The popularity of Alberta among immigrants has increased over the past few years. A large number of job opportunities exist in this region, and medical benefits are excellent. The application process for immigrants in Alberta is friendly and fast, and more than 10000 newcomers arrive there every year. The province has one of the lowest housing costs in Canada. Natural beauty and abundant resources make Alberta a prosperous province.

The province administers the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), formerly the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. Through this program, prospective immigrants with the right mix of skills and work experience needed by the province may receive an Alberta Provincial Nomination Certificate.The applicants, if nominated via the AINP program, can apply for permanent residence collectively with their spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children.

Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)

This stream is for temporary foreign workers who are already working full-time in Alberta and have a full-time job offer from an Alberta employer in an eligible occupation. Candidates must have a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or hold LMIA exempt work permits.

To be eligible, applicants must have a valid work permit, not implied status, or restoration status, when their application is either mailed to the AINP or submitted to AINP portal and assessed by AINP.

Occupation Requirement

Majority of the occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D qualify under the AINP.An applicant’s occupation must be related to his/her field of study in Alberta if he/she has a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

Language Requirements

An applicant should possess the following language test score in English or French.

Work Experience Requirements:

• Post-Graduation Work Permit holders need at least 6 months full-time work experience in their current employment in Alberta within the last 18 months.
• Applicant’s current occupation must also match their work experience at the time their application is mailed to the AINP or submitted in the AINP portal and when the AINP assesses your application. At the time application is mailed to the AINP or submitted in the AINP portal candidate must have either:
• At least 12 months full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months, or
• A minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in their current job in Canada or abroad within the last 30 months or both – this work experience can be a blend of experience earned in and outside Alberta or abroad.
• 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 obtained while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program, unless you are a PGWP holder who completed during paid co-op work terms as a part of your program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution.
• All applicants, including PGWP holders, must meet the following licensing, registration, and certification requirements:
• Possess the required licensing, registration, or certification to work in their current occupation in Alberta at the time their application is mailed or submitted in the AINP portal and assessed for nomination.
• 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).

Education Requirements:

Candidates must have completed at least high school education in the country of origin at the time their application is mailed or submitted in the AINP portal.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must possess Approved Alberta institutions credential issued by an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.

Job Offer Requirements:

• All applicants, must hold a bona fide full-time employment offer or contract from an Alberta employer to work in their current occupation in Alberta.
• Candidate’s employer must be incorporated or registered by or under the legislature act of a province, territory, or Canadian Parliament and functioning as a business that has an established production capability, plant, or place of business in Alberta.
• Applicant’s job offer must be signed by them and their employer and must offer:
• Continuous, paid work
• Full-time work (minimum of 30 hours per week)
• 12 months employment or more
• Wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage
• Individual candidate who are art-time, casual, or seasonal employees, regardless of their working hours, independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed as directors, shareholders, or agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES), employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business, employees who do not work on premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a ‘virtual’ location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta are not eligible to apply for or be nominated under the AOS, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period.

Self-Employed Farmer Stream:

• This stream applies to experienced farmers who intend to purchase or establish a farm in Alberta. To apply under this stream, below 2 steps should be followed by the candidates:
• Submit a business plan to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.
• Apply to the AINP post receival of a Ministerial Recommendation Letter which is released to candidates with a business plan approved by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry.

Program Requirements

• Farm management skills: Applicants should provide evidence that they possess farm management skills. The following can be considered as relevant proof:
• Financial documentation of an active farm business.
• Credentials of education, training, and work experience. .
• A future business plan for the farming enterprise being considered in Alberta. .
• Confirmation from a Canadian financial organization to invest in the proposed farming business. .
• Financial resources: Applicants must be able to:
• Provide a minimum equity in a primary production farming business in Alberta.
• Proof of the ability to retrieve funds of equal amount from additional sources. .
• Show their capability to invest more than the minimum. .
• Financial resources: Applicants must be able to:
• Include their investment plans in a proposed business plan.
• Represent better growth prospects related to Alberta’s agro-food targets to gain priority.
• Ineligible applicants: The following candidates do not qualify to apply under the AINP Self-Employed Farmer Stream:
• Refugee claimants, or individuals engaged in a federal appeal or removal process
• Live-in caregivers currently residing in Canada.
• International students studying in Canada, including students doing co-op work placements or internships as part of their study program.