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AAIP Entrepreneur Business Performance Agreement Guide

A Business Performance Agreement is a legal agreement between the candidate and the Province of Alberta based on the approved Business Application and business plan. Signing it or receiving business approval is not nomination: ordinary-path candidates must operate, report, meet the agreement, and pass the Final Report assessment.

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A legal agreement, not nomination

The Business Performance Agreement is a legal agreement between the candidate and the Province of Alberta. It turns commitments in the approved Business Application and business plan into operating and assessment conditions. Signing the agreement does not amount to nomination or permanent residence.

What the agreement records

AAIP says the agreement includes the industry sector, term length, and relevant commitments such as job creation, business succession, and business location. A Rural agreement may also include business investment. Its requirements are based on the candidate's Business Application and business plan, not a generic checklist.

Sign and return the agreement

Current instructions require candidates to sign, scan, and return the agreement within 14 days. Always follow the live AAIP page and your own email if instructions change. The Business Application Approval Letter is not a nomination and cannot be used to apply for permanent residence.

Graduate approval package

On the ordinary Graduate path, the signed agreement is followed by a signed agreement copy and Business Application Approval Letter. That letter does not extend a current work permit and is not a nomination; use the current AAIP and IRCC instructions if more status time is needed.

Foreign Graduate and Rural approval packages

Foreign Graduate and Rural ordinary-path candidates receive a signed agreement copy, Business Application Approval Letter, and a 205(a) Letter of Support that lets them apply to IRCC for a two-year work permit. The support letter is not the permit itself.

Initial 205(a) work-permit boundary

Current Foreign Graduate and Rural instructions say to apply with the initial 205(a) Letter of Support within three months to facilitate arrival in Alberta within 12 months of the approval letter. Check the live deadline. A 205(a) letter does not guarantee a work permit; IRCC alone decides whether to issue one and its validity.

Operate the approved business

For at least 12 months, ordinary-path candidates must actively own and operate the approved Alberta business, meet their agreement, and show successful operation through the production of goods or services after one year. Stream-specific ownership, location, and other conditions still apply.

The reporting clock differs by stream

Graduate candidates submit a Start-up Report within 30 days of the Business Application Approval Letter issue date, then a Business Progress Report after each six-month period from that date. Foreign Graduate and Rural candidates submit an Arrival Report within 30 days of the work permit issue date, then a Business Progress Report after each six-month period from the permit date.

Agreement changes and work-permit extensions

After signing, current instructions let a candidate request to change only the agreement term length; approval is not guaranteed. A candidate needing more time to complete the agreement must request a new 205(a) Letter of Support within 90 days before work permit expiry. AAIP may decline the letter, and IRCC may decline the permit extension.

Final Report before nomination

After meeting the agreement, the candidate submits a Final Report for Nomination. AAIP assesses compliance with the Business Performance Agreement and applicable criteria. Candidates must continue to meet the Business Performance Agreement during nomination assessment; approval is required before a nomination can be issued.

Established-business exception

Candidates approved under the separate established businesses in Alberta criteria are not required to sign a Business Performance Agreement and may receive nomination after Business Application approval. Owning an existing business does not automatically qualify someone for this exception.

Language comes before the agreement

In speaking/listening/reading/writing order: Graduate NCLC 7 requires speaking 10, listening 458, reading 453, writing 10; Foreign Graduate NCLC 5 requires speaking 6, listening 369, reading 375, writing 6; Rural NCLC 4 requires speaking 4, listening 331, reading 342, writing 4. Results must be less than two years old at EOI. Language eligibility does not prove later agreement compliance. Farm Stream uses a separate paper application and is not part of this three-stream Business Performance Agreement flow. This is not legal advice or immigration advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is an AAIP Business Performance Agreement?
It is a legal agreement between the candidate and Alberta based on the approved Business Application and business plan.
Does signing the agreement mean I am nominated?
No. Ordinary-path candidates still operate for at least 12 months, report, meet the agreement, and pass the Final Report assessment.
Do all three Entrepreneur streams automatically issue an initial 205(a) support letter?
No. The ordinary Foreign Graduate and Rural approval packages include it; the Graduate page lists the signed agreement and approval letter and treats work-permit extensions separately.
Do reporting dates work the same in all three streams?
No. Graduate reports run from the approval-letter date; Foreign Graduate and Rural reports run from the federal work-permit issue date.
Can a signed Business Performance Agreement be changed?
Current instructions allow a request to extend only the agreement term, and approval is not guaranteed.
Does owning an established Alberta business always remove the agreement?
No. The exception applies only when AAIP approves the candidate under the separate established-business criteria.

Official source

2026-08-22.

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This page provides educational information only and is not legal or immigration advice.