As of January 18th, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), which serves as Alberta’s Provincial Nomination Program, added the requirement that candidates have relatives in the province as one of their criteria for selecting candidates for the Alberta Express Entry stream (managed under the AAIP).
As a result of this, candidates in the federal Express Entry pool who have immediate family members living in that province (parents, children, brothers, or sisters) will now be required to meet additional selection criteria (effective immediately) if they are listed as having immediate family members living there.
It is also possible for this to increase the probability that a candidate will receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) from the Alberta Express Entry stream, as well as an invitation to apply for permanent residency. Note that eligibility is based on candidates’ Express Entry profile information.
For new immigrants to establish themselves in the province and settle successfully in the province, Alberta believes that these immediate family ties are essential.
The important thing to note is that none of the selection criteria for any of the AAIP streams have changed. The changes to this program only impact the Alberta Express Entry stream and only add new selection criteria without altering existing selection criteria (including having a job offer from an Alberta company or graduating from an Albertan post-secondary institution).
The Alberta Ministry of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism has announced that “this is not a plan for family reunion,” as described by Rajan Sawhney, the Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism. As a result of this change, the Alberta Express Entry stream will now have the option of allocating 25% of its NOIs to individuals who have both immediate family ties to Alberta and experience in jobs that are in high demand in the province.
There has been massive growth in the economy in Alberta in the past month alone, with the addition of nearly 41,000 new jobs in December 2022, most of which were in the private sector. The AAIP serves as a means for employers to combat labour shortages. It is also true that Alberta has a high rate of job vacancies – with nearly 100,000 currently available – and a future predicted shortage of over 33,000 workers in a variety of occupations and sectors by 2025. For these reasons, the province has been pushing for more newcomers to settle in the province.
AAIP And Alberta Express Entry: What Are They?
With AAIP, Alberta welcomes newcomers from abroad into the province. There are eight streams managed by the program, broadly divided into worker and entrepreneur streams.
Work streams include:
- The Alberta Opportunity stream
- The Alberta Express Entry stream, which also includes the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway (AATP)
- The Rural Renewal stream
Candidate Requirements for Alberta Express Entry:
- Be in the federal Express Entry pool (ideally with more than 5 months validity)
- Interested in moving permanently to Alberta
- Work in an in-demand occupation that supports Alberta’s economic diversification
- A minimum CRS score of 300
Candidates are now more likely to receive an invitation to apply if they also:
- Work in Alberta or have a valid job offer;
- Graduated from a post-secondary institution in Alberta
- Be a citizen or permanent resident of Alberta and have a parent, child, brother, or sister living there.
Candidate profiles must be submitted to the federal express entry pool. If selected and issued an NOI, candidates must email a copy of the document to the AAIP.
If candidates meet the minimum eligibility criteria, they will receive an email inviting them to apply. In the federal pool (functioning as an enhanced provincial nomination), candidates (now applicants) will receive 600 CRS points. A pool of eligible applications is then used to process complete applications.
With the Alberta Express Entry stream modifications announced recently, our government is taking a number of steps to help Alberta get the qualified and skilled talent it needs.” Minister Sawhney concluded.
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