The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), formerly the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program, is the program used by the province of Alberta to choose its future permanent residents, who satisfy to Alberta's target criteria and who wish to settle in and work in the province.
Nominees must have skills to fill job shortages or be planning to buy or start a business in Alberta. They must also be able to provide for their families. If you are nominated through the program, you may apply for permanent residence status together with your spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children.
Alberta offers several immigration pathways for interested candidates. These streams fall under two categories: streams for workers and streams for entrepreneurs
This pathway is open to candidates who already have an Express Entry profile and are eligible for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) or the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). Candidates from the federal Express Entry pool may be selected by the province and invited to apply for nomination under this stream. Candidates who have a profile in the pool and who have demonstrated strong ties to Alberta are directly considered for nomination. This stream is based on an invitation-only process, which means that candidates cannot apply directly to the Alberta Express Entry stream.
The Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway also falls under Express Entry and is open to eligible candidates with work experience in one of 38 tech
To be eligible, candidates must already be in the province working on a Temporary Foreign Worker Permit (TFWP) and have a full-time job offer from an employer in Alberta. This stream is also applicable to international graduates who have completed their studies at a designated learning institution in Alberta.
This pathway is for candidates who have received job offers in one of Alberta’s designated rural areas. Designated rural communities recruit newcomers and provide a letter of support for the candidate.
Only candidates who have completed at least secondary school are considered under this stream.
Alberta offers four separate pathways for newcomers who wish to establish businesses or farms within the province:
To be eligible for this stream, candidates must have at least three years of business experience and be willing to visit a designated rural community and present a business plan. If the candidate can gain community support, they may submit an EOI to the AAIP.
International graduates who complete at least two years of their program at an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution may be eligible for this stream if they also have a valid post-graduate work permit (PGWP) and at least six months of experience in business management or ownership.
The farm stream is designed to promote agriculture in Alberta. Candidates for this stream must be able to establish a new farm or buy an existing farm in the province. They must also be able to demonstrate farm management skills through experience or equivalent education.
This stream is for those who have completed their post-secondary education outside of Canada and wish to establish a business in Alberta. Candidates must have at least six months of experience actively managing or owning a business and must provide a business plan and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).
The processing time for AINP is usually within 7 to 8 months. But the Canadian Immigration Authorities may take a longer time for verification.