Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
This stream is for foreign-educated graduates who want to start or invest in an Alberta business, working through an AAIP-approved designated agency that must recommend them. Applicants present a business plan with projected financials and a pitch deck, and are scored on a points grid. Minimum investment levels differ between urban centres and regional areas.
Open
Status
Job offer
How you apply
Key requirements
| Education | Degree from a post-secondary institution outside Canada completed within the last 10 years, with an ECA confirming Canadian equivalency. |
| Language | CLB/NCLC 5 in each skill. (minimum CLB 5) |
| Work experience | At least 6 months of full-time experience in business management or ownership, or experience with a business incubator/accelerator program. |
| Job offer | Not required |
| Ties to the province | Business plan for an Alberta business plus a mandatory Letter of Recommendation from an AAIP-approved designated agency; settlement funds based on LICO are required. |
| How you apply | Expression of Interest (EOI) — you register a profile and wait to be invited |
| Points system | Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream points grid |
| Money — funds, net worth, investment | Minimum investment of $100,000 in an urban centre or $50,000 in a regional area outside the Calgary and Edmonton CMA, before relocating; minimum ownership of 34% (urban) or 51% (regional). |
Summary only — requirements change and details decide real cases. Always confirm the full criteria on the official program page before applying: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-foreign-graduate-entrepreneur-stream-eligibility (this record was verified against that source on 23 Oct 2026). This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice.
Score yourself on the Alberta grid
The published points calculator for this province — and the program matcher, which checks this program against your profile.
Not sure this is your program?
Answer a few questions and get a free eligibility assessment from a licensed consultant.
How long will it take?
Current IRCC processing-time estimates, recorded daily.