Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
Alberta is the most populous prairie state. Alberta and the world-famous Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains were named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. It is also famous for its national parks, including Banff National Park. Alberta is the largest oil and gas producer, and the north’s oil sands are being developed as a significant energy source. Alberta is also renowned for agriculture, especially the vast cattle ranches that make Canada one of the world’s major beef producers. The province operates the Alberta Advanced Immigration Program (AAIP) to meet labour shortages. The prospective immigrants with the right mix of skills and work experience needed by the province may receive an Alberta Provincial Nomination Certificate.
About Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
You have six options if you wish to immigrate to Alberta. Here we will help you figure out which immigration stream is suitable for your situation.
- Alberta Opportunity Stream for skilled workers currently working in an eligible occupation in Alberta.
- Alberta General Express Entry Stream for candidates in the Express Entry pool with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300 and currently working in an eligible occupation.
- Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway falls under the Express Entry stream. It is open to applicants currently working in Alberta’s technology industry or receiving a job offer from that industry in 38 occupations identified by the province.
- Alberta Self-Employed Farmer Stream for those who wish to operate a farming business
- International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream for international graduates of a designated post-secondary institution in Alberta who wish to start a business in Alberta.
- Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa for foreign nationals who graduated from outside Canada and wished to start a business in Alberta.
Category | Is a job required? | Is the stream aligned with Express Entry? | Is it currently receiving applications? | Connection to province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Alberta Opportunity Stream | Yes | No | Yes | Having work experience in the province |
Alberta Express Entry Stream | No | Yes | Yes | Having work experience in the province OR Having a parent, child, brother or sister who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen of Alberta |
Alberta Self-Employed Farmer Stream | No | No | Yes | N/A |
International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream | No | No | Yes | Completed education in Alberta |
Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa | No | No | Yes | N/A |
A foreign national working in Alberta and international graduates who completed their studies at an approved Alberta post-secondary institution are eligible to apply for a provincial nomination under the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
Application Fee: CAD 500
How it works:
- Must have a valid work permit
- Must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta that matches your work experience
- A minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4 or 5, depending on the occupation
- A minimum of a high school degree
- A minimum of 12 months of work experience in Alberta in the last 18 months
- Or a minimum of 24 months of work experience in Canada in the previous 30 months.
Alberta may invite people with a profile in the federal Express Entry system through the Express Entry stream. The province may extend an invitation to apply to people who have shown ties to Alberta and possess the qualifications to support the growth of the province’s economy.
Application Fee: CAD 500
How it works:
The Alberta Express Entry Stream works by invitation only. Candidates with Express Entry profiles may receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the Alberta government directly in the federal system. Invited candidates have a limited time to indicate to the province that they are interested in being considered for selection under this stream. Selected candidates will receive a request from the AAIP to apply for a provincial nomination by submitting all required documents through the AAIP online portal.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must be in the Express Entry pool
- Must have expressed interest in migrating to Alberta permanently
- Must be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300
The Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway is a fast-track immigration program for tech professionals who have a profile in the federal government’s Express Entry system and be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry Stream. Those who believe they match the stream’s eligibility requirements are invited to submit an online application on the AAIP portal to be evaluated for this stream. The AAIP checks to see if the candidate satisfies the minimum eligibility requirements, and if they do, they ask them to apply for a provincial nomination.
Application Fee: CAD 500
How it works:
Candidates who are employed by or have a job offer from an employer in the Alberta technology sector in an approved tech occupation and who meet the qualifications for the Alberta Express Entry stream may start the application process under the expedited pathway. They must accomplish this by submitting an online form on the AAIP website. The AAIP will invite candidates that satisfy the stream requirements to apply for a provincial nomination by submitting the necessary paperwork via the AINP online portal.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must have a profile in the Express Entry pool;
- Must have expressed interest in immigrating to Alberta permanently;
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300;
- Must be working or receive a job offer in an eligible tech occupation in Alberta.
The Self-Employed Farmer Stream is for candidates interested inmoving to Alberta to acquire or start anagricultural business.
Application Fee: CAD 500
How it works:
The Alberta government must get a copy of any interested candidates’ business plans before making a choice. To make sure that the project will fulfil the demands of Alberta’s agricultural industry and that the business plan is realistic, the AAIP bases its decision on consultation with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. If you receive a favourable decision, you must then compile the necessary paperwork and complete the required forms for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, as well as the provincial government of Alberta.
- Farm management skills
- Minimum investment of CAD 500,000
- Investment plans are documented in a proposed business plan
Alberta’s International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream is for international graduates of approved Alberta post-secondary institutions who are interested in establishing or operating a business in Alberta.
Application Fee: CAD 3,500
How it works:
Interested candidates must first submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AINP online portal. You will receive an EOI score within 30 days and the highest-ranking candidates will be asked to submit a Business Application.
A Business Application must be completed within 90 days of receiving an email asking you to submit one. You must also submit all required documents
Minimum Requirements:
- At least two years full-time education in Alberta;
- A valid Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) at time of application;
- A minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7;
- Must establish a new business or operate an existing business with at least 34% ownership;
FAQ for (AAIP)
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has five current immigration streams:
- Alberta Opportunity Stream for skilled workers
- Alberta Express Entry Stream for candidates with Express Entry profiles
- Alberta Self-Employed Farmer Stream for those who wish to operate a farming business
- International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream for international graduates in Alberta who wish to start a business
- Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa for foreign-educated international graduates who wish to start a business in Canada.
Step 1: Depending on your specific situation, choose the stream that is right for you. Find out if you are eligible for the chosen stream.
Step 2: Submit your application for your chosen stream.
Step 3: Obtain a provincial nomination from Alberta.
Step 4: Submit a permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
It is also important to understand the difference between base PNP streams and enhanced PNP streams.
Enhanced streams are aligned with the federal Express Entry system. In Alberta, only the Alberta Express Entry stream is enhanced. Candidates in the Express Entry system who express their interest in immigrating to Alberta may receive a Notification of Interest from the Alberta government. They will then have two weeks to respond to it. If they are selected, they must apply through the AINP portal.
All other current streams in Alberta are base streams. This means that they are not aligned with Express Entry. Interested individuals are required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the province’s AINP portal, instead of being selected through the Express Entry system.
Immigrating to Alberta is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What may be easy for one candidate may be difficult for another. It is therefore advisable to choose the stream that is right for you depending on your specific situation.
For example, if you are currently working in Alberta in an eligible occupation, and wish to become a permanent resident, then you may be eligible through the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
If you would like help in choosing the best way to immigrate to Alberta, feel free to contact us.
Occupations in high-demand in Alberta include translators, optometrists, cabinetmakers, dental hygienists, dietitians and nutritionists, chiropractors among others.
For a full list of what occupations are considered in-demand in Alberta, you are encouraged to visit this webpage.
You can sort the list of jobs by demand: high, medium or lower.
Some of the benefits of living in Alberta include lower provincial taxes, and a lower cost of living than other popular provinces.
Alberta also offers higher wages. The minimum wage in Alberta is at $15 per hour. This is the highest in Canada (except for Nunavut).
Alberta is known as one of the most beautiful parts of North America. When you have some time off, you may be able to enjoy its famous national parks such as Banff and Jasper.
According to Canada’s last census in 2016, visible minorities such as South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean and Japanese minorities made up over 23 per cent of the Alberta population.
The Indigenous population (including First Nations, Metis, Inuit among others) made up another 6.5 per cent.
The processing time for the AINP may vary. To estimate how long it will take for your application to be processed.
Alberta has some advantages when it comes to cost of living. For example, there are no provincial health care premiums and no provincial sales tax (PST).
This means that you will only have to pay the Goods and Services (GST) that is paid by everyone in Canada. This is 5%.
In other provinces, you would pay both GST and PST. For example, in British Columbia, you would be 7% PST and the 5% GST, which means you would be paying 12% in sales tax.
In addition, Alberta offers tax rebates and credits that help with your finances.
It is also worth noting that Alberta has a higher family income than the rest of Canada. According to the 2018 Canadian Income Survey, families in Alberta earned an average of $98,400 after tax. The Canadian average is $84,900.
Alberta has a higher family income than the rest of Canada.
According to the 2018 Canadian Income Survey, families in Alberta earned an average of $98,400 after tax. The Canadian average is $84,900.
Yes. Alberta has many options for a school education depending on language or religion. For example, there are many Francophone schooling options in Alberta.
Alberta has 26 universities and colleges to choose from.
The University of Alberta is in the top 6 universities in Canada and the top 150 in the world, according to the Times Higher Education World Rankings for 2021.
The University of Calgary is in the top 10 universities in Canada and the top 200 in the world.
The Alberta government subsidizes tuition fees for universities and colleges. These fees vary across the province so it is advisable to check tuition costs on their websites.
Alberta is Canada’s sunniest province. According to the Alberta website, the province enjoys 1,900 hours of sunshine in the north, and 2,300 hours in the south.
Winters are dry, sunny and cold. Summers are warm and wetter.
Edmonton has extreme temperature changes. In January, the temperatures are -14 and -51°C. In July, they are 16 and 35°C, according to Britannica.
Alberta residents can get full coverage for medically necessary physician services, as well as some dental and oral surgical health services through the province’s Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP).
Many medical services are fully covered such as medically required services, medically required diagnostic services (laboratory, radiological, and other procedures) and psychiatric visits, as well as others.
Many hospital services are also fully covered, such as accommodation, meals, medications administered in a hospital, use of the operating room, care room, radiotherapy, physiotherapy and anesthetic facilities, and more.
Medical services and hospital stays and visits are either fully covered, partially covered or not covered. For a detailed list, you are encouraged to visit the Alberta website.
The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for the Alberta Express Entry Stream is 300.
Yes. You do not need a job offer for four of Alberta’s five immigration streams.
However, having a job offer may increase your chances under the Alberta Express Entry Stream.
Alberta welcomes over 40,000 new immigrants in an average year, according to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).