AAIP Rural Entrepreneur Stream

The Rural Entrepreneur Stream is 1 of the sub-streams of AAIP. Also, the program aims to select entrepreneurs who want to run and or buy an existing business in the rural communities of Alberta.

Besides, this program will help grow the rural communities. These businesses will be creating multiple job positions and will be generating revenue for the rural areas of Alberta.

Exploratory Visit

If you wish to apply to the Rural Entrepreneur Stream, then you must first conduct an exploratory visit to the community of your choice. However, any rural community and or the AAIP will not give a letter of support for getting a valid Canada visa.

As a result, AAIP advises applicants to conduct a thorough market, registration, licensing research before visiting the community. Besides, the applicant before applying must share a Rural Entrepreneur Stream Business Proposal Summary with the community.

Further, the community will assess the proposal. And if found profitable will issue a community support letter. In addition, the community will also endorse the applicant’s business proposal.

So, after getting the community support letter and endorsed business proposal summary, the applicant can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) profile to AAIP.

Who can apply to the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur Stream?

To apply to this stream, you must meet the terms such as:

Work Experience

Either have a minimum of 3 years of work experience as a business owner or manager or a minimum of 4 years of work experience in a senior manager post within the past 10 years.

Education Level

As an applicant, you must have a minimum of Canadian high school education. For education from outside Canada, submit an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report to AAIP. An ECA report proves that the foreign educational level is at par with that of Canada’s education system.

Language Skill Level

To apply to the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur Stream, you must have a minimum language skill level. Because the AAIP will select applicants who have job-ready language skill levels.

To prove the same, one can submit language test results for English/French. Also, the applicant must have a language skill level of CLB 4 for English or NCLC 4 for French.

Besides the AAIP takes the following language test results:

English

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP)

French

• Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) Canada
• Test de connaissance du français (TCF) Canada

Moreover, your language test results can not be more than 2 years old at the time of application submission.

Net Worth

To apply to the AIPP Rural Entrepreneur Stream, have a minimum net worth of $300,000. Also, you must be personally holding these funds or can show funds of your spouse or common-law partner.

Business Investment

Must have a minimum personal business investment of $200,000 or can show funds of spouse or common-law partner. Also, the higher the investment, the higher the points an applicant will get against its application.

Business Establishment

New Business – must have a minimum of 50% of business ownership. Also, the business partners must be Canadian citizens and or permanent residents.

Or

For business succession, one must have 100% ownership. And the take over process must have been fully completed. With the applicant taking full ownership of the newly bought business.

However, the applicant’s business must not be on the AAIP in-eligible businesses list.

Creating Jobs

As a new business, the establishment is to create a minimum of 1 full-time job for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. But the business owner can not offer the job position to their family members.

The more jobs a business will create the higher the points it will get. Further, this job offer must be for a minimum of 6 months.

But in case of business take over, the criteria of job creation is not required.

Community support letter

To apply to the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur stream must have a community support letter. This letter must be from a participating and designated Alberta rural community.

What are the factors that increase your chances of getting a request to submit a Business Application?

If you meet 1 of the following terms, then your chances of getting a request to submit a business application are good:

How to apply to the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur stream?

To apply to this stream, after meeting the eligibility terms submit an Express of Interest (EOI) through the AAIP portal.

AAIP will then process your profile as per the information you give such as business proposal, net worth, community support letter etc. After the EOI profile will get points as per the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid

Steps to apply to the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur stream?

Step 1 – Check your eligibility.

Step 2 – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) visa AAIP online portal

AAIP will then place your EOI profile in a pool and will award points within 30 days of submission. Your profile will be in the EOI pool for 12 months. And if not selected it will be cancelled. However, one can always submit a new EOI profile.

Besides, applicants with the highest EOI score will get an invitation to submit their business proposals to AAIP.

Step 3 – Submit a Business Proposal.

After getting an invitation to submit a business proposal from AAIP. The applicant will have 90 days to do the same.

Step 4 – Business Application assessment

After receiving the business application and all the supporting documents AAIP will assess your profile. If your application gets approval, then you will get a Business Performance Agreement (BPA).

Further, you need to apply for a Canada Work Permit after getting your Community Support Letter and the Business Application Approval Letter.

Finally, after getting a work permit you can move to Alberta to set up and run your business.

Step 5 – Set up a business in Alberta

After moving to your community, you need to set up your business. And prove that you meet all the terms of the Business Performance Agreement (BPA). Also, your business is generating profit within 1 year of operations.

After meeting all the terms, you need to give the final report for nomination.

Step 6 – Final Nomination Report

After meeting all the terms of the BPA, you can apply for nomination to AAIP for permanent residency in Canada.

If the final report for nomination gets approval, then AAIP will:

• Inform IRCC of your nomination.
• Send a nomination letter to you. And share guidelines for applying to IRCC for Canada PR.

Finally, when IRCC approve your Canada PR application you will get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR).

Who can not apply to this stream?

One can not apply to this program if they meet the terms such as:

• Have an active nomination that is yet to expire and/or can get an extension for other AAIP streams.
  • Besides, an applicant can have only 1 AAIP nomination.
• Earlier you have a letter for a past AAIP program that bars you from reapplying for a specific period.
  • So, if you apply under the Rural Entrepreneur Stream then your application will be denied.
• IRCC or CBSA has issued a removal order against you.
• Are a refugee or a person who is under a federal appeal or in a removal process.
  • AAIP can not interfere in the work of refugee appeal, claim, or removal process.
• Besides, do not have valid temporary resident status. And are still living or working in Canada.
•  Your business comes under the list of ineligible businesses.

Which businesses qualify under this stream?

The following businesses qualify:

• The business aims to make a profit via active running or received income. Also, the nature of business should be the sale of goods/services.
• The business must meet and follow all applicable federal, provincial, legal, municipal, regulatory, or licensing needs for running the business.
• Also, the business must have apt trade certification. If the business is in a compulsory trade.
• The business must be physically present in a rural community of Canada all the time.
• In the case of a franchise, the applicant must show proof of support from the master franchisor.
• Must have 51% ownership if it is a new business. Whereas for business that has been taken over the applicant must have 100% ownership of the same.
  • The applicant must run the business from its community in Alberta. And must be actively running the day-to-day operations of the business.

Which businesses do not qualify under this stream?

The following businesses do not qualify under the AAIP Rural Entrepreneur Stream:

• Any business that breaks the terms of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and Regulations.
  • Also, this can include but is not limited to investment schemes for immigration or any time of passive investment.
• Any business that does not add economic value such as:
  • A payday loan, cheque cashing, and other businesses.
  • Business trading about used goods.
• A Business that involves passive income or lack of active management such as:
  • Leasing activities, renting properties, and investment.
  • Brokerage – real estate/insurance/business.
  • Businesses use coins for operations such as laundromats and car wash operations.
  • Seasonal or project-based operations.
• Home-based businesses such as:
  • Businesses that have not been zoned for commercial or industrial purposes.
  • Lounging houses and bed and breakfast.
• Businesses that come under as a part of a succession plan and:
  • The applicant’s relative either owns or runs the business.
  • A current or former AAIP Rural Entrepreneur stream applicant/nominee owned the business within the past 4 years.
  • Within the past 3 years, before the Rural Entrepreneur Stream Business Application, the ownership has been changed.
• Businesses that offer explicit products and or services.
• Any other business that may harm the reputation of AAIP and the government of Alberta.