Alberta Start Up Visa Program For Foreign Entrepreneur – A Ultimate Guide
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) run by the province of Alberta, has several streams, one of which is the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (FGES), previously known as the Alberta Start Up Visa Program. To new graduates outside or inside Canada who have finished a foreign post-secondary degree within the last ten years and intend to launch and run a business in the province, the FGES provides a pathway to permanent residence.
Candidates for this stream are ranked using a points-based Expression of Interest mechanism. The Expression of Interest pool’s top candidates are invited to submit a thorough Business Application. The province issues a nomination to applicants who submit successful business applications; this nomination can be used to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
Program Overview
The Canadian province of Alberta understands the importance of entrepreneurs in promoting economic expansion and diversification. They offers several entrepreneur immigration streams to make it easier for creative business minds to settle there. One is the Alberta Start Up Visa Program (Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, FGES). This business program nominates talented and qualified graduates with foreign educations for permanent residence from OUTSIDE or INSIDE Canada once they have launched their startup or business in the province.
To attract foreign IT graduates who are educated in the US but may not have a road to Permanent Residence there, the province created an entrepreneur program in 2021. Since the initial program’s eligibility requirements were so strict, only some were eligible to apply. As a result, they have changed the program to make it more acceptable after several months with no applicants. The Alberta Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa Program was the program’s original name. When the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program became the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program in early 2022, it was renamed the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
A route that allows qualified foreign graduates to settle permanently in Canada. It’s a creative approach that encourages entrepreneurship, boosts the regional economy, and helps organizations keep top talent from abroad.
To obtain a letter of recommendation, the Alberta Start Up Visa Program works with AAIP and authorized designated agencies. The Designated Agency will examine the business plans to show the market need or demand, the capabilities for a short- to medium-term successful market entry, customer acquisition, business development, key partnerships, and financial stability plan fund for the growth and operation of your start-up.
The chosen organization will deliver a written assessment of the suggested business plan. This report must be submitted along with the FGES Business Application by foreign graduates.
This stream is not aligned with Express Entry, so applicants are exempt from competing with other applicants in the Express Entry pool. Motivated foreign graduates who want to start businesses and obtain permanent residency in Canada may find it a helpful strategy.
Oil and gas technology start-ups, innovations in cryptocurrencies and industries close to them, agricultural technology start-ups, software development, mining technology, finance, environmental start-ups, and more thrive in the province.
Who is Eligible for the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Program (FGES)?
The Alberta Start Up Visa Program is available to international business owners with a tested product or service and a detailed strategy to expand their operation in province over the following two years.
Entrepreneurs with at least six months of employment, business ownership experience, or comparable time spent in an authorized Accelerator program based in Canada or abroad. More points are awarded for more years of work experience, and even more points are awarded for firm ownership.
To make sure that the businesses joining the program are a good fit and are getting the most out of the program, the designated agency has the following requirements in addition to the Government of Alberta qualifying standards:
- Prepared to scale and provide exponential growth in operations;
- ready and actively chasing their first sales/customer commitment
Candidates who fit the following requirements are the best fit for this program:
Early-Stage
Businesses with an established concept, a tested good or service, and a well-defined plan for expanding in the province over the next two to three years
Demonstrate Financial Viability
- Show that they have the financial resources to launch their enterprises and raise a minimum amount of capital.
- Be able to turn a profit in their first year of operation in Alberta.
- Have six months of business experience or ownership.
There are minimal eligibility requirements for the Alberta Start Up Visa Program. The AAIP does not, however, extend Invitations to Apply (ITA) to every applicant who satisfies these minimal requirements. Each candidate enters the system with a score (up to 200 points) based on several variables (described in more depth in the section on eligibility requirements). The AAIP chooses the applicants with the best marks.
Program Requirements Highlight | |
Express Entry Profile | No |
Job Offer | No |
Language Proficiency | Minimum CLB Level 5 in English or French or above |
Level of Education | Post-secondary degree within the last ten years (ECA required) |
Work Experience | Minimum 6 months as a business owner or manager |
Minimum Investment Requirement | Minimum $100,000 CAD (Urban Center), $50,000 CAD (outside Calgary and Edmonton) |
Business Ownership Amount | 34% or higher (Urban Center), 51% (outside Calgary and Edmonton) |
Business Plan | Mandatory |
Letter of Recommendation | Mandatory |
Pitch Deck | 10-minute slideshow presentation |
Settlement Funds | Mandatory |
Working Experince
Applicants require a minimum of six months of relevant full-time job experience. This can be shown by working as an active manager, owner-manager, or comparable (Equivalents include experience working for a business incubator or accelerator).
Education
Candidates must have finished their post-secondary education and have an Education Certificate Assessment (ECA) report proving their degree is equivalent to a Canadian certificate to be eligible for the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream. At the time of EOI filing, the foreign credential had to have been earned within the previous ten years.
Language
Reading, writing, hearing, and speaking all require a minimum CLB (Canadian Language Benchmark) level of 5 in English or a Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadien (NCLC) level of 5 in French. When submitting an EOI, official test results must be under two years old. Only the following language exams are accepted by the AAIP:
Business Plan
a financial projection-based business plan. Consider consulting the Business Plan Guidelines.
Pitch Deck
An outline of the proposed business endeavour with an emphasis on what an investor would le to see in a 10-minute presentation (using only slides).
Business Establishment
Must have a minimum of 51% ownership in the regional area outside the Calgary and Edmonton Census Metropolitan Areas or 34% ownership if the business is in an urban center. Partners in a business must be citizens or legal residents of Canada. A company cannot be on the list of prohibited businesses.
Business Investment
Before moving to the province, the candidate (or spouse or common-law partner) must have made a minimum amount of investment from their equity and a reputable Canadian financial institution, venture capitalist, or angel investment business. A regional area requires a minimum investment of $50,000, but an urban center requires a minimum investment of $100,000. More points will be given for higher levels of investment made before moving to Alberta. Amounts of points are given for metropolitan or regional areas, not both.
Recommendation Letter
Must have a letter of recommendation from a designated agency that has received AAIP approval.
Business Qualification
Businesses that qualify must operate in one of the main or priority sectors listed below:
- Technology
- Aerospace
- Financial services
- Energy
- Agriculture
- Tourism
- Life sciences
- pharmaceuticals
Settlement Funds for Alberta Start-Up Visa Program
Candidates must show they have the resources to launch their start-up, set up their firm, and support themselves while on a work permit. The Low-Income Cut-Offs (LICOs) will be the basis for the minimum settlement funds requirements.
Alberta Start Up Visa Program Designated Agencies
The following recognized designated agencies for the AAIP Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (Alberta Start Up Visa Program) are open to candidates who are interested in applying to the program:
is an approved designated agency located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Innovative local and international business concepts are mentored, accelerated, and incubated by them. They collaborate with aspirational and motivated business executives who can create exceptional firms that advance the prosperity of their chosen ecosystem.
is an approved designated agency located in Calgary, Alberta. Platform Calgary is a member-based, non-profit organization. Thier mission is to coordinate the resources of Calgary’s tech community to support businesses at every stage of their development, from ideation to scalability. Every successful innovator has a tremendous community supporting them. As a central hub for information about Calgary’s IT community, the Platform Innovation Centre serves as Calgary’s home for innovators.
The authorized agency’s responsibility is to:
- Determine a foreign graduate’s entrepreneurial readiness and the likelihood that a startup will succeed by reviewing the business idea and helping to create a business plan.
- Assist with marketing the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
- Selected overseas graduates for the Alberta Start Up Visa Program
- Provide business counselling, coaching, and advice to new entrepreneurs in Alberta who are attempting to achieve the requirements of the Business Performance Agreement, as well as connect international graduates with relevant networks.
- When starting a business in the province and working to meet the demands of the Business Performance Agreement, connect international graduates with the right networks and offer business counselling, coaching, and guidance.
Candidates with registered profiles are ranked according to the points grid below for the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream. Only those applicants who achieve the highest standards of competition will be invited to apply to the program.
FGE 200-point grid | ||
Factor | Scoring Sections | Maximum Points |
Factor 1 – Human Capital Factors | Language | 30 |
Education | 35 | |
Business Management/Ownership Experience or equivalent | 35 | |
Factor 2 – Business Factors | Business Plan | 40 |
Investment before coming to Alberta | 25 | |
Proposed investment after launch | 20 | |
Job Creation | 15 | |
An Expression of Interest (EOI) system manages the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream (FGES). Candidates who satisfy the minimal requirements can create a profile on the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) web portal. The Alberta Start Up Visa Program Points Grid scores and ranks candidate profiles, with top-scoring applicants being asked to submit a business application.
Candidates must submit a comprehensive application and a CAD 3,500 application fee within 90 days of receiving an invitation. AINP-designated organizations and qualified service providers assess the business strategy.
Candidates sign a Business Performance Agreement with Alberta if they are accepted. the immigration departement of province then issues a letter approving the business application. Before submitting a final report for AINP Nomination, candidates must satisfy the terms of the agreement, reside in the province for at least 12 months, and conduct business there.
A paper-based federal application for Canadian permanent residency must be submitted within six months of receiving provincial nomination; this process usually takes around 18 months.
Any program for immigration through investment is complicated, including Alberta’s Start Up Visa Program. Several processes and stages must be completed to complete this road and obtain Permanent Residence.
A letter of support from one of the incubators selected to help with the program is required as the first step in applying to the Alberta Start-Up Visa Program. As indicated, based on our observations, Empowered Startups is the designated organization that has participated in this initiative the most thus far. The incubator will work with you to create a business plan and a presentation on your idea and issue the letter of support the AAIP requires as part of your Expression of Interest in the AAIP FGES program if they believe your company idea has value.
The criteria for eligibility include job (or entrepreneurial) experience, education, a business plan, a pitch deck, language proficiency, a business establishment, a business investment, a letter of recommendation, and settlement funds. The more points you gain on the 200-point grid, the more likely you will be asked to submit a business application. You will be graded according to a mandated minimum, pass, or fail grid that you must also complete.
The letter of support from the selected organization (incubator), a business plan, a pitch deck for your business idea, and an unofficial statement of your net worth are all included in the online Expression of Interest for Alberta Start Up Visa Program. Before filing your EOI, make sure your planned business plan complies with the program’s rules about the sector you’ll work in, the location of your company, the amount of investment you’re planning, and the cash you’ll bring to Canada. Although there is no fee to apply to the province at the EOI stage, by this point, you will have paid a sizable sum to the incubator for their help.
Using the AAIP Portal, you can submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) if you match the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream requirements. Your EOI will be evaluated and scored by the AAIP 30 days after submission. Candidates with the highest rankings will be asked to submit a business application.
There is no online version of the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Business Application form. Access to the AAIP Portal to begin the Business Application process is only available to applicants invited to submit one.
You have 90 days from the time you get the request to submit a business application to do so online via the AAIP Portal. Your business application package requires a formal Net Worth Assessment (Qualified Service Provider’s Report by an approved accounting firm) and a Business Plan review (performed by your incubator).
To assess your net worth, the accounting company will need proof of your assets, such as official real estate appraisals, several years’ worth of tax returns, and statements from your financial investments. Creating the net worth evaluation takes several weeks after you have given this data.
Your language test results, an evaluation of your school credentials, corporate records, and reference letters are included in the Business Application and the reports indicated above to demonstrate your business experience. You must send $3500 in processing fees to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program when you submit your business application.
You must include the following reports with your business application:
- A report evaluating a business plan
- Qualified Service Provider Report, upon AAIP request
The Qualified Service Providers chosen by the AAIP to create these 2 reports are required to do so.
The AAIP will evaluate your business application and any supporting materials after receiving it. There is no assurance that every complete Business Application will be reviewed or that every candidate who satisfies the requirements will receive a nomination.
If more information is required to evaluate your business application, an AAIP program officer will contact you by phone or email and instruct you on how to deliver it. Your EOI points will be validated while your Business Application will be evaluated concerning the eligibility requirements. After that, you wait for a response.
An agreement between you and the Province of Alberta will be provided if theprovince approves your business application. You must fulfill certain business tasks outlined in the Business Performance Agreement before applying for provincial nomination through the province. Before signing and sending the original signed copy to Alberta, you must have an independent counsel evaluate the Business Performance Agreement.
After signing the Business Performance Agreement, Alberta will provide you with a letter of support for a work permit. With this letter’s help, you can now apply within three months for a work visa so that you can visit Canada and get to work launching your company in the province. You must incorporate your business in Alberta, sign up for the IRCC Employer portal and submit an appropriate e-job offer as a self-employed Provincial entrepreneur before submitting the work permit application. For your work permit application to be approved, it must show how your company would significantly benefit Canada. This is the most crucial and likely to be rejected application in your process to date. Your time and money will be squandered if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Following the approval of your work permit application, you’ll depart for Alberta to begin setting up your company. There are several required reporting deadlines, so make sure you are well-organized and mindful of Alberta’s regulations. You can submit an application to the AAIP for Nomination once you have successfully run the business for 12 months in the provinceand fulfilled all the other conditions in your Business Performance Agreement.
You must meet the following requirements before receiving your work permit and business application approval letter:
- Reside in the province.
- Actively own and operate an eligible business there for at least a year with at least 34% ownership in an urban center or 51% ownership in a regional area;
- Comply with the terms of the business performance agreement you signed with the government of Alberta.
- Show that the company is profitable after one year of operation by producing goods or services.
Submit the Final Report for Nomination whenever the requirements of the Business Performance Agreement have been satisfied.
Submit your final report outlined in your performance agreement and receive the support letter and nomination certificate.
You apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) as a Provincial Nominee once you have obtained your Nomination Certificate from the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program. The processing time for this online application ranges from five to twenty-two months. For this application, you must pass medical tests and obtain police clearances. IRCC might ask for further financial information from your company to ensure your new company in the province firm is successfully run. Also, extending your work permit, if necessary, to keep your legal status in Canada while your application is being reviewed for permanent residence is crucial. If granted this application, you will ultimately be a Permanent Resident of Canada.
Please be aware that international graduates qualified for this stream and who own and manage a business in Alberta may still apply. However, the established company must have been active in the province for at least a calendar year. The nominee will receive a nomination certificate from the AAIP rather than a Business Performance Agreement. Only while they complete the IRCC application for permanent residence are they required to conduct business in the province.
The Alberta Entrepreneur Immigration Program’s processing time might vary depending on several variables, including the number of applications received and the thoroughness of your submission. Typically, the entire procedure from beginning to getting your permanent residency takes between 24 and 36 months.
- Expression of Interest scoring: between submitting the EOI and scoring is completed takes 1-2 months.
- Business Application decision: submitting the complete Business Application and receiving the approval takes 5-6 months.
- Work Permit Application: After receiving the EOI and getting the work permit takes 6-12 months.
- Final report and nomination: between submitting the final report and receiving a final decision on nomination: 18-24 months.
- Apply for PR: after recieving the nomination, it takes 12-18 months to get Canada PR.
There are a few critical financial considerations for accessing the program, even though there isn’t a specific net worth need to demonstrate under the criteria. The most expensive immigration options are investor programs, and if you want to be successful, you’ll need a lot more money than simply the required minimum investment.
Depending on how much incubation you need to launch your business effectively, anticipate paying between $75,000 and $100,000.
Depending on the number of family members you include in your application, anticipate paying between $25,000 and $40,000, including professional and government expenses.
Depending on where you intend to base your activities, you must make at least $50,000 to $100,000 in your business before coming to the province. The required minimum investment is more if you want to locate your business in Calgary or Edmonton and lower if you start in rural Alberta.
Depending on the size of your family and where you intend to live, you must demonstrate that you have enough cash to meet Alberta’s LICO requirements.
The net wealth and prior company experience requirements for the Alberta Start-Up Visa Program are relatively low compared to several other Provincial Entrepreneur programs. Depending on the kind of business you want to start and where you want to locate it, you can qualify for the program with a net worth of about $250,000.
This program explicitly targets young individuals. Therefore, it only requires six months of business management experience instead of the two to three years most provincial entrepreneur programs require.
Processing timeframes for the AAIP FGES are quick compared to other Canadian Provincial investment programs because it is young. Applications are handled more quickly in the province than in other AAIP program streams because the province is driven to get the program up and running. Additionally, Alberta officials have a more streamlined application procedure to work with. They can make judgments more rapidly than if expected to formally examine the business prospects because Alberta offloads much of the program’s business evaluation part to the incubator.
Although the Alberta Start Up Visa Program has lower financial and expertise criteria than other immigration investment programs in Canada, getting the interest of an incubator is a prerequisite for enrollment in the program, and it’s not a simple task to accomplish.
To qualify for PR status through this scheme, your business must have been successfully operated for at least 18 months, if not longer. It is not a scheme where you can buy Canadian immigration status alone; you also need to have a good business plan that you can afford to finance for a while.
Finally, because there are many prerequisites for the AAIP FGES stream, the period from enrollment to receiving Permanent Resident status will likely be lengthier than Express Entry programs. You should anticipate that it will take 4–6 months before you can apply for work permits and that it will take another 12–18 months for you to be inside Canada before you get your nomination certificate. The federal government will process your application for permanent residence after receiving your nomination in about 12 months. Of course, there are ways to continue to have a temporary resident status, such as a worker or student (Family member) in Canada, so that you can continue to work and manage your business. However, the Provincial Nominee Program’s processing period will be lengthier than applying directly to a federal agency.
Participants must fulfill the requirements listed below, as stated on the website of the Government of Alberta, to be eligible for the Alberta Start Up Visa Program. In addition to the requirements set forth by the official of Alberta, the designated agency has additional standards to make sure that the businesses enrolling in the program are a good fit, are maximizing the benefits of the program, are prepared for and actively pursuing their first sales or customer commitment and are also getting ready to scale and produce exponential growth in operations.
The time it takes to review your application will depend on when you submit it.
Participants must complete all homework assignments and attend all virtual sessions for a reference letter from the approved organizations. The time it takes to review your application will depend on when you submit it.
The business plan submitted for this program must show a relationship to one of the eight industries listed below:
- Technology
- Aerospace
- Financial services
- Energy
- Agriculture
- Tourism
- Life Sciences
- Pharmaceuticals
Suppose a foreign graduate otherwise qualifies for the Alberta Start Up Visa Program and has already established a company in one of the permitted industries in Alberta. In that case, they can also apply for the FGES stream. Before filing the Expression of Interest, the company must have successfully operated inside Alberta for at least a year. You don’t have to run your company for an additional year before applying for Alberta nomination if the official invites you to do so.
Yes! You may be eligible for this program if you meet the requirements! The AAIP is a route to permanent residency for foreign graduates who own and run a business in Alberta. When submitting their EOI, individuals must show that they meet the requirements listed in the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Points Grid and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream Mandatory Minimums Grid. Before submitting an EOI through the AAIP portal, the established business must have been operating in the province for at least a year.
How Can Arnika Visa Help With Alberta SUV Application?
At Arnika Visa, we assist you in determining the best course of action for obtaining a TRV (Temporary Resident Visa) or PR (Permanent Residency) to fulfill your immigration eligibility. We handle everything, from filling out immigration forms to assisting you with supporting documents. To improve your chances of visa approval, we give you expert guidance and a personalized supporting documents checklist. Finally, we submit your application to IRCC Canada on your behalf as your authorized immigration consultant (RCIC).
Our recommendations, advice, and help will support your visa application procedure. Our RCIC and his trained expert staff are skilled at helping customers with visa applications. We will carefully review, draft, and complete Your visa application paperwork. We provide you with the following:
- Detailed advice on improving your chances of getting a Canada visa.
- Ensure you provide the IRCC visa officer with financial information to reassure them that you have the resources necessary to go to Canada, including that of your designated organization.
- We will review your travel history and supporting documentation to decide how to present your visa application and what to emphasize when you submit it.
If you follow our guidelines, you will have a greater chance of getting your visa approved than if you applied for it independently. The first step in learning how the RCIC can assist you is to fill out the online free self- assessment form, which asks for details about your career, education, and personal history.
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If money isn’t a problem, what is the best and most assured way to obtain PR in Canada? Alberta Start-Up visa program or other Canada investor visas? Thank you kindly!
Hi, one of the best and most reliable pathways to immigrate to Canada for permanent residency is the Alberta Startup Visa (if you have graduated in the last ten years) and, otherwise, I recommend the Entrepreneur Immigration Canada PNP (Canada’s provincial business immigration program), Reza Eslami.
Hi, I recently discovered that a long-time Canadian friend in Alberta is leaving his job to start a new business I own and run in my home country. He asked if I’d be interested in helping him get things up and running as a 50/50 partner. Hi is looking at a $100,000 to $150,000 investment and a full-time job. Is there any opportunity for me to immigrate to Canada and get PR and citizenship? Is it better to buy a franchise in Canada or start a business in Canada? The Alberta Startup Visa could be better for this scenario than the C11 Work permit, but I would like your feedback. Thank you!
Exploring a business visitor visa is a wise approach for initial exploration. Collaborate with your friend, assess the business landscape, and consult immigration professionals to understand your options for permanent residency and citizenship in Canada. This strategic planning will enhance your chances for a successful and fulfilling immigration journey. Best wishes!
Hi, I’m a 51-year-old Pakistani citizen who has been doing business for over 22 years. I am currently running businesses in South Africa and France. I’m interested in establishing a business in Canada for alberta startup visa or PNP. How can you help me? Thanks
As an RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, R710241), we can provide legal assistance for your Canadian business aspirations. We will evaluate your eligibility for the Canadian business Immigration stream, guide you through the application process, and ensure compliance with immigration laws. Our expertise includes evaluating your business experience and creating a tailored strategy to enhance your chances of success in establishing a business in Canada. Please contact us to discuss your specific situation and create a customized plan to achieve your goals.
I have imported used automobiles, tires, and parts from Japan and sold them in Southern Africa and the UAE for 30 years. I’m interested in opening a dealership in Canada. Does it qualify for the Alberta startup application? How can you help me with it? Thanks
Your extensive experience in the automotive industry can be valuable for the Alberta startup visa application. We can provide comprehensive support, from preparing the necessary documentation to navigating the application process, ensuring all required documents are prepared, and highlighting the significant economic benefits your business could bring to Canada. Let’s schedule a consultation to discuss your plans and develop a strategy for a successful business visa application.
We are looking forward to assisting you!
After one year of experience with 612 points, I applied as a skilled worker in Manitoba, but my PGWP expired soon and is now on maintained status. Express entry CRS is 412 with a valid health care occupation-specific NOC code. I want help to get job offers from provinces like Alberta, etc. Please provide your guidelines for applying in Alberta or as you suggested.
Research Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program (AINP) for eligibility. Network and search for jobs on Alberta-specific platforms. Reach out directly to employers, tailoring your application to match job requirements. Consult immigration professionals for guidance on AINP or other immigration pathways. Consider alternative programs like the Alberta Start-Up Visa Program For Foreign Entrepreneurs (Called Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream) for additional opportunities.