ALBERTA IMMIGRANT NOMINEE PROGRAM

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) is an economic immigration program operated by the Government of Alberta with the Government of Canada’s department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It supports Alberta’s economic growth by attracting and retaining work-ready people to the province.

UPDATE: The new Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) will take effect January 2, 2018 and will replace the Employer-Driven Stream and Strategic Recruitment Stream. Until the new stream takes effect, the AINP will continue to accept applications for

both of these existing streams. Learn more about these changes.

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Individuals nominated by the Government of Alberta, together with their spouse/common-law partner and dependent children, can apply for permanent residence through IRCC as a provincial nominee. IRCC makes final decisions on all permanent resident applications.

The AINP offers options for both skilled and semi-skilled workers. You may be able to apply on your own, or with your employer. Review the streams and categories below and choose the best option for you..

AINP nominations will not be issued for the purpose of obtaining temporary work permit extensions.

 

 

 

 

REMINDER:

You must maintain a valid work permit throughout the AINP application and assessment process. Only applicants under the Strategic Recruitment Stream Engineering Occupations Category are exempt from this requirement.

At the time of assessment, you must provide the AINP with a valid work permit or implied status based on either:

  • a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or
  • a LMIA exemptionas determined by IRCC

Some LMIA exemptions from IRCC are not eligible under the AINP. The AINP will not consider the following exemptions:

  • International students studying in Canada, including students doing co-op work placements or internships as part of their study program
  • people doing charitable or religious work
  • people who need to support themselves while they are in Canada, such as those waiting on a refugee claim

In addition, you must meet all criteria for the category under which you applied. See the FAQ sectionfor more information.

Application requirements differ depending on the stream and category. Read more about each available stream and category below.

AINP STREAMS AND CATEGORIES ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

ALBERTA OPPORTUNITY STREAM

 

Applications are not being accepted under this stream until January 2, 2018. The criteria below is listed for reference purposes only. Applications to the Alberta Opportunity Stream postmarked before January 2, 2018 will not be accepted. In January 2018, the AINP website will be updated with further details on how to apply to this stream including application forms.

In 2018, the AINP will be implementing intake and nomination guidelines that will set the maximum number of applications accepted and nominations issued each year, as well as maximums for applications and nominations by sector and occupation. Further details on these guidelines will be posted on the AINP website in 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All selection criteria must be met to be eligible to apply to the AINP.

1. OCCUPATION REQUIREMENTS

At the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application you must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta.

Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible under the AINP.

INELIGIBLE OCCUPATIONS

Occupations that are not eligible are listed on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list. Review the list to determine if your occupation is ineligible in the end of this video

2. RESIDENCY STATUS AND WORK PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

At the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application:

  • You must have valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes you to work in Canada (i.e. temporary foreign worker). Ineligibleresidency status for the AINP includes the following:
    • refugee claimants or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process. It is not the mandate of the AINP to intervene in the federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process, or
    • temporary residents living or working in a province or territory of Canada other than Alberta, or
    • foreign nationals living or working in Canada who do not have valid temporary resident status
  • You must have a valid work permit (not implied status or restoration status) for an eligible occupation based on either:
    • a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or
    • a LMIA exemption for workers covered under international trade agreements, workers transferred within a company, or people taking part in International Experience Canada, as determined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

3. ENGLISH AND/OR FRENCH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

At the time your application is postmarked you must demonstrate you meet the following language test score in English or French:

Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) test score required Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) test score required
Minimum of 4 for each English language skill Minimum of 4 for each French language skill

As of January 2, 2019, the test score required for English and French language skills will be increased to a minimum of 5 in each language skill.

Note 
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 as follows:

  • CLB of 7 for each English language skill; or
  • NCLC of 7 for each French language skill

You must provide your official test results with your AINP application for one of the following language tests:

Official test results must be less than two years old at the time your application was postmarked. The AINP will not accept confirmation of registration to take a language test in place of a test result.

Check the IRCC guideline on CLB/NCLC equivalency for each of the tests.

4. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

At the time your application is postmarked you must have completed at least a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent.

  • To show you meet this requirement you must have your highest level of foreign education verified through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). The AINP only accepts the ECAs accepted by IRCC. Find out which ECAs will be accepted.

You are not required to provide an ECA if you have:

5. WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

  • Your “current occupation” is the occupation you are working in at the time your application is postmarked to the AINP.
  • You must be working in the same occupation when the AINP assesses your application for nomination.

Qualifying Work Experience

At the time your application is postmarked you must have either:

  • a minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or
  • a minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months
    • This work experience can be a combination of experience gained in Alberta, in Canada (outside Alberta) and/or abroad.

The work experience in the qualifying period:

  • must have been full-time, for a minimum of 30 hours/week; part-time work will not be considered,
  • must be for the same occupation as your current occupation,
  • must have been authorized by IRCC and with valid temporary resident status if completed in Alberta or Canada, and
  • cannot have been gained while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program

At the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application for nomination:

  • You must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta.
  • You must have a bona fide full-time job offer from an Alberta employer to work in your current occupation in Alberta and be working full-time for that employer in Alberta in that occupation.
    • Your Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered by or 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, and
  • Your job offer must be signed by you and your Alberta employer and must offer:
    • continuous, paid work,
    • full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours/week for 12 months,
    • work in your current occupation, and
    • work for an eligible AINP occupation for which you have a work permit that meets AINP work permit requirements
  • The following individuals are not eligible, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period:
    • part-time employees, regardless of their working hours,
    • independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, or
    • 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 a premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a “virtual” location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta

6. INCOME LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

At the time your application is postmarked, you must meet a minimum gross annual income level based on your “family unit” size.

Your “family unit” includes:

  • you, and
  • if applicable:
    • your spouse or common-law partner
    • your dependent children
    • your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children
    • any dependent children of your dependent children
    • any dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent children

Dependent children include all children related by blood or legal ties (including adopted and foster children) who are:

  • under the age of 22 and do not have a spouse or common-law partner, or
  • 22 years of age or older and are unable to be financially self-sufficient since before the age of 22 due to a physical or mental condition

If you are not married, do not have a common-law partner, and do not have any children, then you are a family unit of one.

Gross Income Thresholds Table

Number of members in family unit (including you) Gross annual income required (CAD)
1 $24,952
2 $35,287
3 $43,218
4 $49,904
5 $55,794
6 $61,120
7 $66,017
8 $70,575
9 $74,856
10 $78,905

If your family unit contains more than 10 members, contact the Immigrate to Alberta Information Service at 1-877-427-6419 to get the income level requirements associated with your family size.

INELIGIBLE OCCUPATIONS

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 BENCH WORKERS
4214 B EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS AND ASSISTANTS (ONLY THOSE WITHOUT CERTIFICATION AS A CHILD DEVELOPMENT WORKER (LEVEL 2) OR CHILD DEVELOPMENT SUPERVISOR (LEVEL 3) THROUGH ALBERTA CHILDREN’S SERVICES – CHILD CARE STAFF CERTIFICATION OFFICE)*
4216 B OTHER INSTRUCTORS
4217 B OTHER RELIGIOUS OCCUPATIONS
5232 B OTHER PERFORMERS, N.E.C.
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, N.E.C.
8611 D HARVESTING LABOURERS
8612 D LANDSCAPING AND GROUNDS MAINTENANCE LABOURERS
8613 D AQUACULTURE AND MARINE HARVEST LABOURERS
8614 D MINE LABOURERS

REMINDER DATE : 2 JANUARY 2018