What is the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program?

Alberta is a western province that boasts two major Canadian cities: Calgary and Edmonton. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), formerly the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, invites immigrants who have the right skills and work experience to come and settle in the province.

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There are eight options of immigration streams under the AAIP. The streams are divided between options for workers and options for entrepreneurs:

Streams for workers

Alberta Opportunity Stream
Alberta General Express Entry Stream
Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway
Rural Renewal Stream

Streams for entrepreneurs

Farm Stream
Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
Rural Entrepreneur Stream

Streams for workers

The Alberta Opportunity Stream is an option for skilled workers who are currently working in Alberta and international graduates who have completed their studies at an approved Alberta post-secondary institution.

The AAIP urges student applicants that can demonstrate education and work skills that are aligned with Alberta’s labor market needs to apply for the Alberta Opportunity Stream.

The Alberta General Express Entry Stream is an option for candidates in the Express Entry system with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300. The candidate must also have an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification.

If the candidate is nominated by Alberta, they will receive an additional 600 CRS points, which essentially guarantees an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in a following Express Entry draw.

The Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway is an option that falls under the Express Entry stream. It is open to candidates that currently work in Alberta’s technology industry or who have received a job offer in the technology industry in one of 38 occupations listed by the province.

The Rural Renewal Stream was created to address labour needs and skill shortages in rural Alberta communities. Its purpose is to address local economic needs and promotes community growth. The stream is an option for candidates with a job offer to work in a rural Alberta community from an Alberta employer.

Streams for Entrepreneurs

The Farm Stream purpose is to attract farm owners and operators to come to Alberta to purchase or manage their farming business. The stream is an option for applicants who can demonstrate farm management skills and sufficient financial resources to invest in a primary production farming business in the province.

Alberta’s Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is intended for international students who have graduated from approved post-secondary institutions in Alberta and who wish to start a business. Applicants under this stream establish or operate a business in Alberta on a work permit and can then apply for Canadian permanent residence.

The Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is designed for talented foreign graduates from outside Canada who wish to start a business. Once the applicant starts a business in Alberta, they will be nominated for Canadian permanent residence.

The Rural Entrepreneur Stream is for immigrant entrepreneurs looking to start a business or acquire a business in one of Alberta’s rural communities. The goal of the program is for entrepreneurs to create jobs for Albertans and nominate the applicant for Canadian permanent residence.

How does it work?

An applicant must first determine, based on eligibility criteria, what stream is right for them based on their specific situation.

Enhanced streams are aligned with the federal Express Entry system. Candidates in the Express Entry system who want to immigrate to Alberta may receive a Notification of Interest from the Alberta government and must reply to it. If selected, they must apply through the AAIP portal.

In Alberta, only the Alberta Express Entry stream and the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway is enhanced.

All other current streams in Alberta are base streams. In order to apply through one of these streams, applicants are required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the province’s AAIP portal, instead of being selected through the Express Entry system.

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