Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)

To be eligible to apply under Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) of Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), an applicant must meet the following requirements:

  • Residency status and work permit requirements

  • Occupation requirements

  • Language requirements

  • Educational requirements

  • Work experience requirements

  • job offer or employment contract requirements

Residency status and work permit requirements

Residency status

Both at the time AINP application is postmarked and at the time AINP application is being assessed for nomination, an applicant must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada authorizing him or her to work in Canada.

Not eligible based on residency status

The residency status of the following individuals is not considered valid to apply for or be nominated under Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) of Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP):

  • refugee claimants or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process;
  • temporary residents living or working in a province or territory of Canada other than Alberta;
  • foreign nationals living or working in Canada who do not have a valid temporary resident status.

Work permit requirements

Both at the time AINP application is postmarked and at the time AINP application is being assessed for nomination, an applicant must have a valid work permit (implied status or restoration status is not acceptable) for an eligible occupation.  

What is a valid work permit?

A valid work permit is one which is based on either of the following:

  • a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA);
  • a LMIA exemption work program such as international trade agreements, workers transferred within a company, International Experience Canada and Mobilité Francophone;
  • a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) held by a graduate of an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution. There are 26 publicly funded post-secondary institutions in Alberta.
Occupation requirements

Both at the time AINP application is postmarked and at the time AINP application is being assessed for nomination, an applicant must work in an eligible occupation in Alberta and applicant’s current occupation must also be related his or her work experience.

Current occupation means an occupation in which the applicant is working at the time his or her AINP application is postmarked. The occupation must not be ineligible for AINP application.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holder

If an applicant is a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder, the occupation must also be related to his or her field of study in Alberta.

If an applicant started attending Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019 and have completed an Advanced Education-approved one-year post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate, the occupation must also be related to his or her previous post-secondary field of study outside Canada

In addition to above referred list of ineligible occupations, Post-Graduation Work Permit holders are not eligible to apply under Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) of Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) if his or her occupation is on Government of Canada’s list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta.

Language requirements

An applicant must demonstrate that he or she meets the valid language test score in English or French at the time AINP application is postmarked.

An applicant must meet a minimum of CLB 5 for each English or French language skill if he or she is working in a NOC 0, A or B occupation.

An applicant must meet a minimum of CLB 4 for each English or French language skill if he or she is working in a NOC C or D occupation.

An applicant must meet a minimum of CLB 7 for each English or French language skill if he or she is working in a NOC code 3413 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates).

Education requirements

At the time AINP application is postmarked, an applicant must have completed a minimum of high school education in his or her country of origin. But, this requirement is planned to be changed in 2021. Starting January 1, 2021, all applicants, except Post-Graduation Work Permit holders, must have completed a minimum of high school equivalent to Alberta standards.

If an applicant is a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder, he or she must meet the following additional education requirements:

  • credential must be issued by an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution;
  • If an applicant started attending Alberta credential program before April 1, 2019, the credential must be one of the following Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials: certificate or post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate (minimum one year in length); diploma program (minimum 2 years in length); undergraduate bachelor’s degree; graduate level degree; graduate level certificate; graduate level diploma.
  • If an applicant started attending Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019, the credentials must be one of the following Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials: post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate (minimum one year in length); diploma program (minimum 2 years in length); undergraduate bachelor’s degree; graduate level degree; graduate level certificate; graduate level diploma.
Work experience requirements

At the time AINP application is postmarked, an applicant must have either of the following:

  • a minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in his or her current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or
  • a minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in his or her current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holder

If an applicant is a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder, he or she requires a minimum of 6 months full-time work experience in his or her current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months.

Work experience gained by a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program cannot be counted towards qualifying work experience for AINP application unless the following conditions are met:

  • an applicant is a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder who gained work experience during paid co-op work terms as a part of his or her program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution;
  • such work experience is paid and full-time, and also directly related to the applicant’s current occupation;
  • such work experience is fully gained in Alberta
Job offer or employment contract requirements

Both at the time AINP application is postmarked and at the time AINP application is being assessed for nomination, an applicant (including Post-Graduation Work Permit holder) must have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in his or her current occupation in Alberta.

The Alberta employer must meet the following requirements:

  • incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada; and
  • operating as a business that has an established production capability, plant or place of business in Alberta.

The job-offer or employment contract must be signed by an applicant and his or her Alberta employer and must offer the applicant a continuous paid full-time work for 12 months or more in his or her current occupation. The wages and benefits for the occupation offered in the job-offer or the employment contract must meet provincial minimum wage standards and meet or exceed the requirements set out in the LMIA, or if the applicant is LMIA exempt then must meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for the applicant’s occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out on the Alis website.

The applicant must meet the terms agreed to in his or her job-offer or employment contract both at the time AINP application is postmarked and at the time AINP application is being assessed for nomination.

A job-offer for the following applicants will not be valid to apply for or be nominated under Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP):

  • part-time, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of his or her working hours;
  • independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed as Directors, Shareholders or Agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES);
  • employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business;
  • employees who do not work on premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a “virtual” location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta.

If you are planning to apply for Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, please contact your own Canadian Immigration Lawyer Bikramjit Singh to schedule a consultation meeting to discuss your matter.

Phone: (780) 729 – 0007

Email: immigration@bkaylaw.com