Rural Renewal Stream Frequently Asked Questions

• How long does it take once I have the endorsement letter from the City?

  The province provides their processing time on their website. You should expect a processing time of at least six months to receive the provincial nomination. After that, you can apply for permanent residency through the federal portal, IRCC, which also takes at least six months to process. 

  You can see the federal processing times on their website.

• Where can I see updates to the provincial program?

  You can check the provincial website for updates.

• Where can I send requests for more information?

  Please note that employers and candidates are responsible to ensure they are currently eligible.

  For the City of Grande Prairie, all enquiries must be directed through immigration@cityofgp.com. For questions about AAIP, email lbr.pnpoffice@gov.ab.ca

• I want to immigrate to Grande Prairie. How do I get an Endorsement Letter?

  The City of Grande Prairie cannot offer letters of endorsement directly to prospective candidates. Candidates must receive a job offer from an employer who is based within the City of Grande Prairie and has been approved by the City under the Rural Renewal Stream. It is the responsibility of the employer to apply to the program, vet and select the best candidate and request the endorsement letter on their behalf. Once an employer has been approved under the Rural Renewal Program, qualified vacancies are listed by employer and updated after monthly community partnership meetings here.

• Is the program open to candidates who are already in Canada?

  Due to federal temporary foreign worker reductions, the province is prioritizing applications for the Rural Renewal Stream from candidates with valid work permits expiring in or after 2025. Candidates that are not currently holding a valid work permit expiring in no less than 6 months, will not be assessed by the City of Grande Prairie for an endorsement letter. Candidates that do not hold a valid work permit expiring in 2025 or later may not apply for an endorsement letter for this program currently. 

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  The Rural Renewal Program is open to prospective employees who are still overseas, as well as those who are already in Canada. Candidates already in Canada must be here with valid temporary status.

• How can Ukrainian Nationals Access the Rural Renewal Program?

  The Rural Renewal Program is open to any eligible candidate who has a formal job offer from an approved employer, who is in Canada with valid temporary status and who meets the requirements of the Rural Renewal Stream under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program. 

  Qualified vacancies are listed by employer and updated after monthly community partnership meetings here.

• Once I receive my endorsement letter, how soon do I need to apply to AAIP?

  Once the letter of Endorsement is issued, the employee is expected to enter their application into the AAIP Portal as soon as possible. This is part of their commitment to the employer and the community. Processing will not start until the province has finished processing all applications that are ahead in the queue. processing times can be viewed here.

• I’m a local employer with labour needs. How do I know if the Rural Renewal Stream is the best option for me?

  The RRS is a good option for employers who are having difficulties finding employees who are qualified to fill a given position and are willing to perform the work required. 

• Do Employers Need to complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)?

  The Rural Renewal Program offers employers the opportunity to wave the LMIA for the job vacancies by requesting a letter of endorsement from the City of Grande Prairie. An LMIA is not required for employers who recruit for vacant positions through this program.  

• What happens if the job doesn’t work out?

  Both the employer and the employee still have their 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. Once employment has been terminated, it is the responsibility of the employer to notify the Grande Prairie Community Partnership who will then notify AAIP of the change in status of the employee.  

• I am a Consultant or Immigration Consultant; can I represent a business?

  If a Grande Prairie business has hired a representative, that representative is welcome to contact us and send in the application, so long as the employer or registered signor for the business signs the application and is cc’d via email when requesting the qualification. The consultant must be licensed by the City of Grande Prairie.

  Employers and candidates do not require a consultant to represent them through this process and can email immigration@cityofgp.com with questions or to request an appointment with Economic Development. 

  Consultants who knowingly misrepresent themselves or provide fraudulent information to the City on behalf of their clients will be banned from participating in the program, representing any clients in the program and reported to the respective authority for investigation.

• Can the City of Grande Prairie or the Community Partnership answer specific immigration questions regarding applications or candidates?

  No.  The best place to look for information on the Rural Renewal Stream Immigration program and updates is the provincial page: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream.aspx Up-to-date information on candidate eligibility and documents required can be found here: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream-eligibility.aspx

• I want to apply for a position, where can I confirm I my experience, education, language and settlement funds make me eligible under the Rural Renewal Stream for permanent residency?

  The province site lists eligibility requirements here: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream-eligibility.aspx