Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)
Alberta is a prosperous province rich in natural beauty and resources.
Located in Western Canada, Alberta is home to two of Canada’s largest cities, Calgary and Edmonton, and is the most populous of the country’s three ‘Prairie provinces’. It is also renowned as one of the most beautiful parts of North America, with famous national parks, such as Banff and Jasper.
The province operates the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), formerly the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. Through this program, prospective immigrants with the right mix of skills and work experience needed by the province may receive an Alberta Provincial Nomination Certificate.
Alberta Immigration Streams
If you wish to immigrate to Alberta, you currently have eight options to choose from. This page will help you figure out which immigration stream is suitable for your situation.
Streams for workers
- Alberta Opportunity Stream for skilled workers who are currently working in an eligible occupation in Alberta.
- Alberta General Express Entry Stream for candidates in the Express Entry (EE) system who have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300, and who are currently working in an eligible occupation.
- Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway falls under the Express Entry stream and is open to applicants who are currently working in Alberta’s technology industry or who have received a job offer from that industry in 38 occupations identified by the province.
- Rural Renewal Stream for candidates with a job offer from an Alberta employer for work in a rural Alberta community.
- Farm Stream for those who wish to operate a farming business in Alberta.
- Graduate Entrepreneur Stream for international graduates of a designated post-secondary institution in Alberta, who wish to start a business in Alberta.
- Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream for foreign nationals who graduated from outside Canada and who wish to start a business in Alberta.
- Rural Entrepreneur Stream for entrepreneurs who want to acquire a business or start one in a rural Alberta community.
Summary of AAIP Options
|
Category
|
Is a job required?
|
Is the stream aligned with Express Entry?
|
Is it currently receiving applications?
|
Connection to province
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Alberta Opportunity Stream
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Have work experience in the province
|
|
Alberta Express Entry Stream
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Have work experience in the province
OR
Have a parent, child, brother or sister who is a permanent resident or Canadian citizen of Alberta |
| Accelerated Tech Pathway | Yes | Yes | Yes | Work full-time in Alberta or having a job offer for full-time work in Alberta |
| Rural Renewal Stream | Yes | No | Yes | Must intend to and be able to reside and work in the designated community in Alberta |
|
Farm Stream
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
N/A
|
|
Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Completed education in Alberta
|
|
Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
|
No
|
No | Yes | N/A |
| Rural Entrepreneur Stream | No | No | Yes | Must have a community support letter from a participating rural Alberta community |
Alberta Opportunity Stream
Foreign nationals working in Alberta and international graduates who completed their studies at an approved Alberta post-secondary institution are eligible to apply for a provincial nomination under the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
Application Fee: CAD $500
How it works:
Candidates interested in the Alberta Opportunity Stream must complete their application online through the AAIP online portal. After that, candidates will be asked to submit specific documents depending on their individual situations and pay the online application fee.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must have a valid work permit;
- Must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta that matches your work experience;
- A minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4 or 5 depending on occupation
- A minimum of a high school degree;
- A minimum of 12 months of work experience in Alberta in the last 18 months, or a minimum of 24 months of work experience in Canada in the last 30 months.
Alberta Express Entry Stream
The Express Entry stream allows Alberta to nominate individuals who already have a profile in the federal Express Entry system. Individuals who have demonstrated ties to Alberta and have the necessary skills to contribute to the province’s economic growth may be invited by the province to submit an application.
Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination from Alberta are awarded an additional 600 CRS points. This practically guarantees receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence in the next Express Entry draw.
Application Fee: CAD $500
How it works:
The Alberta Express Entry Stream works by invitation only. Candidates who have Express Entry profiles may receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the Alberta government directly in the federal system. Invited candidates then have a limited about of time to indicate to the province that they are interested in being considered for selection under this stream.
If selected, candidates will receive a request from the AAIP to apply for provincial nomination by submitting all required documents through the AAIP online portal.
Minimum Requirements:
- Must be in the Express Entry pool;
- Must have expressed interest in immigrating to Alberta permanently;
- Must be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification;
- A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300.
