Canadian province Alberta has started a new economic immigration program for international graduates from outside Canada.
The new program name is “Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa Stream (FGSVS)” and it nominates talented and qualified foreign-educated graduates from outside Canada for permanent residence upon launching start-up enterprises and innovative businesses in Alberta. The program has been launched for the “Foreign Graduate Startup Visa Stream” in January 2021.
After successful application for AINP, candidates can get a work permit of Canada to establish a business there. Once all business requirements are met, they can then apply for permanent residency through AINP nomination to IRCC. It has also been confirmed that there is no set-aside quota on received applications. Anyhow the program can be closed any time if the required number of applications has been met (not yet specified by AINP).
The province Alberta has introduced this immigration program to encourage worldwide graduates to open businesses in Alberta to assist and create high-paying jobs and diversify the economy.
Important
The program’s terms and conditions can be changed at any time by AINP. Though no quota has been set aside yet the application acceptance number can be set at any time prior to any further notice.
Investment requirements
The candidates must also show that they have minimum investment available at their end. If their business is going to be in an urban area in Alberta, the minimum investment requirement is $100,000 whereas for a rural area business, the amount is $50,000. The investment can be shown by:
– candidate himself
– by a spouse or common-law partner of the candidate
– or from a recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital, or angel investment firm
How to apply?
How one can apply is really simple. The candidates are invited to submit their EOI (expression of interest) by accessing the AINP (Alberta immigrant nominee portal) Portal. IN the online portal the candidates are asked to answer a series of questions online that pertain to their education, work experience, and proficiency in English or French, among other factors. Profiles will then be given a ranking score based on the FGSVS points grid and a set number of highest-scoring candidates will be invited to submit a Business Application. The information provided by the candidates will be judged by the AINP and the points given. Successful candidates will acquire an invitation to submit a business application. The interested foreign candidates must not forget that they must work with a designated agency. Currently, there are the following designated agencies to work with:
| Empowered Startups 420-744 West Hastings Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1A5 Phone: 604-229-1052 Fax: 604-229-2037 Website: empoweredstartups.com Email: info@empoweredstartups.com | Platform Calgary 429 – 8 Avenue SE Calgary, Alberta T2G 0L6 Phone: 403-284-6400 Website: www.platformcalgary.com/programs-and-events/foreign-graduate/ Email: fgsp@platformcalgary.com |
The designated agency will issue a letter of recommendation if it deems that the foreign graduate meets the AINP requirements. The foreign graduate must submit the letter of recommendation with their Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AINP Portal. The designated agencies do also perform other tasks such as
- connect foreign graduates with the appropriate networks, and provide business counseling, coaching, and guidance when launching their business in Alberta and while they are trying to achieve the requirements of the Business Performance Agreement (BPA)
- determine the entrepreneurial readiness of a foreign graduate and the potential success of the start-up by reviewing the business idea and provide support on the development of a business plan
- support the marketing of FGSVS
Alberta is a province in western Canada. Its land consists of mountains, fairies, desert lands, and extensive degraded forests. It has more than 600 lakes and rich mineral deposits. To the west, there are glaciers in Columbia Ice Fields in Rocky Mountain Parks, Canada. Waterton Glacier International Peace crosses the southern border with the United States.
Courtesy wikipedia
Eligible business sectors
The candidates must show that their chosen business is from one of the following eligible sectors:
- pharmaceuticals
- aerospace
- technology
- energy
- financial services
- agriculture
- tourism
- life sciences
| Basic requirements for the program, the candidate must have: |
|
FGSVS points grid. This is how you can score points against your skills:
| Criteria | Description | Points |
| Human capital | ||
Language proficiency
| First official language | |
| CLB 7 (7 for each reading, writing, listening, and speaking) (mandatory minimum) | 10 | |
| CLB 8 (8 for each reading, writing, listening, and speaking) | 20 | |
| CLB 9 or higher (9 for each reading, writing, listening, and speaking) | 30 | |
Education
| The minimum requirement is the completion of a degree from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada within the last 2 years with an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). Education credentials must be equivalent to Canadian standards. | |
| Bachelor’s degree (mandatory minimum) | 5 | |
| Master’s degree | 10 | |
| Doctoral degree | 15 | |
| Preference is given to candidates with the following degrees: | ||
| Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics | 10 | |
| Business | 10 | |
Business management, ownership, or equivalent
| Business ownership or management experience (more points allocated for additional years of experience) | |
| 6 months (mandatory minimum) | 5 | |
| more than 6 months to less than 1 year | 10 | |
| 1 to 2 years | 15 | |
| More than 2 years | 20 | |
| Preference will be given to candidates with the business ownership experience. | 15 | |
| Business Factors | ||
Business Plan
| A business plan with projected financial information. Business plan guidelines are available on the AINP website. | 40 |
Investment: prior to coming to Alberta
| The minimum level of investment from the 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 centers or regional areas, not both). Urban center: Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) Regional area: Communities outside the Edmonton and Calgary CMAs 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. Higher levels of investment after launch will be awarded more points. Points awarded for urban centre or regional area, not both. Urban centre: Edmonton and Calgary Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) Regional area: Communities outside the Edmonton and Calgary CMAs 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 | 10 | |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | 15 | |
| Over $200,000 | 20 | |
Job Creation
| 1 job | 5 |
| 2 jobs | 10 | |
| 3 jobs or more | 15 | |
| Total points: maximum | 200 |
The candidates also need settlement funds to apply for this stream:
| The population size of the community and funds required | |||||
| Number of family members | Less than 1,000 | 1,000 to 30,000 | 30,000 to 99,999 | 100,000 to 499,999 | 500,000 and over |
| 1 | $8,922 | $10,151 | $11,093 | $12,961 | $12,960 |
For a complete list of settlement, funds visit this link.
How to apply for Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa Stream (FGSVS):
Upon fulfilling all eligibility requirements for the program, a candidate has to do the following to apply for the work permit and PR:
- Submit an expression of interest online at https://ainp.labour.alberta.ca/. After starting the EOI application, you have 120 days to complete it. The EOI submission is free to submit. The EOIs are placed for a year of maximum time, and if you do not hear from the portal, after one year the EOI will be canceled and you will have to apply through a new application.
- The candidate’s information will be assessed based on an FGSVS Points Grid. Candidates with the highest-ranking points will be contacted directly by the AINP and invited to submit a Business Application.
- When asked, you will have to submit the business application package. A draft will be made for you to upload forms and documents. You will also have to pay the $3,500 non-refundable fee. You will have to submit all documents which are mentioned in this checklist.
- You will have to submit the business application package within 90 days of the time you receive the email. You may also be required to submit a Qualified Service Provider Report – if requested by the AINP. The AINP will only accept a Qualified Service Provider Report from one of the following QSPs:
| KPMG LLP 3100 – 2005 5 Avenue SW Calgary, Alberta T2P 4B9 Phone: 403-691-8000 Fax: 403-691-8008 Website: www.kpmg.ca Email: AINPverification@kpmg.ca | Grant Thornton LLP 1701 Scotia Place 2, 10060 Jasper Avenue NW Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3R8 Phone: 780-422-7114 Fax: 780-426-3208 Website: www.grantthornton.ca Email: ABPNP@ca.gt.com |
If the AINP feels that you have demonstrated that you meet all FGSVS criteria, you will be sent a Business Performance Agreement (BPA) by email for your review and signature.Your BPA is a legal agreement between you and the Province of Alberta. Your BPA will include:
- the industry sector that your business will operate within
- the term length of the agreement
- a list of other information relevant to your Business Application, including but not limited to:
- job creation
- business succession
- business location
- Once all parties have signed the BPA, the AINP will provide you with a copy of the signed agreement, a Business Application Approval Letter, and a 205(a) Letter of Support. The 205(a) Letter of Support allows you to apply for a 2-year work permit to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). There is no cost associated with this 205(a) Letter of support. Any subsequent 205(a) request will require a $100 processing fee.
After receiving the work permit, you can move to Canada and establish your business there. After living there for 12 months and meeting all the requirements of BPA, you can be nominated for permanent residency. For doing so, you will have to submit a final report for the AINP nomination. Once AINP is satisfied, you will be nominated to IRCC for PR. Important information links:
Forms and documents
- AINP Business Plan (Guidelines)
- AINP Change of Contact and Address Information form
- AINP Portal Helpful Hints
- Authorization to Collect and Disclose Personal Information for Spouse, Common-Law Partners, and Dependants
- FGSVS Business Application Document Checklist
- Net Worth Worksheet
- Request for Reconsideration form
- Request to Add or Remove Family Members
- Use of Representative form
- Self-assessment tool (please click to open)
- For more details, you can contact this service email id: entrepreneur.supportservice@gov.ab.ca
- Designated trades in Alberta: Please click here to open