Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

Alberta, a province in western Canada, is primarily known for its oil and gas resources and agricultural production. Its landscape encompasses forests, magnificent Rocky Mountains, and picturesque prairies. In addition to the diverse economy and cultural background, it offers high living standard, outstanding healthcare, and excellent education systems.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program is an economic immigration program that targets prospective immigrants with the desired skills and experience to meet skill shortage in Alberta or the ones intending to acquire or set up a business. 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
• Alberta Express Entry Stream
• International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream
• Self-Employed Farmer Stream
• Occupation Requirements
• Language Requirements
• Education Requirements
• Work Experience Requirements
• Job Offer Requirements

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, the candidates must comply with the following requirements:

Residency and work permit requirements

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 Requirements

Eligible Occupations: An applicant ought to have an eligible occupation in Alberta when his/her application is either mailed to the AINP or submitted to AINP portal and assessed by AINP. Majority of the occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D qualify under the AINP.

Ineligible Occupations: Individuals that work in the occupations as mentioned in the below list do not qualify to apply or be nominated under the AOS:

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders

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, if his application is mailed to the AINP or presented in the AINP portal on or after January 1, 2020.

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.
• Commencing January 1, 2021, all applicants except Post-Graduation Work Permit holders are required to complete at least high school equivalent to Alberta standards.
• Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must possess Approved Alberta institutions credential issued by an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.

Work Experience Requirements

• Applicants 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.
• 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.
• 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.
  • Hold a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate, if working in a compulsory trade in Alberta.
  • 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).

  Job Offer Requirements

  • For all applicants, including PGWP holders, at the time your application is mailed to the AINP or submitted in the AINP portal, and assessed for nomination, they 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:
    a) Continuous, paid work
    b) Full-time work (minimum of 30 hours per week)
    c) 12 months employment or more
    d) Wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage and:
    • Meet or exceed the requirements set out in LMIA, or
    • If you are LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta.
  • The following individuals 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:
    
    • Part-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.

  Alberta Express Entry Stream

  This stream selects candidates from the express entry pool and invites them to apply for nomination. To qualify for consideration, applicant must meet the following requirements at the time application is either mailed or submitted to AINP portal and assessed:

  • Have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
  • Qualify for eligibility for at least one of the federal immigration programs:
    • Canadian Experience Class
    • Federal Skilled Trades Program
    • Federal Skilled Worker Program
  • Plans to and be able to reside and work in Alberta
  • Works in an occupation that favors Alberta’s economic development and diversification
  • Attains a Comprehensive Ranking System score of at least 300.

  In addition to the above criteria, following are the factors that may improves your chances of being nominated or assessed:

  • Employment offer and/or work experience in Alberta
  • A Canadian post-secondary institution graduate degree/credential
  • Parent, child, or sibling who is a Canadian citizen residing in Alberta or holds a permanent residency in Alberta

  International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream

  This Stream is for international students who have graduated from post-secondary institutions in Alberta and wish to immigrate to the province permanently by starting a new business or purchasing an existing business.

  Program Requirements

  Education

  The candidate must have completed at least two years of full-time education in Alberta, resulting in a degree or diploma from a designated post-secondary institution in Alberta. Completion of program of study must result in a Post-Graduation Work Permit.

  Work Permit

  The candidate must have a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) valid for at least 2 years at the time of your Expression of Interest (EOI) submission.

  Language

  The candidate must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7 for each English language skill or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) of 7 for each French language skill. Official test results must be less than 2 years old at the time your EOI is submitted.

  Business Establishment

  Must establish a new business or buy an existing business in Alberta with a minimum 34% ownership. The proposed business type must not be on the list of ineligible businesses.

  Business Partners must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents.

  Work Experience

  Have a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience that can be a combination of actively managing or owning the business or equivalencies. Equivalencies include experience with a business incubator or business accelerator, or completion of entrepreneurship program courses.

  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 of $500,000 CAD in a primary production farming business in Alberta.
  • Show a net worth of at least $500,000 CAD or proof of the ability to retrieve funds of equal amount from additional sources.
  • Show their capability to invest more than the minimum.

  Primary production investment: Applicants should:

  • Include their investment plans in a proposed business plan.
  • Represent better growth prospects related to Alberta’s agri-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.
  • Temporary foreign workers working and not staying in Alberta.
  • International students studying in Canada, including students doing co-op work placements or internships as part of their study program.