Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

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Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) provides several pathways to permanent residency for workers, international graduates and business people. Qualified candidates may apply to three AINP streams, one of which is aligned with the Federal Express Entry System.

What are the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program Immigration Streams?

Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) is suitable for temporary foreign workers and Alberta graduates who are currently working in the province. Eligible candidates may receive a provincial nomination, with which they can apply for permanent residence. Read more on the eligibility requirements needed to apply under the AINP Alberta Opportunity Stream.

Alberta Express Entry Stream is an Alberta PNP stream, which is aligned with Express Entry. Nominated candidates benefit from extra 600 points towards their Express Entry score (i.e. Comprehensive Ranking System) as well as from faster processing times associated with the Express Entry system. Read more about eligibility criteria for AINP Alberta Express Entry Stream.

Self-Employed Farmer Stream is designed to facilitate provincial nomination and subsequently permanent residence of foreign nationals who have farming experience and fund to purchase and operate a farm in Alberta. Learn about the criteria for participating in AINP Self-Employed Farmer Stream.       

Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)

General Requirements

Alberta Opportunity stream is the primary provincial immigration avenue for workers and students currently in Alberta. As a prerequisite of this Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) stream, eligible candidates must have a valid work permit. This means that applicants from other Canadian provinces or abroad cannot apply. A valid work permit for the purpose of qualifying in this stream can be based on one of the following:

Alberta International Graduates

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must meet additional educational and occupational requirements to be eligible.

  • your occupation must be related to your field of study in Alberta.
  • Post-Graduation Work Permit holders are not eligible to apply to the Alberta Opportunity Stream if their occupation is on the Government of Canada’s list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta
  • if you were admitted and enrolled to an Alberta study program prior April 1, 2019, your certificate, degree or diploma must be from an approved Alberta public or private post-secondary institution. 
  • your Alberta education must achieve one of the below levels:
    • certificate or post-graduate certificate (minimum one year in length)
    • diploma program (minimum 2 years in length)
    • undergraduate bachelor’s degree
    • graduate level degree
    • graduate level certificate
    • graduate level diploma
  • if you were admitted and enrolled to an Alberta study program on or after April 1, 2019, your certificate, diploma or degree must be on the Alberta Opportunity Stream List. 

Eligible Occupations

At the time of the application to Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, the candidate under the Alberta Opportunity Stream must:

  • work in an eligible occupation in Alberta (See ineligible occupations in Alberta)
  • work in an occupation that matches your previous work experience
  • work in an occupation that is in skill levels 0, A, B, C and D of the National Occupational Classification. Find My NOC.

Ineligible Occupations in Alberta

Review the table below for ineligible occupations for immigration in Alberta.

*This National Occupation Classification (NOC) code consists of both eligible occupations and ineligible occupations. The ‘Occupation’ column specifies which occupations are ineligible for each NOC Code listed.

NOC Code (2016)

NOC Skill Level

Occupation

0011

0

Legislators

0422

0

School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education

0423

0

Managers in social, community and correctional services

0432

0

Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers

0651*

0

Escort agency managers, massage parlour managers

4031

A

Secondary school teachers

4032

A

Elementary school and kindergarten teachers

4154

A

Professional occupations in religion

5121

A

Authors and writers

5133

A

Musicians and singers

5135

A

Actors and comedians

5136

A

Painters, sculptors and other visual artists

1227

B

Court officers and justices of the peace

3223*

B

Dental laboratory assistants/bench workers

4214*

B

Early childhood educators who do not have certification through Alberta Children’s Services – Child Care Staff Certification Office or who have been certified as child development assistant (formerly Level 1)

4216

B

Other instructors

4217

B

Other religious occupations

5232

B

Other performers, not elsewhere classified

5244

B

Artisans and craftspersons

5251

B

Athletes

6232

B

Real estate agents and salespersons

4411

C

Home child care providers

4412

C

Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations

4413

C

Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants

6533

C

Casino occupations

6564

C

Other personal service occupations

7513

C

Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs

8442

C

Trappers and hunters

6623

D

Other sales related occupations

6722

D

Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport

6742

D

Other service support occupations, not elsewhere classified

8611

D

Harvesting labourers

8612

D

Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers

8613

D

Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers

8614

D

Mine labourers

Language Requirements

In order to qualify, you will need to provide a proof of English or French language ability in the form of a Language Test Results from one of the approved agencies. Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) requires a minimum score of CLB 4 for all four abilities: listening, speaking, reading and writing. 

If you apply to the AINP under NOC code 3413 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates), the AINP requires a minimum language test score of CLB 7 in all four abilities.

As of January 1, 2020

  • for applicants in a NOC 0, A or B occupation, you must meet a minimum of CLB 5 for each English or French language skill at the time of application.
  • for applicants in a NOC C or D occupation, the required language level stays at CLB 4 for each English or French language skill in all four abilities.

Education

All applicants to Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) – Alberta Opportunity Stream must have completed at least a secondary school level (e.g. High School) in the country of origin.

As of January 1, 2021, all candidates (except Post-Graduation Work Permit Holders), must have completed a minimum secondary education (e.g. high school) that is equivalent to Alberta standards.

Qualifying Work Experience

In order to qualify, you must have  

  • at least 12 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the past 18 months; or
  • at least 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the past 30 months
    • It 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 their current occupation in Alberta within the past 18 months.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders may include work experience gained during paid co-op work that was part of a program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution. It is applicable, only under these conditions:

  • the paid co-op work term was full-time (minimum 30 hours per week)
  • the work experience is directly related to your current occupation
  • the work experience was all gained in Alberta

Eligible Job Offers

Eligible job offers for Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program – Alberta Opportunity Stream must meet the following conditions:

  • the job offer or employment contract must be signed by you and your Alberta employer
  • your employer must be incorporated or registered 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.
  • you are offered continuous, paid work.
  • it is full-time work (at least 30 hours/week).
  • the offer is for employment of 12 months or more.
  • it is for work in your current occupation.
  • the offered wages and benefits meet provincial minimum wage and:
  • the offer is for work in an eligible AINP occupation for which you have a work permit that meets AINP work permit requirements

Alberta Express Entry Stream

Under Alberta Express Entry Stream qualified applicants may receive a Notification of Interest and apply for permanent residency. This stream is open to applicants who have demonstrated strong ties to Alberta and have the skills to help Alberta’s economic development. Unlike in the Alberta Opportunity Stream, international graduates from Canadian post-secondary schools may submit an application under this stream.

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

To be considered for nomination you must:

  • 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

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

Farm Management Skills

Applicants must prove that they have farm management skills.

Proof of this may include, but is not limited to:

  • 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.

Provincial Nominee Programs