Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) >>>>Eligible individuals can apply to this program as a path to working and living in Alberta permanently.
Services and information
Review Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) eligibility or learn how to request reconsideration of an AINP application decision.
Forms and information to help you apply for the AINP Alberta Opportunity Stream, Self-Employed Farmer Stream and Alberta Express Entry Stream.
Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP) nominees must apply for permanent residence immediately after becoming a provincial nominee.
Use this information to estimate processing times for applications and determine which streams are accepting applications.
Information for individuals who applied under AINP streams, categories or initiatives that are now closed.
Changes due to COVID-19
The AINP continues to accept and process applications, with temporary adjustments to some application and assessment processes.
We are working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and reviewing our processes and policies on an ongoing basis.
Find information on IRCC’s response to COVID-19, including the impact on its temporary and permanent immigration programs, on IRCC’s website.
If you have questions about COVID-19’s impact on the AINP, call the Immigrate to Alberta Information Service at 1-877-427-6419 or use the Opportunity Alberta Feedback form.
Temporary changes as of April 29, 2020
Current candidates are defined as candidates who mailed their application on or before April 29, 2020.
Submitting applications
We will accept copies for all document types, as well as copies of signatures on forms from both new and current candidates, including:
- copies of candidate, spouse/common-law partner, dependant and representative signatures on application and request forms
- copies of educational transcripts for Post-Graduation Work Permit holders
We may confirm the authenticity of signatures and transcripts by other means, including phone and email.
We will only accept applications by mail. We will not accept electronic applications.
New candidates may submit an incomplete application only if they:
- meet all Selection Criteria for their AINP stream, but are missing some documents to demonstrate they meet criteria due to COVID-19
- include a written explanation as to why the document(s) cannot be acquired
- provide evidence they have requested the document(s) from the individual or organization who will issue the document or evidence the issuing body is not issuing documents due to COVID-19, and
- for the Alberta Opportunity Stream, they include either valid language results or proof of registration for a language testing session on or before October 29, 2020, or
- for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, they include valid language results and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)(if applicable)
New applications that do not meet these requirements will be declined.
If a current candidate cannot provide documents due to COVID-19, they must provide:
- a written explanation as to why the document(s) cannot be acquired, and
- evidence they have requested the document(s) from the individual or organization who will issue them or evidence the issuing body is not issuing documents due to COVID-19
Assessment of applications
We will temporarily hold new applications for 60 calendar days from date of mailing and current applications for 60 calendar days from date of assessment where the application is either incomplete due to COVID-19 or the AINP program officer cannot verify information or documentation.
We will advise by email when an application is put on hold.
After 45 days, we will determine if an additional 60 calendar day hold will be applied. We will advise the candidate by email of the status of their application by each 60 calendar day mark.
The longest we will hold an application is 6 months. After 6 months, we will make a decision on the application based on the information available and the candidate’s circumstances at that time.
Candidates must advise us of any changes to their employment, address, email, phone number or family status while their AINP application is in process.
Information about a change in employment must be emailed to the AINP program officer who is processing the application or mailed to the AINP.
Do not mail information without an AINP file number. All candidates should review IRCC’s website for current information on maintaining their status to live and work in Alberta.
Selection criteria and assessment of applications
Alberta Opportunity Stream
Under the Alberta Opportunity Stream, new candidates and current candidates who are working in a location that is not zoned for commercial or industrial use due to government social distancing directives may be eligible for nomination. For example, working from home.
If the candidate is still working for their employer and continues to perform some of the job duties or types of work listed in their job description, they may be eligible for nomination if they can demonstrate they will be returning to their regular job duties after the pandemic. They must also continue to meet all other criteria.
For new and current candidates who changed employers to maintain employment during the pandemic and who are working from home, their application will be placed on hold for 60 days to allow them to meet criteria.
No other changes have been made to Alberta Opportunity Stream selection criteria.
We will give some current candidates additional time to allow them to change their circumstances and meet criteria.
Current Alberta Opportunity Stream candidates experiencing any of the following circumstances will have their applications put on hold for 60 calendar days to allow them time to meet criteria:
- Candidates who have had a change in their employment circumstances, specifically those who are:
- unemployed or not working full-time (part-time or job share)
- working in an ineligible occupation
- working in or have job offer for a different occupation than the occupation they were working in at time of application
- working in or have a job offer for a different occupation than their work experience
- Post-Graduation Work Permit holders who are working in an occupation unrelated to their field of study
- working in Canada but may no longer have authorization for work being completed due to a change in job duties, employer, location and/or wage, or
- Candidates who:
- have shifted from an eligible work permit type to an ineligible work permit type to maintain employment
- are working in a regulated occupation in Alberta who cannot meet licensure/registration requirements
- have an ineligible language test (test is older than 2 years or for wrong test type).
Alberta Express Entry Stream
We will continue to do selection draws and nominate individuals under the Alberta Express Entry Stream.
Only individuals living and working in Alberta will be considered for a nomination at this time. The following criteria must be met to receive a nomination:
- 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
- The individual must be currently working in Alberta
- Individuals working in a location that is not zoned for commercial or industrial use, such as working from home, due to government social distancing directives may be eligible for nomination, so long as they meet all other criteria
- Individuals working in a “virtual” location or who serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta are not eligible
- The individual must have a work permit authorizing them to work in their current occupation in Alberta
- The work must be:
- paid
- full-time, defined as a minimum of 30 hours/week
- for wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage and must meet or exceed the requirements set out in a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or if LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for that occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out on the Alis website, and
- in an eligible occupation. Ineligible occupations at this time include occupations on the:
- Government of Canada’s list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta (also known as the Refusal to Process a Labour Market Impact Assessment list), or
- the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list
- The following individuals are not eligible:
- Individuals with a job offer for part-time, casual or seasonal employment, regardless of their current 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)
Current Alberta Express Entry Stream candidates who are experiencing any of the following circumstances will have their applications put on hold for 60 calendar days to allow them time to become eligible for a nomination:
- candidates who were working in Alberta prior to the COVID-19 pandemic but who are currently not working full-time (part-time or unemployed)
- candidates working in a regulated occupation in Alberta but who cannot meet licensure/registration requirements
Alberta Express Entry Stream applications where there is no recent history of employment in Alberta will not be processed until further notice. This includes new applications from individuals who received a Notification of Interest letter before or after April 29, 2020, as well as applications where an AINP program officer had already started to assess the application for eligibility.
In all cases, including those applications put on hold, if the candidate’s federal Express Entry profile expires, we will close the application and the candidate will need to be re-selected by Alberta in order to qualify for consideration under this stream.
After nomination
We are working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on the impact of COVID-19 on the permanent residence process.
Nominees must advise us of any changes in their employment circumstances, address, email, phone number or family status after nomination. Once an application for permanent residence is submitted, you must continue to advise the AINP and the IRCC of any changes. Information about a change in employment must be emailed to the AINP program officer who processed the application or mailed to the AINP along with an AINP file number. Use the IRCC web form to advise IRCC of any changes.
Nominees whose employment circumstance change due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be given 60 calendar days to meet employment criteria in order to maintain their nomination. Nominees who move to another province or territory will have their nomination withdrawn.
We continue to issue nomination extensions and/or 204(c) Letters of Support to nominees who meet the requirements for these post-nomination supports.
All nominees should review IRCC’s website for current information on maintaining their status to live and work in Alberta.
Overview
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) is an economic immigration program that nominates people for permanent residence in Alberta. Nominees must have skills and abilities to fill job shortages in Alberta, and be able to provide for their families. The program is run by both the Alberta government and the federal government.
If a person is nominated through the program, they may apply for permanent residence status together with their spouse or common-law partner and dependent children.
This application for permanent residence is managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The federal government makes final decisions on these applications.
Program nominees must meet the following federal checks to be eligible for a permanent resident visa:
- medical
- criminal
- security
This visa will allow immigration to Alberta.
Updates and changes
March 13, 2020
Temporary foreign workers who have been issued an open work permit by the federal government because they are experiencing abuse or at risk of abuse in their employment situation may be eligible to apply to the Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS). These vulnerable workers must also meet all other AOS criteria to be nominated. Updated criteria is available on the Selection criteria page.
People needing more information can call the Immigrate to Alberta Information Service at 1-877-427-6419 or submit an email using the Opportunity Alberta Feedback form.
November 29, 2019
We have eliminated the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary Credentials to make it easier for Alberta graduates to qualify for the AINP.
This change affects Alberta graduates who started one of the following programs on or after April 1, 2019:
- a post-diploma or post-baccalaureate certificate
- an undergraduate diploma
For these graduates, the completion of a specific program of study is no longer required, but their occupation must still relate to their Alberta field of study.
Post-diploma or post-baccalaureate certificate holders must also show that their previous field of study abroad relates to their occupation.
All undergraduate degrees and graduate level credentials are still eligible.
Learn more about the AINP selection criteria.
Contact us by email or call the Immigrate to Alberta Information Service at 1-877-427-6419 with any questions.
November 30, 2018
The Alberta government is extending the transition period for the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary Credentials to allow students and post-secondary institutions further time to adjust. The list goes into effect for Post-Graduate Work Permit holders on April 1, 2019.
International students who are admitted and enrolled before April 1, 2019 in one-year entry-level certificate programs, post-graduate certificate or diploma programs that are not on the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary Credentials will still be considered for the AINP as long as they meet all other requirements. Students who are admitted and enrolled on or after April 1, 2019 in one of these programs will not be eligible to apply to the AINP with a Post-Graduation Work Permit. They can still apply to the program if they are able to secure a Labour Market Impact Assessment-based work permit. They also continue to have an option to apply to the Express Entry stream.
Review the updated criteria.
November 1, 2018
The Alberta government worked with the federal government to make 2 changes to the requirements for people applying to the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
First, we removed the income threshold requirement.
If you submitted an application under the Alberta Opportunity Stream any time after June 14, 2018, the adjusted criteria will be applied to your application. This means you will not be assessed against the income threshold.
The AINP will still check whether candidates are being paid the provincial minimum wage and whether they’re being paid the minimum wage for their occupation, set out in their Labour Market Impact Assessment or in the Wages and Salaries in Alberta page on the alis website. Detailed selection criteria for wages are available on the website.
Successful nominees already have jobs when they apply to the program, which helps to show that they can support themselves and their families.
Our second change was to adjust the language requirements.
People working in National Occupational Classification (NOC) C and D jobs can continue to apply with a Canadian Language Benchmark score of 4 – there are no longer any planned increases to the language requirement for people working in National Occupational Classification C and D jobs.
People working in National Occupational Classification 0, A and B jobs can continue to apply with a Canadian Language Benchmark score of 4 until January 1, 2020. As of January 1, 2020, these candidates will be required to have a Canadian Language Benchmark score of 5. This change extends the transition time for the increase in language requirements for these candidates.
These changes will make it easier for people to apply to the program and will help make sure Alberta can continue to fill job shortages with qualified candidates when there are no Albertans or Canadians available to do the work.
After candidates have been nominated, the federal government will determine whether candidates are able to support themselves and their families over the long term.
Read more information on updates to the program (PDF, 217 KB)
July 10, 2018
The Alberta government has heard from post-secondary institutions that they and their students need time to adjust to the new Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary Credentials which was posted June 14, 2018. In response, government is implementing a transition period to allow students and post-secondary institutions time to adjust.
International students who are admitted and enrolled before October 1, 2018 in one-year entry-level certificate programs, post-graduate certificate or diploma programs that are not on the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary Credentials will still be considered for the AINP as long as they meet all other requirements. Students who are admitted and enrolled on or after October 1, 2018 in one of these programs will not be eligible to apply to the AINP with a Post-Graduation Work Permit. They can still apply to the program if they are able to secure a Labour Market Impact Assessment-based work permit. They also continue to have an option to apply to the Express Entry stream.
Post-secondary programs are excluded from the list when there are enough Albertans and Canadians to fill jobs in occupations related to these programs of study. This helps the AINP meet its mandate to make sure provincial nominees are not taking jobs that could be filled by Albertans.
People needing more information can call the Immigrate to Alberta Information Service at 1-877-427-6419 or submit an email using the form at www.AlbertaCanada.com/contact-us.
June 14, 2018
Changes to the AINP are now in effect. The Alberta Opportunity Stream will simplify processes, reduce wait times, and provide fair access for applicants across all sectors and industries in Alberta. They will also provide greater opportunities for candidates with ties to the province.
If your Employer-Driven or Strategic Recruitment Stream application is postmarked June 14, 2018 or earlier, your application will still be processed.
There is also now an Alberta Express Entry Stream.
The updated program will help diversify the economy, and help Alberta employers expand their workforce. The program will make sure that provincial nominees are not taking jobs that could be filled by Albertans.
Get more information on changes to the program (PDF, 215 KB).
March 1, 2018
Effective March 1, 2018, the AINP has a reconsideration process for application decisions. Applicants can submit a reconsideration request for their application decision to be reviewed under certain conditions. Learn more about reconsideration requests.
Resources
International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)
IQAS is a service that will assess your foreign educational credentials and provide information on how your credential would compare to an educational program in Canada.
National Occupational Classification (NOC) system
The National Occupational Classification (NOC), developed by the federal government, classifies every job in Canada and assigns it a four-digit National Occupational Classification code.
Your NOC code will determine your eligibility to apply to the AINP.
Learn more and use the NOC tutorial to find your NOC code.
Translating your documents
The AINP accepts educational documents, work reference letters, or other documents in English or French. Documents in other languages may require translation. Details on translation requirements are included in AINP Document Checklists.
Using an immigration representative
The AINP does not require you to use an immigration representative for your application. If you follow the instructions online and in the application guide, you can complete the application on your own.
Your application will not be given special attention or guaranteed approval if you use a representative.
If you decide to use a representative, you must fill out information about your representative in the Alberta Opportunity Stream and Alberta Express Entry Stream application forms. The use of a representative form (PDF, 648 KB) can also be accessed from the Government of Canada.
Trouble opening or completing PDF forms?
Fillable forms do not open properly on some mobile devices and web browsers. To fill in and save this form:
- Click on the PDF link to save it on your computer.
- Launch Adobe Reader.
- Open the PDF from within Adobe Reader. You can now fill and save your form.
Only authorized representatives can charge a fee for their services. Before you pay anyone a fee, check their credentials to make sure they are authorized.
If you use an immigration representative the Government of Canada may still contact you directly about your application.
Beware of internet scams and false websites regarding immigration representatives.
Fraud and misrepresentation
If the AINP discovers fraud or misrepresentation in an application, a candidate may be banned for up to 5 years from reapplying to the AINP.
Contact
If you need more information, please use the contact form.
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