Alberta Opportunity Stream

Eligibility Requirements

Connection to Province

Applicants must have valid status as a temporary resident in Canada which authorizes them to work. The candidate must be residing and working in the province of Alberta. Please note that refugee claimants are not eligible under this stream. Applicants must have a valid work permit (not implied status or restoration status) for an eligible occupation based on one of the following scenarios:

• A positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• A valid LMIA-exemption (including International Experience Canada)
• A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holder must meet additional criteria:
  • The applicant’s occupation must be related to their field of study in Alberta

Job Offer

At the time an application is postmarked to AINP and at the time the application is assessed, the applicant must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta which matches their previous work experience. Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must also be working in an occupation related to their field of study in Alberta. There are two lists of ineligible occupations:

1. The Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list: This list applies to all applicants. If your occupation is on this list, you are not eligible to apply.
2. The List of High-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta as indicated on Canada’s Refusal to Process an LMIA List: This list only applies to applicants who hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit. If you hold a PGWP and your occupation is on this list, then you are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must have a bona fide full-time job offer from their current Alberta employer to continue work in their current occupation. The job offer must be signed by the applicant and the employer and must offer continuous, full-time, paid work in the applicant’s current occupation in Alberta.

Language Proficiency 

All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in either English or French, equivalent to the Canadian Language Benchmark of Level 4. This must be demonstrated by providing valid results from one of Canada’s approved language tests. The results must be no more than two years old at the time the application is postmarked.

Please note that as of January 1st, 2020, the language requirement will increase to Canadian Language Benchmark Level 5 in either English or French for applicants applying under NOC Skill Levels 0, A, or B. Candidates applying under NOC Skill Levels C or D will only require CLB 4 on their language tests.

Please note that applicants with the NOC Code 3413 (nurses aides, orderlies, and patient service associates) must achieve a minimum language test score of CLB 7 for each English language skill, or NCLC 7 for each French language skill.

Level of Education

All applicants must have completed a minimum of high school education in their country of origin.

Work Experience

At the time the application is postmarked and at the time AINP assesses the application, the applicant must be working in an occupation in Alberta which matches their previous work experience. PGWP holders must also be working in an occupation which matches their Alberta educational credential. The applicant must meet one of the three following scenarios for work experience:

• A minimum of 12-months full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or
• A minimum of 24-months full-time work experience in their current occupation in the last 30 months (can be obtained in Canada and/or abroad); or
• For Post-Graduation Work Permit holders: A minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months. This occupation must be related to their Alberta education.

Experience must have been full-time (30 hours/week) – part-time experience will not be considered. As well, applicants must have the proper regulation, licensing, and/or status in Canada to perform the occupation legally.

Settlement Funds

Please note that as of November 1st, 2018, AINP removed the requirement that applicants demonstrate they meet a minimum annual income. This is no longer a requirement of the program.

Application Procedure

The Alberta Opportunity Stream is always open to new applications. Eligible candidates can submit an application at any time and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested candidates must prepare a complete paper-based application. All documents must be prepared in hard copy and submitted in a single envelope, by mail, to the AINP office.

If the province approves the application, Alberta will notify the applicant they have been selected for provincial nomination. Successful applicants will receive an official nomination package in the mail from AINP.

After receiving a provincial nomination, an applicant has six months to submit a federal application for Canadian permanent residence. Applicants in this program must complete and submit a paper-based application for permanent residence and submit it by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally processed within 18 months.

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