- Employers are strongly advised to review all eligibility criteria before applying. Special consideration should be given to the current AAIP application acceptance count for the year, as well as the nature of Job the employer is applying for. Applications submitted to the AAIP are categorised into a hierarchy of needs, which means the most critically needed applications (jobs that are most critical to Alberta’s economy) are given priority, regardless of submission date. The AAIP only selects a handful of the highest ranking applications to process each month. The remainder of the applications are then rolled over into the next month for re-evaluation and selection, based on the labour gaps for that month.
Rural Renewal Stream
The City of Cold Lake is proud to be a designated community under the Rural Renewal Stream of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). As a designated community, the City of Cold Lake is positioned to provide an important pathway between eligible local businesses with eligible job openings, and qualified newcomers.
The Rural Renewal Stream offers eligible workers an opportunity to immigrate to the community with the formal support of the City of Cold Lake. The nomination takes place through a provincially-approved process managed by the City's economic development team. The program can be used to attract and retain newcomers and support local employers by filling labour gaps. This will support workforce development by helping employers meet labour demands, expand the skilled workforce, and support community and economic growth.
For questions about the Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream, email our Economic Development Team at ecdev@coldlake.com
Endorsement letter applications can ONLY be submitted by Employers.
Submissions by private individuals will not receive a response.
View the 10-step process
Step 1 - Review Employer Eligibility
Step 2 - Local Employer Applies to the Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream
- Employers with a vacant work opportunity that they have not been able to fill locally, regionally, or within Canada, complete an application and submit it to the City of Cold Lake.
- Link to First Time Employer Application
Step 3 - Employers applications are reviewed by Administration 10 Business Days
- The City's economic development team will review the application and may conduct an interview with the employer to determine eligibility and gather more information. Employer applications are approved by the City’s Economic Development Department under the oversight of the City of Cold Lake’s Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC). Once considered complete, City Administration will notify the employer of their application status and provide next step. Approved applications are allowed to continue with the process but remain subject to final approval by EDAC.
- The Economic Development Advisory Committee will review all of the applications approved by City Administration at their monthly meeting, and will determine final eligibility by a vote of the committee.
Step 4 - Approved Employers are invited to initiate the hiring process
- Once an employer's application has been approved by the Cold Lake Economic Development Advisory Committee, it will be posted to the City of Cold Lake's Rural Renewal Stream Job Board within two business days. Employers may continue to advertise the position via other channels as they like.
- Prospective candidates can review the job boards and will apply for positions directly to the employer. The employer undergoes their usual hiring process for foreign nationals. It is strongly advised that employers ensure prospective employees are eligible for immigration to Canada during the interview process and prior to making a job offer. Once the employer makes a job offer to a qualified candidate for permanent, full-time work, they can proceed to the next step.
Step 5 - Approved Employers are invited to submit a Candidate Endorsement Application
- The employer applies to the Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream for a letter of endorsement on behalf of the successful candidate. A Request for Endorsement Letter Form will be provided directly to the employer by the City of Cold Lake's economic development team.
- Employers may only submit 10 Endorsement Letter nominations per calendar year, regardless if the nomination is successful or not. The nomination is still counted if an approved employee leaves the place of employment.
- Employers must have no more than 20% of their business's total workforce hired through any Temporary Foreign Worker Program (eg. Rural Renewal Stream, Alberta Opportunity Stream, LMIA, etc.)
- Employers that are at, or over, the allotted 20% threshold will not be allowed any new nominations until:
- the total headcount increases enough to qualify for additional nominations, or
- enough endorsed employees have left the employer to drop the TFW hired employee percentage to below 20%
- Request for Candidate Endorsement
- Applications received and processed by the City’s Economic Development Department are submitted to EDAC for review roughly 10 days before their monthly meeting.
- All applications received in the 10 days proceeding the committee meeting will be processed and presented at the next committee meeting.
- The Economic Development Advisory Committee may request the presence of the employer or a designate to answer questions about the application.
- The Economic Development Advisory Committee will review the application and will determine eligibility by a vote of the committee.
- Once the application for a letter of endorsement is approved, the letter of endorsement will be issued directly to the successful candidate. The employer will be notified once the letter was issued. Please note that in order to receive a letter of endorsement, candidates must receive a job offer from a business in the City of Cold Lake for a position that has been approved under the Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream.
Step 8 - Candidate completed Provincial AAIP program, and the IRCC Permanent Residency process
- Once the successful candidate receives their letter of endorsement, the candidate then applies for provincial nomination through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program to receive a 204C letter from the Government of Alberta.
- Please note that at this point in the process, any questions about the application process or the application itself must be made to the Government of Alberta.
- Once the successful candidate receives the 204C letter from the Government of Alberta, the candidate must then make application to the Government of Canada via Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada
Step 9 - Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream Candidate participates in a program debrief interview
- Employers will meet with the candidate and a representative from Cold Lake and District FCSS. FCSS will provide the newcomer with community information, information regarding available supports, and provide them with the support they need to settle and integrate into the community. This meeting must take place within one month of the candidates arrival in the City of Cold Lake.
- A second follow-up appointment will be made with the successful candidate within three months of their arrival to ensure that they have the information and support they require. A contact point with the City's economic development team will be provided to ensure that the candidate can receive additional support as they continue to navigate the immigration process and settle into the community.
Alberta Opportunity Stream
If you are a qualified Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) candidate and are already living and working in Alberta, the Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) is another route you can take to obtain permanent residency. If you have a current full-time job offer from an Alberta employer in an eligible occupation, you can apply online through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program Portal.
For information on eligibility criteria and how to apply, click here
Contact Us
City of Cold Lake
5513 - 48 Avenue, Cold Lake, Alberta, T9M 1A1
T. 780-594-4494
F. 780-594-3480
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