Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program

Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program

With the help of the International Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Program, the province of Alberta can nominate qualified international graduates to apply for permanent residence. Two conditions must be met first: the applicants must be graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions; they must plan to establish or operate a business in the province too.

The criteria of the International Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream also include requirements concerning the candidate's education, language proficiency (English or French), business experience, and a valid work permit.

At least two years of full-time education in the province, resulting in a degree or diploma from a designated post-secondary institution in Alberta is obligatory. After the successful completion of this program of study, the graduate gets a Post-Graduation Work Permit that is valid for at least two years, giving enough time for the candidate to submit the Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program.

The candidates for the International Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Program must demonstrate their language proficiency (minimum level 7, English or French, Canadian Language Benchmark test). The official results of their language tests must be less than two years old at the time of the EOI submission.

The description of the future business is an important part of the application process. The International Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Program candidate must establish a new business or buy an existing business in Alberta. The minimum accepted ownership is 34%, with only Canadian citizens or permanent residents allowed as business partners. It is worth mentioning, that not all business types are eligible for the Stream. Business experience is also important - at least six months of full-time work that can be a combination of active management or ownership of the business. Experience with a business incubator or business accelerator or completion of entrepreneurship program courses may also be considered.

All of the abovementioned factors are mandatory, but there are also some additional adaptability factors that may increase the candidate`s likelihood of receiving a request to submit the Business Application within the International Graduate Alberta Entrepreneur Immigration Program. These include:

• The potential economic benefit to the province of Alberta through job creation; the location of the business in the rural areas of the province; development of various economic sectors; investment; developed intellectual property or partnership; qualified support from the business incubators, venture capital, or angel investors;
• The candidate`s spouse or common-law partner has at least one year of continuous full-time employment, or has completed at least two years of full-time study at a post-secondary institution in Alberta;
• The candidate`s spouse or common-law partner demonstrates language abilities on a minimum level CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French;
• The candidates who have one or more close relatives living in the province of Alberta;
• Age between 21 to 49 years.

 

One can not apply for the Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program if they:

• Have an active nomination under another Alberta Immigration Nominee Program Stream (AINP);
• The answer to the candidate`s previous AINP application states they are not eligible to re-apply for a specified period of time;
• Have had a removal order issued against them by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or Canada Border Services Agency;
• Are living or working in Canada with no valid temporary resident status;
• The proposed business is considered ineligible by the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream.

The list of ineligible businesses for the Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program includes:

• Businesses that do not observe the norms and regulations of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• Businesses without value-add economic components (for example, payday loans, cheque cashing, businesses trading in used goods);
• Passive investments without active management (for example, property rental, investment and leasing activities, insurance brokerage or business brokerage, coin-operated businesses);
• Businesses that are project-based or seasonal, and home-based businesses, like bed-and-breakfasts and lodging houses;
• Businesses that are owned or operated by close relatives of the candidate;
• Producing or selling sexually explicit products or services;
• Businesses that can bring the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program and the Government of Alberta into disrepute;
• Businesses that began before submitting an EOI may not be eligible too.

Before the application, all the candidates must check whether their proposed businesses meet the criteria for eligible businesses of the Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program or not. All of the proposed businesses must have the potential for creating economic benefit to the province of Alberta, as assessed by the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program. The business must also meet the following general requirements to be eligible under the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream:

• its purpose must be to make a profit from active or earned income; 
• it must comply with all state and provincial requirements that govern its operation, including Alberta labor laws, employment standards, occupational health and safety, and labor relations legislation;
• the business must be physically present in the province of Alberta;
• the candidate must own at least 34% of the proposed business, must reside in Alberta all the time, and be involved in the management of the business. It is very important for the candidates to demonstrate their residence in Alberta while on a work permit;
• candidates with franchises must also provide evidence that they have received support from the master franchisor to operate a franchise location in Alberta.

After the submission of the information provided by the candidate in the EOI, the Business Proposal Summary, and Net Worth Worksheet, the Government of Alberta will select candidates with the highest-ranking points. They will be invited to submit their Business Application. The Alberta Immigration Nominee Program is currently accepting and assessing the results based on the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream Points Grid.

After the Alberta Graduate Entrepreneur Program receives the candidate`s Business Application, they will assess it against the eligibility criteria and the EOI points will be verified. During this stage, AINP officials may contact the candidates for more information or some verifications.

It is important to remember, that the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program does not guarantee that all complete Business Applications received will be assessed or that all candidates who meet the assessment criteria will be issued a nomination. Also, the submission of a Business Application or even the nomination by the AINP does not guarantee that the candidate will be issued a permanent resident visa.

 

Regards,

International Experience Club

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