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Great news for those hoping to immigrate to Alberta. The province might see the creation of two new Canadian immigration programs that together will welcome 10,000 immigrants to the region, specifically entrepreneurs and those willing to move to Alberta’s rural areas. The programs are proposed by the UCP and are dependent on the political party’s win in the coming elections. Find out more about these programs below.
In the meantime, Alberta already has several Provincial Nominee categories in effect that are available to you. With our team of experts on hand, we’ll narrow down your options from over 70 Canadian immigration programs, including those relating to Alberta. Your first step to Canada is our online evaluation.
Why Alberta Needs More Immigrants
According to the UCP’s leader Jason Kenney, immigration to Alberta is currently being affected by large backlogs and slow processing times. He also feels the province can do more to “attract talented newcomers from overseas, welcome entrepreneurs and encourage settlement in rural Alberta.” These reasons, coupled with the recent decline in the province’s rural population, have inspired the UCP to propose two new Canadian Immigration Programs in Alberta if they win the upcoming election.
Kenney believes that by welcoming 10,000 new immigrants to Alberta annually, the province’s economy will be reinvigorated with new businesses, innovation and skilled labor.
Alberta currently has its own immigrant nominee program that is designed to attract and retain foreign laborers to the province who have the skills and experience the region needs. The federal government annually assigns this program a quota, which sits at 5,000 positions for 2019. With the UCP’s proposed changes and new programs, this number is set to double!
New Alberta Rural Pilot Program
Following in the footsteps of the new Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, the UCP want to create a rural immigration program specifically for Alberta. Though Alberta has some of Canada’s most populous and popular cities, like Calgary and Edmonton, the province is really struggling to maintain a growing population and economy in their rural communities. In fact, only about 10% of all permanent resident admissions to Alberta choose to settle in rural areas of the province. The overwhelming majority of immigrants settle in the seven largest population centers; Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Lethbridge, Wood Buffalo, Grande Prairie and Medicine Hat (in descending order of popularity).
Like the federal program mentioned above, the proposed Rural Alberta immigration program will require the active participation of the region’s rural communities. A partnership will be formed by the community and the newcomers, whereby the community will likely issue referrals to help the right immigrants get provincial nominations for permanent residence.
Seeing as this new Canadian immigration program is only in its discussion phase we can only guess what the finer details and requirement will be. If the Federal Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program is anything to go by, local communities will also be responsible for the following:
- Helping employers share local job opportunities;
- Recruiting applicants for the program that meet Alberta’s needs;
- Recommending which applicants should apply for permanent residency; and
- Aiding newcomers with community services in housing, healthcare, public transportation; and educational services.
New Rural Entrepreneur Category
The UCP is also planning to launch a new Entrepreneur program for newcomers to start businesses in Alberta’s rural communities. Given the province’s vast farmlands and rich natural resources, there are plenty of opportunities for immigrants to start or invest in a business in the area. Rural Alberta is especially prime for new business ventures. The main requirement of this program would be that applicants have to own the majority of the business that they want to start or invest in.
Kenney would like to see this program bring in an additional 2,000 immigrants to Alberta’s rural communities. The finer details will be discussed with the relevant agencies and municipalities to ensure the program directly addresses the needs of the province. Once everyone is in agreement, this program is sure to bring significant economic benefit to the province.
Why Immigrate to Alberta?
Apart from being Alberta’s sunniest province, there are just too many reasons to move to Alberta. Some of these reasons include higher incomes and a lower cost of living. Families in Alberta earn 92,800 CAD a year on average, which is well above the national standard of 78,400 CAD, and because Albertans don’t have provincial health-care premiums and provincial sales tax, families have even more finances to live a comfortable life.
Alberta has a diverse community scattered across the province’s many cities and small towns. The natural landscape of this green province is truly a sight to behold. Home to the famous Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies, Alberta has boundless nature to explore. The province also enjoys free healthcare services and free primary and secondary public school education which makes living here really easy.
