Info for Candidates | City of Medicine Hat

Program Update:

Effective February 20, 2025, the Southeast Alberta Municipal Immigration program for the City of Medicine Hat and the Town of Bow Island is temporarily paused. This decision follows recent Federal and Provincial immigration policy changes that have lowered immigration allocation spaces throughout the province. During this time, no new applications will be accepted. All applications received before this date will be duly processed.

The status of the program in Medicine Hat will be reviewed in January 2026, and updates will be posted on our website and social media channels.

Timelines for program resumption is unknown at this time. Thank you for your understanding.

For the most accurate information on processing times and inventory, be sure to check the AAIP website.

The following is a program overview for candidates that identifies eligibility requirements for participation. Employers and candidates are responsible to read and understand all provincial and regional eligibility requirements.

Employers suspected of charging fees or accepting funds in exchange for an offer of employment to a foreign national will be suspended from the Southeast Alberta Rural Renewal without reimbursement of any kind and will be reported to Alberta Employment Standards and the Canadian Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office.

Candidate Eligibility

Provincial Requirements

Provincial eligibility requirements are not identified on this page. To avoid lost-time and money, candidates are responsible for reading and understanding the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), including:

Community Residency Requirements
Occupation Requirements
Community Endorsement Requirements
Qualifying Work Experience Requirements
Job Offer Requirements
Language Requirements
Licensing, Registration and Certification Requirements
Education Requirements
Ineligible Job Offers
Settlement Fund Requirements
Ineligible Occupations

Alberta Advantage Immigration Rural Renewal Stream

Alberta Immigration Job Offer and Employer Requirements

Regional Requirements

Once candidates have determined they are eligible under the provincial requirements they must determine if they are eligible under the regional requirements. Read below:

Occupation and Job Offer Requirements

Eligible job offers are performed within the municipal boundaries of the City of Medicine Hat or the Town of Bow Island.

AAIP has a list of occupations that are not eligible. In Medicine Hat, the following occupation NOC codes are only permitted to candidates that are living within Canada and have the ability to start working in the community immediately.

65100 (Cashiers and Customer Service Representative)
65201 (Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers, and related support occupations)
65310 (Light Duty Cleaners)
64100 (Retail Salespersons and Visual Merchandisers)
64314 (Hotel Front Desk Clerks)
14101 (Receptionist)

Application Fee

Employers are required to pay a $350 application fee for each Job Offer that is submitted and approved. Job Offers are reviewed for eligibility and accuracy before payment is requested. Payments are made online by credit card only.

Wage

Candidates must be paid a minimum living wage of $18.15 per-hour, OR the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat region prevailing median wage for their occupation, whichever is greater. This can be found on the Canada Job Bank Wage Report. The provincial median-wage may be used if no regional rate is available.

Important Considerations

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders who have completed a two-year post-secondary education program at Medicine Hat College are not required to meet the 12 months of work experience criterion.

All prospective immigrants, temporary workers, and Canadians are invited to use the SAMI Job Board to look for employment opportunities in the community.

On November 18, 2025, AAIP announced upcoming changes to the Rural Renewal Stream, which will take effect January 1, 2026. These updates are intended to better align with provincial priorities and manage nomination spaces. Detailed information is available on the official AAIP website and the RRS eligibility page.  https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-rural-renewal-stream-eligibility

Important Notes for Candidates:

Candidates with an endorsement letter in the EOI pool who have not yet received an Invitation to Apply (ITA) should note that the one-year endorsement letter validity now applies. Decisions on endorsement letter renewals will be announced once community allocation limits are confirmed. All updates will be communicated to affected candidates by email.

Candidates residing in Canada must hold a valid work permit at the time of application and assessment. Maintained status is acceptable if valid at the point of application assessment by the province.

If you have already submitted an application to the province, these changes do not affect your application.

The status of the program in Medicine Hat will be reviewed in January 2026, and updates will be posted on our website and social media channels. Timelines for program resumption is unknown at this time.

Job Board

How to Apply

Application Details

Candidate reads and understands the provincial and regional eligibility criteria
Candidate secures an eligible job offer with a participating employer in the community
1. Candidates employed in an eligible occupation must talk to their employer about participating in the Rural Renewal OR
2. Find employment opportunities with participating employers by visiting the SAMI Job Board
Employer submits a Request to Participate form and attends a 30 minute online consultation
Participating employer submits a Job Offer form to apply for candidate endorsement letter
Candidate receives invitation and participates in 30 minute interview
Candidate and employers are notified of the endorsement letter decision by email

Application for Endorsement Letter

The following information will help you prepare the necessary forms.

Document Checklist:

English language test results that are no more than two (2) years old (IELTS or CELPIP)
A copy of your highest Canadian education completed or international credential assessment by World Education Services (WES)
A copy of your current resume including employer references and any records of employment
A scanned copy of your passport