Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)

Residencey Status and work Permit requirements

When you submit your application and at the time the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) assesses your application, you must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes you to work in Canada (i.e., temporary foreign worker).

Eligible applicants

When AINP assesses your application, you must have a valid work permit (not implied status or restoration status) for an eligible occupation. Valid work permits are based on one of the following:

• a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

• a LMIA exemption for workers based on one of the following exemptions as determine by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC):

  • international trade agreements

  • workers transferred within a company

  • International Experience Canada

  • Mobilité Francophone

  • an open work permit issued by IRCC to

    • vulnerable workers who have demonstrated they are experiencing abuse or are at risk of abuse in the context of their employment in Canada, including under the Vulnerable Workers Open Work Permit (VWOWP) exemption, or

    • the family members of a vulnerable worker under the VWOWP exemption

• a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) held by a graduate of an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution

  • PGWP holders must also meet specific occupation, education and work experience requirements as set out below.

Occupation requirements

Eligible occupations

At the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application, you must work in an eligible occupation in Alberta. Occupation requirements also apply to your work experience and job offer. You must review the Work Experience criteria and Eligible Job Offer criteria sections for details.

The occupation you are working in at the time your application is postmarked to the AINP is your “current occupation.”

Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible under the AINP.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders

If you are a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder your occupation must also be related to your field of study in Alberta. You must review the Education criteria section for details on eligible Alberta credentials and approved Alberta institutions.

Language requirements

If your application is postmarked on or after January 1, 2020 you must demonstrate you meet the following language test score in English or French:

If you apply to the AINP under NOC code 3413 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates), the AINP requires a minimum language test score of CLB of 7 for each English language skill, or NCLC of 7 for each French language skill.

Education requirements

Eligible applicants

At the time your application is postmarked you must have completed a minimum of high school education in your country of origin.

Starting January 1, 2021, all candidates except Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must have completed a minimum of high school equivalent to Alberta standards.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders

Your credential must be issued by an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.

Work experience requirements

Your “current occupation” is the occupation you are working in at the time your application is postmarked to the AINP.

Your current occupation must also match your work experience at the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application.

Qualifying work experience

• At the time your application is postmarked you must have either:

• a minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or

  • a minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months

This work experience can be a combination of experience gained in Alberta, in Canada (outside Alberta) and/or abroad.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders require a minimum of 6 months full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months.

Eligible job offers

For all applicants, including Post-Graduation Work Permit holders, at the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application for nomination, you must have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in your current occupation in Alberta.

Your Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada and operating as a business that has an established production capability, plant or place of business in Alberta.

Your job offer or employment contract must be signed by you and your Alberta employer and must offer:

• continuous, paid work

• full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours/week

• employment for 12 months or more

• work in your current occupation

• wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage and:

  • meet or exceed the requirements set out in your LMIA, or

  • if you are LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out on the Alis website

• work for an eligible AINP occupation for which you have a work permit that meets AINP work permit requirements

You must meet the terms agreed to in your job offer or employment contract at the time of application and assessment.

Alberta Express Entry Stream

The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows Alberta to nominate a limited number of qualified candidates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry system.

Candidates who have demonstrated strong ties to Alberta or who can help support the government’s economic development and diversification priorities may be asked to submit an application.

International graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions may also be asked to submit an application under this stream.

Only candidates who are asked to submit an application to the Alberta Express Entry Stream will be considered.

Selection from Express Entry pool and Notification of Interest process

Based on available profile information in the Express Entry portal, Alberta may select candidates and send them a Notification of Interest letter in their federal Express Entry profile. This information is self-declared by candidates in the Express Entry pool.

You may receive a Notification of Interest letter if you:

• Have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool

• Have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta

• Are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification, and

• Have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300.

If you have one or more of the following adaptability factors, this may increase your likelihood of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

• Alberta job offer and/or work experience

• A graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution

• A relative that is living in Alberta: parent, child, brother and/or sister

Alberta Express Entry Stream assessment criteria

If you have received a request from AINP to submit an application to the Alberta Express Entry Stream, you must determine if you meet the assessment criteria before you submit an application. You may only submit an application if you can demonstrate you meet the following criteria.

You will be assessed against this criteria at the time your package is postmarked and at the time your application is assessed.

To be considered for nomination you must:

• Have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool

• Meet the criteria of at least one of the federal immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades Program or Federal Skilled Worker Program

• Intend to and be able to live and work in Alberta

• Be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification

• Have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300.

If you have one or more of the following adaptability factors, this may increase your likelihood of being nominated:

• Valid Alberta job offer and/or work experience

• A graduate of an Alberta post-secondary institution with a valid Alberta job offer, or

• Parent, child, brother and/or sister who is a permanent resident living in Alberta, or a Canadian citizen living in Alberta.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream application form is not available online. The AINP provides these documents by email to candidates.

Self-Employed Farmer Stream

Requirements

Applicants to the Self-Employed Farmer stream must meet the following criteria. Meeting this criteria does not guarantee a nomination or permanent residence.

Farm management skills

Applicants must prove that they have farm management skills.

• Proof of this may include, but is not limited to:

• financial documentation of an existing farm business

• documentation of education, training and work experience

• a proposed business plan for the farming enterprise you are considering in Alberta

• proof that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance your proposed farming business

Sufficient financial resources

Applicants must be able to invest a minimum of CDN $500,000 of equity in a primary production farming business in Alberta.

Documents must be provided that show a minimum net worth of CDN $500,000 or confirmation of the ability to access to a similar amount of funds from other sources.

Applicants may be required to show the ability to invest more than the minimum.

Primary production investment

Applicants must document their investment plans in a proposed business plan.

Applications representing the best opportunity for growth relevant to Alberta's agri-food targets will be given priority.

Eligibility

The following individuals are not eligible under the AINP Self-Employed Farmer Stream:

• refugee claimants, or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process. It is not the mandate of the AINP to intervene in the federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process.

• live-in caregivers currently living in Canada

• temporary foreign workers working and residing in a province other than Alberta

• international students studying in Canada, including students doing co-op work placements or internships as part of their study program