The Alberta Opportunity Stream targets foreign workers already living and working in Alberta with an offer of employment to continue working full-time for an Albertan employer.
| Eligibility Requirements | |
| Express Entry Profile | No |
| Connection to Province | Work Experience |
| Job Offer | Yes |
| Language Proficiency | CLB4 |
| Level of Education | High School |
| Work Experience | 12 Months, Minimum |
| Investment Requirement | No |
The applicants must have a valid status as a temporary residents in Canada which authorizes them to work. In addition to this, the candidate must be residing and working in the province of Alberta, with a valid work permit for an eligible occupation based on one of the following scenarios (not implied status or restoration status):
• A positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• A valid LMIA-exemption (including International Experience Canada)
• An applicant with Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) must have an occupation related to their field of study in Alberta.
Please note that refugee claimants are not eligible under this stream.
It must be noted that when the application is postmarked to and assessed by AINP, the applicant must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta and that occupation must match their previous work experience. Also, as mentioned above, the PGWP holders must also be working in an occupation relevant to their field of study in Alberta.
However, there are two lists of ineligible occupations that apply to all the applicants. It means that the applicant is not eligible to apply for this stream, if his/her occupation is listed on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list.
Similarly, for applicants with PGWP, if their occupation is on the List of High-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta, they stand ineligible to apply.
Furthermore, the applicants must have a bona fide full-time job offer from their current Alberta employer to continue work in their current occupation. It is mandatory that the job offer be signed by the applicant and the employer and must offer continuous, full-time, paid work in the applicant’s current occupation in Alberta.
All applicants must demonstrate proficiency in either English or French language equivalent to CLB Level 4 (for applicants applying under NOC Skill Levels 0, A, or B) and CLB Level 5 (for candidates applying under NOC Skill Levels C or D) from one of Canada’s approved language tests. The results must not be more than two years old at the time the application is postmarked.
Please note that applicants with the NOC Code 3413 (nurses’ aides, orderlies, and patient service associates) must achieve a minimum language test score of CLB 7 for each English language skill, or NCLC 7 for each French language skill.
Level of Education
All the applicants must have completed a minimum of high school education in their country of origin.
At the time when the application is postmarked and assessed by the AINP, the applicant must be working in an occupation in Alberta which matches their previous work experience. Similarly, the PGWP holders must also be working in an occupation which matches their Alberta educational credentials.
Furthermore, the applicant must meet one of the three following scenarios for work experience:
• A minimum of 12-months full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or
• A minimum of 24-months full-time work experience in their current occupation in the last 30 months (can be obtained in Canada and/or abroad); or
• For PGWP holders, a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months. This occupation must be related to their Alberta education.
It must be noted that the work experience must be full-time (30 hours/week) and no part-time experience will be considered. Also, the applicants must have the proper regulation, licensing, and/or status in Canada to perform the occupation in a legal manner.
This stream is always open to new applications and the applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. The interested candidates must prepare a complete paper-based application in hard copy and mail it to AINP office in a single envelope
If the application is approved by the province, Alberta notifies the applicant of their selection for provincial nomination. Such applicants receive an official nomination package in the mail from AINP.
Once the provincial nomination is received, an applicant has a maximum of six months to submit a federal application for Canadian PR. Therefore, the applicants must complete and submit a paper-based application for PR by mail to the appropriate application centre. Paper-based PNP applications for permanent residence are generally take about 18 months to be processed.
