Rural Renewal Stream

Employers must meet all eligibility criteria under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Rural Renewal Stream prior to issuing an offer of employment.

• Job Opportunities must be available to Canadians first, at the same pay and working conditions.
• Employers are required to demonstrate current efforts to recruit locally, provincially and nationally and provide those outcomes. Recruitment efforts must include local advertising platforms.
• Employers must be incorporated, or registered by or under, an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada.
• The business must be operating within the municipal boundaries of the Town of Whitecourt and in good standing with the Town of Whitecourt for a minimum of one year.
• Employment offers or contracts must be signed by the employee and employer, and must provide:
  • Continuous, paid work and must be full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week for 12 months or more;
  • and wages and benefits that meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta.
• Have been in continuous and active operation in Alberta for a minimum of 2 complete fiscal years (the year used for tax or accounting purposes) prior to application submission.
• Have a minimum total gross annual revenue of $400,000 for the most recent fiscal year (the year used for tax or accounting purposes) and employment of a minimum of 3 full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees in Alberta.
• Employers must demonstrate knowledge of the responsibilities of welcoming newcomers and providing a warm and welcoming environment.
  • The Employer’s Roadmap – Hiring & Retaining Internationally Trained Workers
  • Employers Guide – Attracting & Retaining Immigrants

Note: If an employer cannot demonstrate a gross annual revenue of $400,000 for the most recent tax year and a minimum of three full-time employees, the employer can qualify for the program but will be restricted in the number of nominee applicants they can support, based on the number of years the employer has been operating in Alberta:

• 2 years of operation in Alberta: a total of 1 nominee.
• 3 years of operation in Alberta: a total 2 nominees.
• For each additional year of operation, 1 additional nominee can be supported.

Employers must complete an Employer Application and submit to ecdev@whitecourt.ca.

Please note that due to the high application volumes, applications may take a minimum of 30 days to be assessed.

Applicants that wish to participate in the program must meet a series of candidate criteria, receive an authentic job offer from an eligible employer, get endorsed by the Town of Whitecourt through the Economic Development Committee and apply using the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Portal.

• Before applying for an employment opportunity, candidates are encouraged to review, understand and ensure they meet all eligibility requirements under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.
• Once a candidate is confident they meet the eligibility requirements, they may apply for employment with approved employers located within the Town of Whitecourt.
• Once a job is offered, the employer will send a copy of the offer letter to the Town of Whitecourt for review and approval of an endorsement letter.
• All eligible applicants should review the Rural Renewal Stream – Document Checklist to ensure all documents are prepared in advance to submitting to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program Rural Renewal Stream portal.
• The endorsed foreign national will apply to the AAIP – Rural Renewal Stream: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream-how-to-apply.aspx
• A non-refundable application fee of $500 is required.
• You may only have one AAIP application in process at any time.
• If the AAIP issues a nomination, the nominee must apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for permanent residence status: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream-after-you-are-nominated.aspx

For more information on eligibility requirements, visit Rural Renewal Stream Eligibility.

The Town of Whitecourt cannot issue endorsement letters directly to candidates without an eligible job offer in the community.  A candidate's first step is to apply for a job directly to an eligible employer.  

Prospective candidates should follow application details listed in each job posting.  Once a job is offered, the employer will send a copy of the offer letter to the Town of Whitecourt.  At that point, the Town will review eligibility and write the endorsement letter.

No.  The Rural Renewal Stream gives employers the opportunity to wave LMIA requirements for job vacancies by requiring an endorsement letter from the municipality.  An LMIA is not required for employers who recruit vacant positions through this program.  

The RRS is a good option for employers who are having difficulties finding candidates who are qualified to fill a given position or are willing to perform the work required and where existing federal temporary worker programs are not a good fit for their business needs. The RRS is an opportunity to hire a candidate with temporary status in the community that the business wouldn’t otherwise be able to hire under current federal or provincial temporary worker programs. The RRS is also an opportunity to bring new individuals into the community who will be the right fit for the needed position. The RRS also presents the employer with the possibility of a candidate staying on with the business on a permanent basis once they’ve acquired Permanent Resident status.

No. The best place to look for information and updates on the Rural Renewal Stream Immigration program is the Government of Alberta Rural Renewal Stream webpage. For up-to-date information on candidate eligibility, documents required, and more, visit the Eligibility Page.

To determine if you’re eligible for permanent residency through the Rural Renewal Stream, visit the Eligibility Page on the Government of Alberta website.

Once the Letter of Endorsement is issued, the employee is expected to enter their information into the AAIP Portal as soon as possible. This is part of their commitment to the employer and the community. Once the information is entered into the portal, the nomination for permanent residency begins immediately.

Both employer and employee still have rights under the Employment Standards Code.  

Should the employer or employee choose to end the employment agreement, the employer must follow employment standards and regulations to terminate their employment.  If employment is terminated, it is the responsibility of the employer to notify the Town of Whitecourt, who will then notify AAIP of the employee's change in employment status.

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