Alberta PNP Program

Alberta Provincial Nominee Program

Alberta is one of Canada’s most powerful provincial economies attracting newcomers from all over Canada as well as the rest of the world.

As a combined result of the number of jobs created by a strong economy, the number of temporary foreign workers in the province and the increased tightening of federal immigration programs, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has become one of Canada’s most popular immigrant recruitment programs.

Here we will talk a little more about the Alberta PNP system and how it works.

What Is the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program

The Alberta PNP or AINP lets the province hire skilled workers who have the right work experience and training needed to fill jobs in Alberta.

Those who successfully apply for the program can get permanent residence, when they receive a Provincial Nomination (PN) from the province.

All Provincial Nominees must meet the following requirements like:

Medical checks;
Criminal checks;
Security checks; and

Federal checks

You can only receive a permanent resident visa when you meet all of the above requirements.

Programs You Can Receive a PN From

You can recieve a PN when you apply and qualify under one of these programs:

  • Self-Employed Farmer Stream; or
  • Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)

Applying for Alberta PNP with Family

If you succeed in getting a nomination from the province, you, your spouse or partner and your dependent children can apply for permanent residence in Alberta.

Improvements to the AINP

The Alberta PNP systems have been made faster by:

  • Simplifying the application process; and
  • Opening more immigration streams for trade jobs

About the Alberta Opportunity Stream

The Alberta Opportunity Stream has replaced the:

  • Employer Driven Stream; and
  • Strategic Recruitment Stream

Changes to the Stream

You no longer need the support of an employer to apply for this program.

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Requirements for the Alberta Opportunity Stream

Residency and Work Permit Requirements;
Job Requirements;
Language Requirements;
Education Requirements;
Work Experience; and
Fund Requirements

Residency and Work Permit Requirements

You must have:

  • Temporary resident status in Canada to legally work in the country;
  • A valid work permit for a valid NOC job through:
    • A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA); unless you are
    • An LMIA exempt worker who is covered by international trade agreement; or
    • An LMIA exempt international student who has a Post Graduation Work Permit

You cannot apply if you are:

  • A refugee claimant; or
  • A person who is being deported from the country

Job Requirements

Work a job in Alberta that is part of the AINP. Note that most National Occupational Classification (NOC) levels like 0, A, B, C and D are accepted by the program; and
Have enough work experience in the job you are applying with

Please note that there are different conditions if you apply for the program with a Post-Graduation Work Permit.

Language Requirements

There are certain language tests you must qualify for. These are based off the:

  • Canadian Language Benchmark or CLB; and
  • Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens or NCLC

You must score 5 for both the CLB and NCLC in to qualify.

This does not apply for Job NOC codes like 3413, which include nurse aids, patient services and orderlies.

For these occupations you must score at least:

  • 7 for the CLB in English; and a
  • 7 for the NCLC in French

You must also include your test results from the:

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Test;
Test d’évaluation de français (TEF); or
Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test

Please note that all these results must not be older than two years when you apply.

Education Requirements

You must have:

  • A certificate or have completed a post-graduate certificate program;
  • A diploma that was at least two years long; or
  • An undergraduate bachelor’s degree, graduate degree; graduate level certificate or diploma

Changes

From Jan, 2021, all non Post Graduation Work Permit Holders must complete a high school degree that is equal to Albertan education standards.

From July 10, 2018, you must meet all the requirements for graduation, if you are Post Graduation Work Permit Holder. This must be approved by Alberta Advanced Education for both private and public high school.

Work Experience

You must apply for an applicable job under the AINP. This job must match the required work experience for your application. Please note that you cannot change the job you applied for in you application.

To qualify for this section of the application you must have:

12 months of full time work experience in Alberta for an AINP accepted job within a period of 18 months;
24 months of full time work experience in Canada within a period of 30 months; or
A Post Graduate Work Permit with six months full time work experience within an 18 month period (This work experience must be related to your degree or field of study)

Please note that if you are part of the Alberta credential program after October 1, 2018 you must:

  • Have completed an Advanced Education Approved Post Graduate Certificate; and
  • Have a job that relates to your studies

Work Experience for the Alberta Credential Program

To qualify for this program you must:

  • Work at least 30 hours a week, full-time;
  • Apply with the same occupation you qualified for; and
  • Have temporary legal status in canada as a permanent resident

Please note this does not count if you gained this status while studying as an international student or through an international internship program; unless you:

  • Hold a Post Graduation Work Permit
  • Work at least 30 hours a week, full-time; or
  • Have Albertan work experience in your occupation

To Qualify for a Nomination From the AINP You must:

Have the right documents to work at your current job in Alberta;
Have a full time job offer from an Albertan employer in your current occupation;
Have an Albertan employer who is registered under provincial legislature to operate as a place of business;
Have a job:
  • That lets you work at least 30 hours a week for a period of one year;
  • Have a job that is accepted by the AINP system;
  • That you must have a work permit for;
  • That you work full-time for, no part-time work will be accepted

Alberta Express Entry Stream

This program allows the province of Alberta to nominate a limited number of candidates from the Express Entry system. Candidates with strong ties to the province or those who will add to the economy of Alberta will be asked to submit an application via a notification of interest. International graduates who have graduated from Canadian institutions may also be nominated.

If you would like to apply for this stream you will have to satisfy all of the following personal eligibility requirements.

You must:

Have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool ;
Meet all the criteria of one of the Express Entry programs
Have the intention to settle, live and work in Alberta;
Accept an offer of employment for an occupation that supports Albertas economic development;
Have a minimum CRS score of 300 on your Express Entry profile;

In addition to the above requirements, your Likelihood of receiving a nomination is increased if:

  • You have a valid job offer in Alberta.
  • Work experience relevant to your field.
  • You have a direct family member who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen living in Alberta.
  • Graduated from an Alberta post-secondary institution.

You will have your application rejected if:

  • You have an active nomination under another AINP stream.
  • You are ineligible to apply to the AINP for a specified period. You may apply when this period has expired.