What is the "Alberta PNP"

The “Alberta PNP” better known as the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) operated by the province of Alberta, Canada. It is a partnership between the province of Alberta and the Government of Canada’s - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) federal department.

Purpose of the AAIP:

The AAIP gives power to the province of Alberta to nominate candidates and their family members for permanent residence in Canada. Candidates must show they intend to live and work in the province of Alberta. There are certain eligibility criteria under each program of the AAIP, candidates that can assist Alberta with the province’s growth in relation to its labour market and economic goals are considered.

Streams under the AAIP:

There are several streams under the AAIP, each with its own respective eligibility criteria.

Streams for Workers:

·         Tourism and Hospitality Stream

·         Alberta Opportunity Stream

·         Alberta Express Entry Stream

·         Rural Renewal Stream

Streams for entrepreneurs:

·         Rural Entrepreneur Stream

·         Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

·         Farm Stream

·         Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

Tourism and Hospitality Stream

Alberta’s Tourism and Hospitality Stream is for temporary foreign workers that are currently working full-time as part of the tourism and hospitality sector in Alberta. The candidates must have a full-time job offer from a qualifying Alberta employer. The occupation is required to fall under an eligible occupation under this stream.

Another requirement is the candidate is required to be working currently under an LMIA based work permit. Therefore, applicants working under a LMIA exemption/ open work permit, do not qualify for this program.

Alberta Opportunity Stream

The Alberta Opportunity stream is aimed towards temporary foreign workers that are currently working full-time in Alberta, with a full-time job offer from an Alberta employer. The occupation must fall under an eligible occupation. Moreover, the candidate needs to hold a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or one of the qualifying LMIA exempt work permits allowed under the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Candidates under this stream must meet various eligibility criteria such as language, education, residency and work permit type, occupation, work experience, and Alberta job offer.

Alberta Express Entry Stream

To qualify under the Alberta Express Entry Stream, candidates need to have an active Express Entry profile. Candidates that receive a provincial nomination through this stream are awarded 600 comprehensive ranking system (CRS points), which basically guarantees an invitation-to-apply (ITA) for permanent residency from the IRCC. Alberta sends candidates a Notification of Interest (NOI) letter or ask candidates to apply if their profile contains specific criteria. Furthermore, candidates with a job offer from an Alberta employer in the health sector may fall under the Express Entry option as well (Dedicated Health Care Pathway). Another pathway via Express Entry is the Accelerated Tech Pathway.  

Rural Renewal Stream

The Rural Renewal Stream is dedicated to attracting and retaining newcomers in rural Alberta. The objective is to allow designated rural communities to recruit and retain foreign nationals that will work, live and settle in their respective communities. By nominating temporary foreign workers, the candidates can be eligible to apply for work permits, and permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Another pathway under the Rural Renewal Stream is the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) which recruits refugees.

Rural Entrepreneur Stream

As the name suggests, the Rural Entrepreneur Stream is a pathway for entrepreneurs looking to start a business or buy an existing business in Rural Alberta. The program can lead to permanent residence.  There are certain eligibility criteria and candidates are assessed on a points-based system on certain factors like exploratory visit & community support, education, work experience, language, personal net worth, business investment, business establishment/ location, age and adaptability factors.

Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

The Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is aimed at nominating for permanent residency, a international student graduate, from an Alberta Advanced Education - publicly funded post-secondary institution, who is interested in establishing or operating a business in Alberta. There are various eligibility criteria that needs to be met, some of those are education, work permit, language, and business establishment. There are other criteria and business establishment factors that can assist to get nominated from the expression of interest candidate pool.

Farm Stream

The Alberta Farm Stream is targeted towards foreign nationals that are looking to establish a new or purchase an existing farm in the province of Alberta. The candidate must fulfill specific requirements like financial resources and farm management experience. Applications are required to be submitted directly to the AAIP program, along with a detailed business plan.

Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

The Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream is a stream aimed at nominating qualifying foreign graduates who intend to invest in a business in Alberta. Candidates are required to work with a designated agency that will issue a letter of recommendation on behalf of the candidate. Candidates can submit an expression of interest (EOI) via the AAIP portal and submit the letter with their EOI.