Alberta Express Entry Stream – Eligibility

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.

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:
  • is on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list
  • has a high volume of submissions across all AAIP streams

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:
  • Canadian Experience Class
  • Federal Skilled Trades Program
  • Federal Skilled Worker Program
• 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 4154 – Professional occupations in religion and NOC 4217 – Other religious occupations. Proof of employee authorization of deductions is required.
• 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

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 have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300
• you are working full-time in Alberta or have a job offer for full-time employment based in Alberta (full-time is a minimum 30 hours per week):
  • in an occupation on the list of eligible Accelerated Tech Pathway occupations (PDF, 165 KB) and
  • for an employer that is part of the Alberta tech industry as defined by the AAIP list of eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes (PDF, 190 KB)
• the primary occupation in your Express Entry profile is the same occupation as your current Alberta employment or job offer

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.

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:
  • Canadian Experience Class (CEC)
  • Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP)
  • Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW)
• be working full-time in Alberta under an employment contract or have a bona fide job offer for full-time employment in Alberta
  • in the same occupation as the primary occupation in your Express Entry profile
  • in an occupation on the list of eligible Accelerated Tech Pathway occupations (PDF, 165 KB) and
  • for an Alberta employer:
    • that is part of the Alberta tech industry as defined by the AAIP list of eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes (PDF, 190 KB)
    • that is incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of the province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada and operating as a business that has 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
• 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.