Table of contents

Prioritizing applications for Ukrainians

Temporary processing measures are now in place for the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) for Ukrainian nationals who apply to the program. Find out how the AAIP is responding to the crisis in Ukraine.

New National Occupational Classification (NOC)

On November 16, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the AAIP, adopted the NOC 2021. Find out how NOC 2021 affects eligibility for AAIP streams.

Overview

Selection, notification and eligibility requirements differ if you are a general Express Entry candidate or a candidate under the Accelerated Tech Pathway. Read the process and requirements below.

General Express Entry candidates

Based on available profile information in the federal Express Entry portal, Alberta may select candidates and send them a Notification of Interest letter in their federal Express Entry profile. Profile information is self-declared by candidates in the federal Express Entry pool.

If you receive a Notification of Interest letter from Alberta and you are interested in being considered for this stream, you must send a copy of the letter along with additional information to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) by email within 2 weeks of receiving the letter. Instructions on how to contact the AAIP are in the How to apply section.

There is no guarantee that if you meet the selection requirements you will receive a Notification of Interest letter or be asked to apply. Notification of Interest letters and requests to apply are affected by the volume of potential candidates meeting these requirements, the type (occupation or sector) of submissions in AAIP processing queues, and the number of available nominations.

Important: The National Occupational Classification (NOC) has been updated.

  • The eligibility cut-off for Express Entry is now TEER 3 (equivalent to Skill Level B). Use the Find your NOC tool to determine your primary occupation’s NOC code and TEER Category.
  • Review the AAIP updates  page for details on how the NOC change affects eligibility for this stream.
  • Review the information on this Eligibility page to understand how AAIP criteria has changed.
  • If you had an active Express Entry profile on November 15, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has sent you instructions on how to update the NOC information in your profile. Follow IRCC instructions to update your profile.

You may receive a Notification of Interest letter if:

  • you have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
  • your primary occupation in your federal Express Entry profile is an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification
  • you have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta
  • you have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300

Factors that increase your chances

Meeting one or more of the following adaptability factors may also increase your likelihood of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

  • you have an Alberta job offer
  • you are a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution
  • you have a parent, child, brother or sister who is a permanent resident living in Alberta, or a Canadian citizen living in Alberta
  • French is your first language

Factors that decrease your chances

If you meet one or more of the following factors, this may decrease your likelihood of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

  • your Express Entry profile expires in 5 months or less
  • your primary occupation in your federal Express Entry profile:

Selection draws

Information on Alberta Express Entry Stream selection draws from the federal Express Entry pool and Notification of Interest letters issued is available on AAIP – Processing times and inventory.

Assessment criteria

The AAIP will advise you by email if you are invited to submit an application. Information on how to submit an application is in the How to apply section.

If you are invited to submit an application, you must also meet assessment criteria. You must review the assessment criteria before applying.

To be considered for nomination you must meet the following criteria at the time your application is submitted in the AAIP portal, and at the time your application is assessed.

You must:

  • have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
    • the primary occupation in your federal Express Entry profile must be an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification
  • meet the criteria of at least one of the federal immigration programs:
  • intend to and be able to live and work in Alberta
  • have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300

You cannot apply for or be nominated under the Alberta Express Entry Stream if you:

  • are a refugee claimant or individual involved in a federal appeal or removal process. The AAIP does not intervene in the federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process.
  • have an active nomination under any AAIP stream. An active nomination is a nomination that has not expired and/or that is eligible for extension. Candidates are only eligible for one AAIP nomination certificate.
  • have a letter from a previous AAIP application stating you are currently not eligible to re-apply to the AAIP due to past misrepresentation.

It is recommended you keep your Express Entry profile up to date so that you remain eligible for consideration under the Alberta Express Entry Stream in the future.

If you have one or more of the following adaptability factors, this may increase your likelihood of being assessed or nominated:

  • you have an Alberta job offer and/or work experience
  • you are a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution
  • you have a parent, child, brother and/or sister who is a permanent resident living in Alberta, or a Canadian citizen living in Alberta
  • French is your first language

If you claimed any of the adaptability factors in your Express Entry profile at the time you received your Notification of Interest letter, you may be assessed against them.

Alberta job offers must be from an Alberta employer:

  • that is incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory or the Parliament of Canada and that is operating an established production capacity, plant or a place of business in Alberta, and
  • for which you do not hold more than 10% of the overall voting shares for the business
    • Note: fee for service contracts with an Alberta heath-care provider for a health care occupation are not subject to ownership limits.

The job offer must be bona fide, signed by your Alberta employer and must offer:

  • continuous, paid work
  • full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week
  • employment for 12 months or more
  • wages and benefits that meet or exceed provincial minimum wage
    • Meal and lodging deductions that meet Employment Standards are permitted for NOC 41302 – Religious leaders and NOC 42204 – Religion workers. Proof of employee authorization of deductions is required. Note, if you submitted your application on or before November 15, 2022 review the NOC 2016 version of the wage requirement for religious workers (PDF, 313 KB) requirements that apply to you.
  • work in a location in Alberta
    • If you are or will be working at a home-base business in Alberta your employer must be authorized to operate that business location from a personal residence.

Accelerated Tech Pathway candidates

Selection and notification process

Important: The National Occupational Classification (NOC) has been updated.

  • The eligibility cut-off for Express Entry is now TEER 3 (equivalent to Skill Level B). Use the Find your NOC tool  to determine your primary occupation’s NOC code and TEER Category.
  • Review the AAIP updates page for details on how the NOC change affects eligibility for this stream.
  • Review the information on this Eligibility page to understand how AAIP criteria has changed.
  • If you had an active Express Entry profile on November 15, 2022, IRCC has sent you instructions on how to update the NOC information in your profile.  Follow IRCC instructions to update your profile.

The Accelerated Tech Pathway has specific minimum eligibility and assessment criteria which are provided below. Review the criteria to determine if you may qualify.

Submit the Accelerated Tech Pathway form

If you believe you meet the assessment criteria, you must first complete and submit the Accelerated Tech Pathway form. This form includes information on your Alberta-based job offer or employment, as well as your federal Express Entry profile.

Complete the Accelerated Tech Pathway form

The AAIP will review the information in the form and determine if you meet the minimum eligibility criteria. If you meet minimum criteria, the AAIP will then send an email inviting you to submit an application.

You may be invited to submit an application if:

You may be less likely to be asked to submit an application if your Express Entry profile expires in 3 months or less.

It is recommended you keep your Express Entry profile up to date so that you remain eligible for consideration under the Accelerated Tech Pathway in the future.

There is no guarantee that you will be invited to submit an application if you meet the minimum eligibility requirements. Requests to apply are affected by the volume of potential candidates meeting these requirements, the type (occupation or sector) of submissions in AAIP processing queues, and the number of available nominations.

Assessment criteria

If you are invited to submit an application, you must meet assessment criteria to qualify to apply. You must review the assessment criteria before applying.

You cannot apply for or be nominated under the Accelerated Tech Pathway if you:

  • are a refugee claimant or individual involved in a federal appeal or removal process. The AAIP does not intervene in the federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process.
  • have an active nomination under any AAIP stream. An active nomination is a nomination that has not expired and/or that is eligible for extension. Candidates are only eligible for one AAIP nomination certificate.
  • have a letter from a previous AAIP application stating you are currently not eligible to re-apply to the AAIP due to past misrepresentation.

To be considered for nomination, you must meet the following criteria at the time your application is submitted in the AAIP portal, and at the time your application is assessed.

You must:

  • have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300
  • meet the criteria of at least one of the federal immigration programs:
  • be working full-time in Alberta under an employment contract or have a bona fide job offer for full-time employment in Alberta
  • have a current Alberta employment contract or job offer signed by you and your Alberta employer that provides:
    • continuous paid work under an employer-employee relationship
    • full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week
    • employment for 12 months or more
    • for work in a location in Alberta
      • if you will be working or are currently working at a home-base business in Alberta your employer must be authorized to operate that business location from a personal residence
    • a base monetary wage or salary that:
      • meets provincial minimum wage, and
      • meets or exceeds the requirements set out in your Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or if you are LMIA exempt or do not have an LMIA, meets or exceeds the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta
      • Note, non-wage compensation, including but not limited to compensation from company ownership, is not considered as part of the applicant’s base monetary or salary.
  • have valid immigration status (work permit or implied status), if you are working in Alberta for your Alberta employer at the time of AAIP application
  • intend to and be able to live and work in Alberta

The following individuals are not eligible to apply for or be nominated under the Accelerated Tech Pathway, even if they are working for an eligible Alberta employer in an eligible tech occupation or have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month or greater period:

  • part-time, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of their working hours
  • independent contractors or temporary agency workers
  • employees who do not work in Alberta, such as those who work online from a location outside Alberta or who work at a premises outside of Alberta

Accuracy of information

When the AAIP selects candidates, it expects that information contained in the federal Express Entry portal is accurate. The information and documents you identified in the federal Express Entry portal must be provided to the AAIP at the time your Express Entry application package is submitted.

Documents and information provided in the application must confirm the information identified in the federal Express Entry portal at the time that the Notification of Interest was issued or the date you submitted the Accelerated Tech Pathway form. If there are discrepancies between the information in the federal portal and the information the AAIP receives, your submission may be declined.

Terms and conditions

The AAIP does not guarantee that all complete applications received by the AAIP will be assessed, or that all candidates who meet the assessment criteria will be issued a nomination. Review the Terms and Conditions in the How to apply section for complete information. Submission of an application or nomination by the AAIP does not guarantee you will be issued a permanent resident visa.

Contact

Connect with us if you have questions about the program:
Use the AAIP contact form

Connect with us if you have questions about the program:
Use the AAIP contact form

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