Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)

Eligibility for the applicants 

• Valid residency status that gives authorization to work in Canada such Temporary Foreign Workers with LMIA or LMIA exempt;

• Workers that fall under the international agreements, vulnerable workers and members of their family and;

• Post Graduation Work Permit holders who are graduated from Alberta and has education similar to the pervious work experience or education; 

• No refugee claimants and their family members;

• Temporary residents who are residing in Alberta at the time of application

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.

• Your work should not be in the list of ineligible occupation.  

• If you are the PGWP holder, your field of study must not be different than the job you are offered or the occupation you are associated with and the education must have obtained from the eligible educational institutes in Alberta. 

• The PGWP holders can not apply for permanent residency if their occupation is in high wage or low wage position occupations. 

Language Requirements 

For occupations listed in National Occupation Classifications 0, A and B, the applicant must have minimum of CLB 5 in each language skill in either of the Canadian Official languages. The accepted tests are IELTS general, CELPIP General or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). 

For occupations in National Occupation Classifications C and D, the applicant must have minimum of CLB 4 in each language skill in either of the Canadian Official languages. The accepted tests are IELTS general, CELPIP General or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC). 

For applicants who fall under the NOC code 3431, the minimum language requirements is CLB 7 in each language skills of either of the Canadian official languages. 

Educational Requirements 

Must have at least high school education in the country of origin, if the applicant is educated in foreign countries. 

For the Post Graduation Work Permit holders, the education must be from the approved Alberta Educational Institutions. 

Work Experience Requirements 

The applicant’s current occupation is the occupation he/she is working at the time of application.

Your current occupation must match the work experience at the time of application. 

At the time of application, the work experience must be either:

• 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.

For all applicants, including Post-Graduation Work Permit holders, work experience in the qualifying period:

• must have been full-time, for a minimum of 30 hours a week

• must be for the same occupation as your current occupation

• must have been authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and with valid temporary resident status if completed in Alberta or Canada

• cannot have been gained while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program, unless you are a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder who completed during paid co-op work terms as a part of your program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution.
  To qualify, the work terms must have been: 

• paid and full-time (minimum 30 hours per week)

• for work experience directly related to your current occupation, and

• for work experience all gained in Alberta

All applicants, including Post-Graduation Work Permit holders, must meet the following licensing, registration and certification requirements:

• You must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta at the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application for nomination.

• If you are working in a compulsory trade in Alberta you must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate.

• If you are working as childcare worker, you must have valid certification as a child development worker (formerly Level 2) or child development supervisor (formerly Level 3).

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

• Should not be in an ineligible occupation.

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

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

• Your Express Entry profile expires in 3 months or less

• You are working in an occupation that is on the list of High-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta set out on the online Government of Canada Refusal to Process a Labour Market Impact Assessment list or on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list, located on this page under the Alberta Opportunity Stream section

• that has a high volume of submissions across all AINP streams

If you receive a Notification of Interest letter from Alberta, you must email a copy of the letter to the AINP at the time of application. the Notification of Interest draws are drawn periodically. 

Alberta Express Entry Assessment Criteria

In order to consider your application for the nomination in Alberta, you should have:

• 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.

 Self-Employed Farmer Stream

Requirements for applicants

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

Farm management skills

Applicants must prove that they have farm management skills.

• 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