Alberta is one of Canada’s most powerful provincial economies attracting newcomers from all over Canada as well as the rest of the world.
As a combined result of the number of jobs created by a strong economy, the number of temporary foreign workers in the province and the increased tightening of federal immigration programs, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has become one of Canada’s most popular immigrant recruitment programs.
Here we will talk a little more about the Alberta PNP system and how it works.
What Is the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program
The Alberta PNP or AINP lets the province hire skilled workers who have the right work experience and training needed to fill jobs in Alberta
Those who successfully apply for the program can get permanent residence when they receive a Provincial Nomination (PN) from the province.
| All Provincial Nominees must meet the following requirements like: |
|---|
| Medical checks; |
| Criminal checks; |
| Security checks; and |
| Federal checks |
You can only receive a permanent resident visa when you meet all of the above requirements.
Programs You Can Receive a PN From
You can recieve a PN when you apply and qualify under one of these programs:
- Self-Employed Farmer Stream; or
- Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)
Applying for Alberta PNP with Family
If you succeed in getting a nomination from the province, you, your spouse or partner and your dependent children can apply for permanent residence in Alberta.
Improvements to the AINP
The Alberta PNP systems have been made faster by:
- Simplifying the application process; and
- Opening more immigration streams for trade jobs
About the Alberta Opportunity Stream
The Alberta Opportunity Stream has replaced the:
- Employer Driven Stream; and
- Strategic Recruitment Stream
Changes to the Stream
You no longer need the support of an employer to apply for this program..
Requirements for the Alberta Opportunity Stream
| You must: |
|---|
| You must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes you to work in Canada ie. be a temporary foreign worker ; |
| Be working full time in Alberta in an accepted NOC (National Occupation Classification); |
| Meet all the following conditions: |
| Residency and Work Permit Requirements; |
| Job Requirements; |
| Language Requirements; |
| Education Requirements; |
| Work Experience; and |
| Fund Requirements |
Residency and Work Permit Requirements
You must have:
- Temporary resident status in Canada to legally work in the country;
- A valid work permit for a valid NOC job through:
- A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA); unless you are
- An LMIA exempt worker who is covered by international trade agreement; or
- An LMIA exempt international student who has a Post Graduation Work Permit
You cannot apply if you are:
- A refugee claimant;
- A temporary resident living or working outside of Alberta; or
- A person who is being deported from the country
Job Requirements
| You must: |
|---|
| Work in a job in Alberta that is part of the AINP. Note that most National Occupational Classification (NOC) levels like 0, A, B, C and D are accepted by the program; and |
| Have enough relevant work experience for the job you are applying for |
Please note that there are different conditions if you apply for the program with a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
Language Requirements
There are certain language tests you must qualify for. These are based off the:
- Canadian Language Benchmark or CLB; and
- Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens or NCLC
You must score 5 for both the CLB and NCLC in to qualify.
This does not apply for Job NOC codes like 3413, which include nurse aides, patient services and orderlies.
For these occupations you must score at least:
- 7 for the CLB in English; and a
- 7 for the NCLC in French
| You must also include your test results from the: |
|---|
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Test; |
| Test d’évaluation de français (TEF); or |
| Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test |
Please note that all these results must not be older than two years when you apply.
Education Requirements
You must have:
- A certificate or have completed a post-graduate certificate program;
- A diploma that was at least two years long; or
- An undergraduate bachelor’s degree, graduate degree; graduate-level certificate or diploma
Changes
From January 1, 2021, all non-Post Graduation Work Permit Holders must complete a high school degree that is equal to Albertan education standards.
From July 10, 2018, you must meet all the requirements for graduation, if you are Post Graduation Work Permit Holder. This must be approved by Alberta Advanced Education for both private and public high school.
Work Experience
You must apply for an applicable job under the AINP. This job must match the required work experience for your application. Please note that you cannot change the job you applied for in your application.
| To qualify for this section of the application you must have: |
|---|
| 12 months of full-time work experience in Alberta for an AINP accepted a job within a period of 18 months; |
| 24 months of full-time work experience in Canada within a period of 30 months; or |
| A Post Graduate Work Permit with six months full-time work experience within an 18 month period (This work experience must be related to your degree or field of study) |
All applicants’ work experience, including Post Graduate Worke Permit Holders, must:
- Work at least 30 hours a week, full-time;
- Apply with the same occupation you qualified for; and
- Have temporary legal status in Canada as a permanent resident
Please note this does not count if you gained this status while studying as an international student or through an international internship program; unless you:
- Hold a Post Graduation Work Permit
- Work at least 30 hours a week, full-time; or
- Have Albertan work experience in your occupation
| To Qualify for a Nomination From the AINP You must: |
|---|
| Have the right documents to work at your current job in Alberta; |
| 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). |
| Have a full-time job offer from an Albertan employer in your current occupation; |
| Have an Albertan employer who is registered under the provincial legislature to operate as a place of business; |
| Have a job:That lets you work at least 30 hours a week for a period of one year;Have a job that is accepted by the AINP system;That you must have a work permit for;Wages and benefits must meet minimum wage;That you work full-time for, no part-time work will be accepted |
Fund Requirements
Changes:
Please note that as of November 2018 the AINP no longer requires that you have a minimum annual income to qualify for the program.
You must have enough funds to support you and your family before you apply for this program. Your family unit includes:
- You;
- Dependent children (under the age of 22 and who are not married); and
- Spouse or common-law partner
You must include these family members, even if they are not immigrating with you. Please note that you must use your gross annual income which is your yearly pay after tax.
You can use the Income Calculation Worksheet to see if you meet the fund requirements for the AINP.
| Family Size | Funds Needed CAD$ |
|---|---|
| 1 | 21,833 |
| 2 | 30,876 |
| 3 | 37,816 |
| 4 | 43,666 |
| 5 | 48,820 |
| 6 | 53,480 |
| 7 | 57,765 |
| 8 | 61,753 |
| 9 | 65,499 |
| 10 | 69,042 |
Alberta Express Entry Stream
This program allows the province of Alberta to nominate a limited number of candidates from the Express Entry system. Candidates with strong ties to the province or those who will add to the economy of Alberta will be asked to submit an application via a notification of interest. International graduates who have graduated from Canadian institutions may also be nominated.
If you would like to apply for this stream you will have to satisfy all of the following personal eligibility requirements.
| You must: |
|---|
| Have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool ; |
| Have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta ; |
| Meet all the criteria of one of the Express Entry Programs ; |
| Have the intention to settle, live and work in Alberta; |
| Accept an offer of employment for an occupation that supports Albertas economic development; |
| Have a minimum CRS score of 300 on your Express Entry profile. |
In addition to the above requirements, your likelihood of receiving a nomination is increased if:
- You have a valid job offer in Alberta.
- Work experience relevant to your field.
- You have a direct family member who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen living in Alberta.
- Graduated from an Alberta post-secondary institution.
You will have your application rejected if:
- You have an active nomination under another AINP stream.
- You are ineligible to apply to the AINP for a specified period. You may apply when this period has expired.
About the Self Employed Farmer Stream
This Self Employed Farmer stream in Alberta was created to help foreign immigrants start their own farms in Canada.
The basic requirements to apply to the Alberta Self Employed Farmer Stream are assessed on your:
- Education;
- Experience;
- Funds; and
- Language skills
Alberta Self Employed Farmer Stream
If you want to start your own farming business in Alberta, you can do so with the Self Employed Farmer Stream.
| Basic requirements for the Self Employed Farmer Stream are that applicants: |
|---|
| Must have proof of farm management skills including financial documents of an existing farm, education, training, wroke experience etc.; |
| Must have a proposed business plan for an Albertan farm; |
| Must have proof that a Canadian institution want to invest in your business(if applicable); |
| Must show the ability to invest no less than $500,000 equity in the farming business of Alberta; and |
| Must have a minimum net worth of or be able to invest $500,000 or be able to confirm access to similar funds. |
Changes to the Stream
Some of the major changes to the Self Employed Farmer Stream from December 2018 are:
- No longer minimum language skills;
- No longer minimum education; and
- No longer minimum income requirements.
Language Skills
To apply for the program you now need to have either a:
- Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 4 for speaking, writing, listening and reading; or
- A Niveaux de Compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) of 4.
Education
You must have completed high school and received a diploma. Please note that these must be equal to Albertan education standards.
Income
| You must earn at least: |
|---|
| $21,883 a year for any application handed in from 2018 to 2019; and |
| $23,392 a year for any application handed in from 2020 to 2021 |
Those Who Cannot Apply for the AINP Self Employed Farmer Stream
You cannot apply for this stream if you are:
- A refugee claimant;
- Being removed or in the process of being removed from Canada;
- Work as a caregiver in Canada;
- Work as a Temporary Foreign Worker who is not living in Alberta; or
- Study in Canada as an international student doing internships or co-op work placements.
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