The Rural Renewal Stream in Alberta facilitates the attraction and retention of newcomers in rural areas. Communities can independently recruit foreign workers or collaborate with Designated Referral Partners to match refugees with local employers
Program Eligibility
The Rural Renewal process comprises two sequential steps:
Step 1: Involves a community nomination process where the community actively recruits newcomers to fulfill labor requirements. Once selected, the community issues a letter of approval for the endorsed candidate.
Step 2: The endorsed candidate proceeds to submit an application to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).
Community Designation Requirements:
For a rural community to be eligible for designation, it must adhere to the following criteria:
Population Requirement:
- The community should have a population of fewer than 100,000. Communities within the same economic region can collaborate and apply collectively.
Geographical Location:
- It must be located outside the Calgary and Edmonton census metropolitan areas.
Employer Participation:
- The community should have one or more employers willing to offer permanent, full-time, non-seasonal employment opportunities.
Community Support:
- Obtain a letter of support from the community or municipal council, indicating local endorsement for participation in the program.
Economic Development Organization Involvement:
- Submission of a signed application from the economic development organization with a primary economic development function. This should include an economic development plan or a similar document outlining the community’s economic goals.
Settlement Agency Support:
- Obtain a letter of support from a settlement agency, showcasing collaborative efforts and support for settlement services.
Eligibility Requirements for the Candidates:
The candidates must meet the following program requirements:
Requirement |
|
| Express Entry Profile | – Not required to be registered for Express Entry Program to apply under this stream.Top of Form |
| Job Offer | – Have a full time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer.
– – To work in an eligible occupation in their designated community. – Have this employment for at least 1 year – Have their job offer meet or exceed the minimum wage for that occupation in Alberta |
| Level of Education | – Have of completed at least high school education or its equivalent. |
| Work Experience | – Have at least 1 Year paid full time work experience in an eligible occupation in the last 18 months before applying
– If they are EMPP refugee applicants, they must have at least 1 Year full time work experience in an eligible occupation in the past 10 Years before applying. – Have this experience either in Alberta or within or outside Canada – If their TEER category of job offer or current occupation is: · TEER 0 – Work Exp. must be TEER 0 or 1 · TEER 1 – Work Exp. must be TEER 0,1 or 2 · TEER 2 – Work Exp. must be TEER 0,1,2,3 or 4 · TEER 3 – Work Exp. must be TEER 0,1,2,3 or 4 · TEER 4 – Work Exp. must be TEER 2,3,4 or 5 · TEER 5 – Work Exp. must be TEER 5 & in same NOC Code – Have the required license or certification or registration to perform their current occupation in Alberta or occupation mentioned in their job offer. |
| Language Proficiency | – If their job is in NOC TEER 0,1,2 or 3 occupations – CLB 5 in either English or French.
– If their job is in NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupations – CLB 4 in either English or French. |
| Settlement funds Requirement | – Temporary foreign workers must meet settlement funds requirement for this stream |
| Business Location | – Rural community (Outside the Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas – under population of 100,000 |
List of Ineligible Occupations
| NOC Code (2021) | NOC TEER category | Occupation |
| 00010 | 0 | Legislators |
| 60040* | 0 | Escort agency managers, massage parlor managers |
| 41100 | 1 | Judges |
| 51111 | 1 | Authors and writers (except technical) |
| 51122 | 1 | Musicians and singers |
| 42200* | 2 | Justices of the peace |
| 53121 | 3 | Actors, comedians and circus performers |
| 53122 | 3 | Painters, sculptors and other visual artists |
| 53124 | 3 | Artisans and craftsperson’s |
| 53200 | 3 | Athletes |
| 33100* | 3 | Dental laboratory bench workers |
| 44100 | 4 | Home child care providers |
| 44101 | 4 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations |
| 64321 | 4 | Casino Occupations |
| 55109 | 5 | Other performers |
| 65229 | 5 | Other support occupations in personal services |
| 85101 | 5 | Harvesting Laborers |
| *This National Occupation Classification (NOC) code consists of both eligible occupations and ineligible occupations. The ‘Occupation’ column specifies which occupations are ineligible for each NOC Code listed. | ||
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