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.

View the 10-step process

Step 1 - Local employers apply 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.
You can complete the Rural Renewal Stream Employer Application Form by clicking here.

Please note that one application will need to be completed for each type of job vacancy.

Employers with questions about their eligibility for the program, or the process itself, can contact the City's economic development team at ecdev@coldlake.com for more information.

Step 2 - Employers' applications are reviewed

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. Once considered complete, the application will be forwarded to the next meeting of the City of Cold Lake's Economic Development Advisory Committee. 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.

Step 3 - Approved job opportunities are posted to the website

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 48 hours. Employers may continue to advertise the position via other channels as they like.

Step 4 - Interview and job offer

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 - Letter of 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.

Step 6 - Letter of Endorsement Approved

Once application for a letter of endorsement has been received it will be considered for approval by the City of Cold Lake's Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Step 7 - Letter of Endorsement Issued

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 Applies to AAIP

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.

Step 9 - Application for Immigration

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 10 - Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream Follow-up

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.

Rural Renewal Stream employer eligibility and application form

Rural Renewal Stream candidate eligibility information

Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream Job Board