Alberta PNP Program

Alberta PNP Program 2024

The Alberta PNP or Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), formerly the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), is an economic immigration program that nominates immigrants for permanent residence in Alberta.

Through this program, prospective immigrants with the right combination of skills and work experience as required by the labour market in the province receive an invite. After invitation, if an immigrant receives a nomination from AAIP Express Entry Stream, an additional benefit of 600 points in the CRS Score will be awarded, which helps in moving to Canada as a permanent resident.

Processing time for Alberta PNP

Processing Time (Estimated Average) for Alberta Immigration Nominee Program Streams. Please note that processing times are subject to change and may vary based on individual circumstances.

• Alberta Opportunity Stream: Estimated Processing Time: 4 months
• Alberta Express Entry Stream – Accelerated Tech Pathway: Estimated Processing Time: 1 month
• Dedicated Healthcare Pathway: Estimated Processing Time: 1 month
• Priority Sectors (Construction, Agriculture, Hospitality, and Tourism): Estimated Processing Time: 2 months
• Alberta Express Entry Stream (Family Connection and Occupation in Demand): Estimated Processing Time: 3 months
• Rural Renewal Stream: Estimated Processing Time: 2 months

Note: The processing times mentioned above are approximate averages from submitting a complete application until a final decision is issued. Actual processing times may vary depending on the complexity of the application and other factors.

Categories under Alberta PNP

Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is majorly divided into two different immigrations types:

Streams for Workers: AAIP offers three streams for foreign workers who are residing and working in Alberta or who intend to do so. These are:

• Alberta Opportunity Stream: In order to qualify for this stream, it is mandatory for the candidate to have a job offer from an employer in Alberta and must reside and work there.
• Alberta Express Entry Stream: Under this stream, AAIP invites skilled candidates who have an Express Entry profile to submit an application for a nomination for permanent residence.
• Accelerated Tech Pathway: The Immigration Department of Alberta has developed this stream in order to meet the labor market demands of the technology sector. This stream is open to qualified applicants (with an active Express Entry profile) who are employed by or have a job offer from an Alberta-based tech industry employer in an eligible tech occupation.
• Rural Renewal Stream: This stream is for qualified skilled candidates who have a job offer from an employer based in Alberta and wish to work in a recognized rural Alberta community.
• Stream for Entrepreneurs: AAIP offers four streams for entrepreneurs who plan to live in Alberta and buy or start a business in the province. These are:
• Rural Entrepreneur Stream: This stream is for entrepreneurs who want to start a business or buy an existing business in a rural community in Alberta.
• Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: This stream allows international graduates from an approved Alberta post-secondary institution who want to start a business or buy an existing business, to apply for permanent residence.
• Farm Stream: This stream is for experienced farmers who plan to buy or start a farm in Alberta.
• Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream: This stream allows foreign graduates and entrepreneurs from outside of Canada to apply for permanent residence.

Eligibility Criteria of Alberta Express Entry Stream?

For a skilled worker willing to explore possible pathways (other than Express Entry), especially under the Provincial Nominee Program (or PNP), it is mandatory to understand the minimum eligibility criteria of each pathway.

If Alberta is the intended province for the purpose of immigration, and one has no connections in Alberta, then Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program offers an Alberta Express Entry Stream that allows skilled workers to obtain Canadian Permanent Residence.

In order to receive an NOI, i.e., Notification of Interest, it is mandatory for a skilled worker to:

• Have a valid express entry profile
• Have a minimum CRS, i.e., Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300 points
• Stated an interest in moving to the province, and
• Working in a profession that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification

Improve chances of being invited by the Alberta Express Entry Stream

Having strong connections is not a mandatory factor, but this may increase the chances of receiving an invite from Alberta’s Express Entry Stream. The list of factors that may help in increasing the chances is as follows:

• Having a job offer from Alberta.
• Being graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution.
• Immediate family member (including parent, child, brother, or sister) who is living in Alberta as a Canadian permanent resident, a Canadian citizen, or
• Having French as a Primary Language

Accelerated Tech Pathway

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program’s (AAIP) Accelerated Tech Pathway is for qualified skilled workers (with an active Express Entry profile) who are employed by or have a job offer from an Alberta-based tech industry employer in an eligible tech occupation. It is mandatory for a skilled worker to score a minimum of 300 points in the CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) to be eligible for this stream.

Employer should also be a part of Alberta tech industry as defined by the AAIP list of eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes.

In addition to this, the primary occupation in the Express Entry profile should match the occupation offered by the employer in Alberta (on employment or job offer letter).

Eligible occupations in Alberta PNP Program

Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), like other provinces that participate in Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), has no list of in-demand occupations. Instead, at the time when AAIP is processing the application for a provincial nomination, the skilled worker must work in an eligible occupation or profile that is classified under Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill levels “0”, “A”, or “B”, or TEER Level 0, 1, 2, or 3.

Now, like other PNPs, AINP does not release the details of the occupations that are in demand in the province. Instead, candidates are required to have work experience in an eligible occupation that supports the province’s economic development and diversification process.

At the time when AINP is processing your application for a provincial nomination, you must work in an eligible occupation. Most of the occupations that are classified under Canada’s National Occupation Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C, and D are eligible under the Alberta PNP program.

List of ineligible occupations in the Alberta opportunity stream

If you are working in any of the following occupations at the time of your application is processing, then you will be ineligible to apply for Alberta provincial nomination through Alberta Opportunity Stream: