Immigration to Alberta through Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

International graduates of Alberta universities who want to start a business in the province can immigrate to Canada through the provincial program for graduate entrepreneurs.

The Graduate Entrepreneur Stream of Alberta's provincial program allows international graduates who want to buy or start a business in the province to obtain permanent residency.

Eligibility

To apply for the Graduate Entrepreneur Stream, international students who have graduated from Alberta universities and colleges must meet the following criteria:

have completed a program of 2 years or more in one of the public universities in Alberta;
have got a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP);
demonstrate English or French proficiency at level 7 on the Canadian scale CLB;
buy or create a business in Alberta and own at least 34% of the company, the business must not be on the excluded list.

Other factors

A number of factors increase candidate's chances of receiving an invitation:

candidate has 6 months of work experience, which can be a combination of managing and owning a business (can be gained either in Canada or in another country);
business provides economic benefit to Alberta through job creation, business location, developed intellectual property, investment and so on;
candidate is from 21 to 49 years old;
candidate's spouse or common-law partner has worked in Alberta for at least 1 year or has attended a university in the province for two years, or has a CLB 5 language proficiency;
candidate or their spouse/partner has relatives in the province.

Candidate evaluation

Alberta uses the "Expression of Interest" scoring system to select applicants. The maximum number of points is 125. Candidates are evaluated on the following factors:

business establishment factors:
- business management or ownership experience — up to 15 points;
- economic benefit to the province — up to 40 points;
- business investment — up to 20 points;
human capital factors:
- language proficiency — up to 15 points;
- education in Alberta — up to 10 points;
adaptability:
- age — up to 5 points;
- spouse or common-law partner factors — up to 10 points;
- relatives in the province — up to 10 points.