Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream
Economic Development Lethbridge as part of the Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream Partnership Council is administering the Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream, an initiative of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).
This program, developed to help attract and retain workers in Lethbridge is a employer driven initiative and the first steps are to be taken by Lethbridge businesses in approved sectors to become approved employers in the Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream.
The Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream Partnership Council meet every other week to evaluate application submissions.
Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream - Process Flow
Step 1 Employer Eligibility Check
Ensure your business meets the eligibility criteria and review the recommended support information to familiarize yourself with the program responsibilities and expectations.
Complete the Employer Eligibility Check List and send it by email to immigration@chooselethbridge.ca
Description:
Employers must be approved to participate. You can review them here Job offer and employer requirements | Alberta.ca
Business Eligibility:
- Belong to one of the eligible sectors: Automotive Repairs & Maintenance; Manufacturing; Engineering & Architectural Services; Construction and Health and Social Services.
- Is located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Lethbridge.
- Be incorporated with at least 2 years of operations.
- 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
- Has considered Canadians and Permanent Residents for the subject job.
- Employment offers or contracts must be signed by the employee and employer, and must provide:
- Continuous, full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week employment 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 as set out in the Alis website.
- Is not known to be in violation of any federal or provincial legislation.
- Agrees to abide by the rules and guidelines of the Lethbridge Rural Renewal Stream Community Partnership.
Supporting Documents:
- Employer Eligibility Check List
Step 2 Employer Submits Application to Partnership Council
For program eligibility to fill vacancies or support PR applications.
Description:
Upon confirming eligibility, you are invited to submit the Lethbridge-RRS-Employer-Application-Form-Feb-06-Update.pdf
The partnership Council will review, and approve when appropriate, your application. If your business is approved, you will receive an email notification.
Once approved the employer is free to use the program to fill vacancies or support PR applications.
(*) Reviews are conducted every second Friday, confirmations made within a week.
Step 3 Employer Pre - Assesses Candidate
Employer evaluates the candidate's qualifications and suitability before initiating the formal process.
Description:
Employer must complete the Candidate Pre-assessment Check List and send it by email to immigration@chooselethbridge.ca
Candidate Eligibility Criteria
- Valid work permit with at least 12-15 months from the expiry date.
- Must reside in the City of Lethbridge
- Meet Language requirements for the occupation (CELPIP or IELTs test)
- Education Requirements (Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) or an IRCC-approved assessment)
- Candidate must meet the work experience criteria and must have all licensing requirements if they’re working in a regulated occupation in AB.
- Ensure your candidate have at least 61 points in the AAIP EOI Point Grid. Pre-assessing candidates saves time, strengthens applications, and helps employers understand how their workers currently fit into the program. Please complete: https://forms.office.com/r/VKHT17shd6
Disclaimer: The AAIP EOI Point Grid Pre-Assessment tool is not an official component of the program. It is provided solely for informational purposes to give employers a general indication of how their workers may align with the program’s current points threshold.
Supporting Documents:
Candidate Pre-Assessment Check List
Candidate AAIP EOI Point Grid Pre -Assessment Tool
Step 4 Employer Identifies Suitable Candidate & Submits Endorsement Form
Form is sent to the Partnership Council for approval.
Description:
Approve employers, who have identified and pre-asses suitable candidates will need to fill out a candidate endorsement form and submit it to the Partnership Council for approval.
Please attach a copy of the following documents (where applicable) to help us expedite this process:
- Signed offer of employment
- Work Permit
- Resume
- Language confirmation (CELPIP, IELTS, etc.)
- Education confirmation (ECA, Canadian degree/diploma/certification)
- Licensing requirements (if applicable)
- Settlement fund confirmation (if applicable)
- Passport (applicable only to candidates outside of Canada)
Supporting Documents:
Lethbridge_Rural_Renewal_Stream_Job_Posting_Candidate_Endorsement-Aug-22-2024.pdf
Step 5 Partnership Council Verifies Documents & Approves Candidates
Description:
Once all documents are verified, Council will approved candidate.
If the candidate documentation is not complete this will cause delays in the processing times.
If the candidate documentation is not aligned with the program candidate requirements the application will not move forward.
(*) Status Updates provided within one week.
Supporting Documents:
Lethbridge_Rural_Renewal_Stream_Job_Posting_Candidate_Endorsement-Aug-22-2024.pdf - COMPLETED
Candidate documents for review:
- Signed offer of employment
- Work Permit
- Resume
- Language confirmation (CELPIP, IELTS, etc.)
- Education confirmation (ECA, Canadian degree/diploma/certification)
- Licensing requirements (if applicable)
- Settlement fund confirmation (if applicable)
- Passport (applicable only to candidates outside of Canada)
Step 6 Candidate Interview with Partnership Council
Description:
Council contacts the candidate for an interview via the email (cc employer).
Interview is conducted to verify eligibility.
Supporting Documents:
Council candidate Interview Email (employer cc).
Step 7 Council Issues Candidate Endorsement Letter
If approved, the candidate receives the endorsement.
Supporting Documents:
Council sends the endorsement letter email (employer cc).
Step 8 Candidate Applies to AAIP (Alberta Advantage Immigration Program)
Description:
Candidate Applies to AAIP (Alberta Advantage Immigration Program) using the endorsement letter.
How to apply to AAIP worker streams | Alberta.ca
Important: Don’t do this step until your endorsement letter has been received.
Supporting Documents:
Helpful Hints for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program Portal
Step 9 AAIP Notifies Candidate of Application Status
Final decision on provincial nomination. Wait until you receive the government invitation to apply.
