Rural Entrepreneur Stream | Town of Westlock

Start or Buy a Business. Build Your Future in Westlock, Alberta.

The Rural Entrepreneur Stream (RES) is a pathway for international entrepreneurs to launch or acquire a business in rural Alberta and gain permanent residency. Westlock is a proud participant in this program — offering a unique opportunity to grow your business in a well-connected, supportive, and affordable community.

Located just 85 km from Edmonton, Westlock is one of the first RES-approved communities north of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, giving you direct access to a population of over 1.6 million while operating in a low-cost rural environment.

Why Westlock?

Strategic Location: Highway 44 and CN Rail access, with direct links to the Edmonton region and northern Alberta.

Urban Access: Serve one of Alberta’s largest markets while benefiting from small-town affordability and simplicity.

Available Space: Affordable commercial property for purchase or lease.

Skilled Workforce: Access to local and regional labour across multiple sectors.

Supportive Environment: Town staff ready to help with planning, permits, and business integration.

Who Can Apply?

To be eligible under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) – RES, you must meet these minimum criteria:

Have either a minimum 3 years of experience as an active business owner/manager or a minimum of 4 years of experience as a senior manager within the past 10 years.

Completed a minimum of high school equivalent to the Canadian standard with an Education Credential Assessment (ECA).

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website lists the designated organizations for ECAs.

Have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4 for each English language skill or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) of 4 for each French language skill: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Official test results must be less than 2 years old at the time your Expression of Interest is submitted. The AAIP only accepts the following language tests:

Check the IRCC website on CLB/NCLC equivalency for each of the tests.

Minimum net worth of $300,000. All assets must be candidate’s own personal holdings or spouse's or common-law partner’s.

Minimum investment of $100,000 from candidate’s own (and/or spouse/common-law partner) equity. Higher levels of investment will be awarded more points.

Minimum ownership of 51% for a new business. Business Partners must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents.

OR

100% ownership for business succession (the succession buy-out must result in a complete change in ownership where the candidate will assume full control of the business).

Business must not be on the list of ineligible businesses.

Resources on how to establish a business in Alberta, including supports and services related to business plan development, business start-up, and business loans are available on the Small business resource page.

New businesses must create at least one full-time job for Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents (not including relatives).

More job creation will be awarded more points. Jobs must be created for Canadian citizens or permanent residents (not including relatives) for a period of at least 6 months.

For business succession, job creation is not required.

Candidates must have a Community Support Letter from a participating rural Alberta community.

*NOTE: The most updated requirements by the province can be found on their website: https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-entrepreneur-stream-eligibility.

The Process: 7 Steps to Westlock

1. Submit a Pre-Screen Form

Introduce yourself and your business idea. We’ll assess your eligibility and schedule an exploratory visit.

Start the Pre-Screen Form Here.

2. Exploratory Visit

Meet with Town staff virtually or in person. Get to know our community, local economy, and available properties.

3. Expression of Interest (EOI)

Submit your EOI to AAIP with a business concept and our Community Support Letter (if approved).

4. Business Application

If selected, submit a full business plan, third-party net worth assessment, and pay application fees.

5. Sign Business Performance Agreement

Commit to meeting investment, job creation, and operation benchmarks.

6. Start Your Business in Westlock

Apply for a work permit, relocate, and launch your business.

7. Apply for Permanent Residency

Once targets are met, AAIP will nominate you. You can then apply for permanent residence with IRCC.

What We Expect in Your Business Plan

We want to see:

- A real understanding of Westlock’s market and community needs
- Clear operational and financial planning
- Startup and monthly cost breakdowns
- Job creation estimates
- Competitor analysis and value proposition
- Preferred location(s) and real estate agent (if applicable)

Ineligible Businesses

To maintain quality and fit for our community, the following are not eligible:

- Passive investments or property rental
- Used goods sales, payday lending, pawn shops
- Adult entertainment or cannabis-related businesses
- Home-based businesses without a commercial component

We’re Ready When You Are

If you have the experience, the capital, and the drive, we want to hear from you. Contact:
Davis Prizgintas, Economic Development Officer

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