Rural Entrepreneurial Stream for Alberta

Alberta immigration proposal could bring 40,000 newcomers to rural communities by 2024

Among the current 80,000 plus immigrants every year, less than six per locate in rural communities. Manitoba has been successful to attract 20 per cent immigrants to settle in smaller communities and this has really helped to revitalize parts of rural Manitoba.

If elected, UCP plan to launch similar Rural Renewal Program in Alberta through AINP and prioritize economic immigration candidates who express an interest in settling in Alberta’s smaller rural communities. Through this program, participating communities would be able to recruit, screen and nominate their own candidates. This scheme might be called “Rural Entrepreneurial Stream” under AINP.

Encouraging a new generation of immigrant-entrepreneurs to set up shop in smaller, rural communities around Alberta and create new job opportunities for locals is essential given the population challenges many such communities now face e.g. when the owner of the local hardware store decides to retire and no one buys it, the hardware store is not coming back, and those services are vital to the future of Albertan rural communities.

Initial goal of this stream will be to welcome 500 experienced immigrant entrepreneurs a year. The prospective entrepreneurs would have to meet minimum investment and net worth thresholds and commit to actively managing and operating a business in which they have at least 51 per cent ownership.

Candidates meeting the criteria would be invited to come to Alberta, get nominated for a two-year work permit through the federal government and then, if they have shown good-faith effort to start a small business, they would be granted permanent residence.

If you are planning to immigrate then get in touch with us.