how filling of the offered positions aligns with economic growth in the designated community;
- The employer’s efforts and results in Canada to fill the vacancy;
- The name, title and contact information of the issuer of the endorsement letter.
3. Job offer requirements:
At the time of submitting the application and the AAIP assessment application, the applicant must obtain a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer for an eligible occupation in the designated community.
An Alberta employer must be registered or registered with the legislature of a province, territory or parliament in Canada and operate as a business with an established production capacity, factory or place of business in Alberta.
The job offer or employment contract must be signed by the applicant and their Alberta employer and must provide:
- Continuous paid employment in a designated community;
- full-time employment, defined as at least 30 hours per week;
- employed for 12 months or more;
- Salary and benefits meet the provincial minimum wage, and
- meet or exceed the requirements set out in the LMIA, or
- If LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the minimum starting salary for the applicant’s occupation in all industries in Alberta listed on the Alis website.
At the time of application and assessment, applicants must meet the terms agreed in the job offer or employment contract.
1) Licensing, registration and certification requirements
At the time of submitting the application and the AAIP assessment application, applicants must meet the following licensing, registration and accreditation requirements:
- Applicants must have the license, registration or certification required to pursue their current occupation or job in Alberta, and information on occupation-specific requirements is available on the Alis website;
- If the applicant is in a compulsory trade in Alberta, they must hold a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Trade Worker (AIT) endorsement certificate;
- If applicants are working in child care in Alberta, they must have a valid certification as a Level 2 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Worker) or Level 3 Early Childhood Education Specialist (formerly Child Development Supervisor) prior to applying for the AAIP. 2) Unqualified job offers
2) Unqualified job offers
The following persons are not eligible to apply for or be nominated under the Rural Revitalization Immigration category even if they have a 12-month job offer of 30 hours or more per week:
- part-time, temporary or seasonal employees, regardless of their hours of work;
- Independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed on the Companies Registry System (CORES) as directors, shareholders or agents of Alberta employers;
- An employee working in Alberta whose workplace is not part of a commercial or industrial operation, such as a home-based business;
- Employees not working in an Alberta office, such as those working in a “virtual” location or telecommuting from a location outside Alberta to serve their employer.
4. Occupational Requirements
Most occupations under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible for the AAIP.
1) Unqualified occupation
Individuals with job offers in the following occupations are not eligible to apply or be nominated at the time of application submission and assessment of the application.
| NOC code | NOC rating | Occupations | Occupation name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0011 | 0 | Legislators | legislator |
| 0651 | 0 | Escort Agency Managers, Massage Parlour Managers | Escort agency manager, massage parlor manager |
| 4154 | A | Professional Occupations in Religion | Religious Professional Occupation |
| 5121 | A | Authors and Writers | authors and writers |
| 5133 | A | Musicians and Singers | musician and singer |
| 5135 | A | Actors and Comedians | Actors and comedians |
| 5136 | A | Painters, Sculptors and Other Visual Artists | Painters, sculptors and other visual artists |
| 1227 | B | Court Officers and Justices of the Peace | Court officers and magistrates |
| 3223* | B | Dental Laboratory Bench Workers who do not have certification through College of Dental Technologists of Alberta | Dental laboratory bench workers not certified by the Alberta College of Dental Technology |
| 4217 | B | Other Religious Occupations | Other religious occupations |
| 5232 | B | Other Performers, n.e.c. | other performers, nec |
| 5244 | B | Artisans and Craftspersons | artisans and craftsmen |
| 5251 | B | Athletes | Athletes |
| 4411 | C | Home Child Care Providers | home child care provider |
| 4412 | C | Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
| 6533 | C | Casino Occupations | Casino Occupations casino career |
| 6564 | C | Other Personal Service Occupations | Other Personal Service Occupations |
| 8611 | D | Harvesting Labourers | harvest worker |
5. Qualified work experience
At the time of application, applicants must have at least 12 months of full-time work experience in an eligible occupation in the last 18 months prior to application. Work experience may be in Alberta, Canada (outside Alberta) or a combination of previous experience abroad.
Work experience in a qualifying occupation must be at least 30 hours per week of paid full-time employment that meets the following requirements:
BC Technology Industry Immigration Program
| The skill level of the job offer or current occupation is as follows | The skill level of the 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 under the same occupation code |
Graduate work permit holders who have completed a two-year post-secondary program at an IRCC-designated learning institution in their designated community are not required to meet the 12-month work experience requirement.
6. Language requirements
When submitting an application, applicants must provide evidence of the following English or French test results:
| NOC Skill Level | English language level requirements | French language level requirements |
|---|---|---|
| NOC Category 0, A or B | CLB 5 | NCLC 5 |
| NOC Class C or D | CLB 4 | NCLC 4 |
Approved language tests include: CELPIP, IELTS G, TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
Language scores must be within 2 years before submitting the application.
7. Academic requirements
At the time of submission of the application, applicants must have completed at least a high school education, and qualifications outside of Canada must be certified by ECA.
8. Settlement Funding Requirements
At the time of submission of the application and the AAIP assessment application, if the applicant does not live in Canada or is currently in Canada but not employed, the applicant must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support themselves and their family members in the designated community.
| Number of family members | Community of less than 1000 people | 1000-30000 people community | 30000-99999 Community |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $11,093 | $10,151 | $11,093 |
| 2 | $13,810 | $12,636 | $13,810 |
| 3 | $16,977 | $15,534 | $16,977 |
| 4 | $20,613 | $18,861 | $20,613 |
| 5 | $23,379 | $21,392 | $23,379 |
| 6 | $26,367 | $24,127 | $26,367 |
| 7 | $29,356 | $26,861 | $29,356 |
| Amount of funds required for each additional family member | $2,989 | $2,735 | $2,989 |
Funds must be free and readily available to you to meet the minimum settlement funds requirement. Personal assets such as real estate, jewelry, and cars are not eligible.
Application procedure:
- Obtain an offer from a designated rural community employer in Alberta;
- apply for endorsement;
- Apply for a work permit and PR;
- The work permit is approved, and you can log in to work;
- PR approval.