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What is the Alberta Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream?
This stream provides an opportunity for permanent residence foreign graduates OUTSIDE of Canada to establish a new (start-up) business in Alberta. This stream offers a direct pathway to permanent residency.
The foreign national MUST work with a designated agency approved by the provincial government and obtain a letter of recommendation in order to be eligible for this stream. The foreign national may submit an expression of interest along with the letter of recommendation through the AAIP Portal.
What is the eligibility criteria?
| Age | No minimum benchmark |
| Active Profile (Express Entry) | Not required |
| Job Offer | Not required |
| Language Skills | CLB 5 |
| Settlement Funds | $50,000 to $100,000 |
| Provincial Connection | Must demonstrate how applicant will establish business in Alberta |
| Education | Post-Secondary |
| Business equity | Establish business with 34% ownership (minimum) |
| Work Experience | 6 months full-time experience managing a business |
| Investment | As per LICO |
How are individuals selected for this program?
Qualified individuals are placed in a pool. Individuals will be selected based on their overall score. If selected, you will be invited to submit a complete business application.
How Can I Apply For This Stream?
Please click here if you would like to apply for this program.
What is the point grid for this program?
| Human Capital | ||
| Criteria | Description | Points |
| Language Proficiency | First official language | |
| CLB 5 (5 for each reading, writing, listening and speaking) (mandatory minimum) | 10 | |
| (Maximum of 30 points) | CLB 6 (6 for each reading, writing, listening and speaking) | 15 |
| Mandatory requirement | CLB 7 (7 for each reading, writing, listening and speaking) | 20 |
| CLB 8 or higher (8 for each reading, writing, listening and speaking) | 30 | |
| Education | Minimum requirement is the completion of a degree from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada within the last 10 years with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). | |
| Education credential must be equivalent to Canadian standards. | ||
| Maximum of 35 points | Bachelor’s degree or a 2-year Diploma (mandatory minimum) | 5 |
| Mandatory requirement | Master’s degree | 10 |
| Doctoral degree | 15 | |
| Preference given to candidates with the following degrees: | ||
| Completed a degree within the last 5 years at the time of EOI submission | 10 | |
| Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics | 5 | |
| Business | 5 | |
| Business management, ownership or equivalent | Business ownership or management experience (more points allocated for additional years of experience) | |
| 6 months (mandatory minimum) | 5 | |
| Equivalencies are work experience with business incubator or business accelerator | more than 6 months to less than 1 year | 10 |
| Maximum of 35 bonus points | 1 to 2 years | 15 |
| Mandatory requirement | More than 2 years | 20 |
| Preference will be given to candidates with business ownership experience. | 15 | |
| Business factors | ||
| Business Plan | A business plan with projected financial information. Business plan guidelines are available on the AAIP website. | 40 |
| Maximum of 40 points | ||
| Mandatory requirement | ||
| Investment: prior to coming to Alberta | Minimum level of investment from candidate’s own equity, and/or from a recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital, or angel investment firm before coming to Alberta. | |
| (Candidates with higher levels of investment available before coming to Alberta will be awarded more points. Points will also be awarded for urban center or regional area, not both). | ||
| Maximum 25 points | Urban center: Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas | |
| Mandatory requirement | Regional area: Communities outside the Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas | |
| Urban center: | ||
| $100,000 (mandatory minimum) | 5 | |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | 11 | |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | 18 | |
| Over $200,000 | 25 | |
| Or, regional area: | ||
| $50,000 (mandatory minimum) | 5 | |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | 11 | |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | 18 | |
| Over $150,000 | 25 | |
| Proposed investment: additional investment after launch | Additional investment after launching start-up from candidate’s own equity, or from recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital, or angel investment firm. | |
| (Candidates with higher levels of investment after launch will be awarded more points. Points awarded for urban center or regional area, not both.) | ||
| Maximum 20 points | Urban center: Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas | |
| Not a mandatory requirement | Regional area: Communities outside the Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas | |
| Urban centre: | ||
| $100,000 to $150,000 | 5 | |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | 10 | |
| $200,001 to $250,000 | 15 | |
| Over $250,000 | 20 | |
| Or, regional area: | ||
| $50,000 to $100,000 | 5 | |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | 11 | |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | 18 | |
| Over $200,000 | 25 | |
| Job creation | Jobs must be created for Canadian citizens or permanent residents (not including relatives) for a period of at least 6 months. | |
| Maximum of 15 points | 1 job | 5 |
| Not a mandatory requirement | 2 jobs | 10 |
| 3 jobs or more | 15 | |
| Total maximum points | 200 | |
| Table 4. Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream mandatory minimums, pass or fail grid. | ||
| Criteria | Description | Pass or Fail |
| Ownership of start-up | Must have a minimum of 34% ownership in an urban centre or a minimum of 51% ownership if the business is located in a regional community. | Pass or Fail |
| Mandatory minimum | ||
| Businesses in key or priority sectors | Business plan or pitch deck must indicate business connected to one of the following sectors: | Pass or Fail |
| Mandatory minimum | technology | |
| aerospace | ||
| financial services | ||
| energy | ||
| agriculture | ||
| tourism | ||
| life sciences | ||
| pharmaceuticals | ||
| Settlement Funds | Candidates must demonstrate they have funds to support themselves while they are on a work permit and launching their start-up in Alberta. Minimum settlement funds required will be based on the Low Income Cut-Offs (LICOs). Refer to the Settlement Fund section. | Pass or Fail |
| Mandatory minimum | ||
| Pitch Deck | A 10-minute presentation (slides only) that describes the foreign graduate and their venture focused on what an investor would want to see. | Pass or Fail |
| Mandatory minimum | ||
| Letter of Recommendation | The candidate must have a letter of recommendation from an AAIP approved designated agency. | Pass or Fail |
| Mandatory minimum |
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