Lloydminster is now part of a provincial effort to attract and retain immigrants to rural communities.
The city can access the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program’s Rural Renewal Stream.
This means that municipalities can provide a letter of nomination to foreign nationals who have already secured a job offer. While all other immigration procedures will need to be met, officials say the letter of nomination substitutes for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement and thereby streamlines the immigration process for the prospective employee.
One benefit of this is that Lloydminster will be able to access funding for programs and services that support immigrant settlement, integration and increased promotion of the community to potential immigrants, say officials.
“Our community has much to offer newcomers, and we look forward to welcoming them and their unique experiences and diverse backgrounds, which can enrich and expand the horizons of our community and foster growth and development,” says mayor Gerald Aalbers.
The city’s Economic Development department and the Lloydminster Local Immigration Partnership will coordinate the program and details of the application process are to be announced.
More details on this program and immigrating to Alberta are available online.