Rural Renewal Stream: Employer Eligibility

Employers who wish to fill job vacancies using the Town of Bonnyville Rural Renewal Stream must meet a series of criteria and apply for the program before providing a genuine offer of full-time employment to a qualified and eligible candidate. If your business is interested in accessing the program, you can complete the online Town of Bonnyville Rural Renewal Stream Employer Application Form here. Applications require a 30-day review and approval period.

Employer Eligibility for the Rural Renewal Stream

The employer's company must be incorporated, or registered by or under, an act of the legislature of a province, territory or the Parliament of Canada and operating within the municipal boundaries of the Town of Bonnyville.
The employer must have full-time, permanent work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week with continuous employment for 12 months or more. The wages and benefits offered must meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for the occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out in the ALIS website.
To be eligible, employers must not be in violation of any federal, provincial or municipal laws, bylaws, or regulations. Employers must be in good standing with:
- Occupational Health and Safety
- The Worker's Compensation Board of Alberta
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Town Condition: The employer must hold a valid Town of Bonnyville business license,
Town Condition: The employer must have a physical (building) presence within the Town of Bonnyville.

Do I need an LMIA?

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is not required, but demonstrated efforts to recruit locally, provincially, and nationally are required.
- Job Opportunities must be available to Canadians first, at the same pay and working conditions. Employers must demonstrate that they have attempted to advertise the job vacancies locally, regionally and nationally. The Town of Bonnyville Rural Renewal Stream requires that employers advertise for at least two weeks prior to applying to the Town of Bonnyville Rural Renewal Stream. This is a minimum standard.

Other Eligibility Requirements

Once approved in the program and prior to issuing an offer of employment, employers should note that the occupation and the prospective employee must also meet eligibility criteria under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program's Rural Renewal Stream. There are also requirements surrounding the job offer itself. Employers are strongly encouraged to review the available information carefully and become familiar with the requirements.
Employers are required to demonstrate knowledge of the responsibilities of welcoming newcomers and how to provide a warm and welcoming environment. A business looking to participate in the program must demonstrate that it understands and knows the employer's responsibilities with respect to federal and provincial immigration laws and regulations. The following are resources that prospective employers are encouraged to review prior to recruiting:

The Employer’s Roadmap – Hiring & Retaining Internationally Trained Workers
Employers Guide – Attracting & Retaining Immigrants
A safe and welcoming workplace creates an environment where all employees are valued and respected. For more information on safe and welcoming workplaces visit the Alis website.

What jobs are ineligible for the program?

The Government of Alberta defines occupations that are not eligible for the Rural Renewal Stream. A list of ineligible occupations can be found on the Government of Alberta's Rural Renewal Stream - Eligibility web page.

How to apply?

All employers will be required to submit a completed Town of Bonnyville Renewal Stream Employer Application Form.

Still have questions? If you would like to meet with the Town of Bonnyville’s Economic Development Officer, Mark Laver, to discuss the Town of Bonnyville Rural Renewal Stream, learn more about the process, or to discuss your application, please email mlaver@town.bonnyville.ab.ca.