Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)

What is Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) in Canada?

Alberta has a popular immigration program called Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) also known as Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. The program is meant for the candidates with certain skills and experience required by the federal government of Canada to give a certificate of program. That certificate helps the candidate to further make an established career and a living in Canada. Further, we shall elaborate on the streams you can enter the province with.

Alberta, Canada Immigration Streams

If you are interested to enter Alberta with AAIP you will have eight streams you can choose from. Below mentioned are the eight streams divided into 2 main categories and further is a brief description of immigration streams, you can check your eligibility through the details provided.

Alberta Opportunity Stream

Who can Apply?

International candidates working in an eligible occupation in Alberta and foreign graduates who completed their education at Alberta-approved post-secondary institutions can apply for the provincial nomination under the Alberta Opportunity Stream.

How to Apply?

Interested candidates for Alberta Opportunity Stream are required to submit an online application on the AAIP online portal. Further, the applicants require to submit specific documentation depending upon the individual profile and lastly pay the application fee.

Minimum Requirements for Alberta Opportunity Stream

• You must have a valid work permit for Canada.
• You must be working in an eligible occupation that matches your work experience in an organization in Alberta.
• Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) for AAIP under this program: Level 4 or 5 depending upon the occupation.
• You would require a minimum of a high school degree equivalent to Canadian standards.
• 24 months of work experience in Canada in the last 30 months, or a minimum of 12 months of experience in Alberta.

Alberta General Express Entry Stream

Who can Apply?

Individuals who already have a profile in the Express Entry system are nominated by Alberta province with the supervision of the Express Entry stream. Candidates must demonstrate ties to Alberta and have the required skills in order to contribute to the province of Alberta for its economic growth. Individuals fulfilling the mentioned requirements may get invited by Alberta to submit an application. Candidates who receive a PNP from Alberta are given additional 600 CRS points in Express Entry.

How to Apply?

Candidates receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) in the next draw for permanent residency. The applicants may receive Notification of Interest (NOI) from the Alberta government directly in the federal system. Interested candidates have limited time to decide on the province they want to process their files for. With further selection, applicants receive a request from AAIP and apply for PNP by submitting the necessary documents through an online portal.

Minimum Requirements for Alberta Express Entry Stream

• Your profile must be in the Express Entry pool
• An interest should be shown to shift to Alberta, Canada permanently.
• Your current profession should be such that it supports Alberta’s economic development.
• Your minimum CRS score should be 300.

Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway

Who can Apply?

An immigration program for tech professionals with a job offer in Alberta in the tech industry and have their profile in the Express Entry system. Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria can further submit their online application on the AAIP portal for assessment. AAIP then verifies the applicant’s ability and eligibility criteria to enter the province and invites applicants to apply under the provincial nomination program.

How to Apply?

Only the candidates who are currently working or have a job offer with the intended province’s tech industry can apply under the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway. The candidates are also required to meet the requirements under the Alberta Express Entry stream and need to submit an online application form on the AAIP website. People meeting the criteria then receive an ITA which is an invitation to apply for the PNP program. All the documents required by the federal government are required to submit to prove after ITA has been received.

Minimum Requirements for Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway

• Candidates need to have a profile in the Express Entry pool.
• Intention to immigrate to Alberta province of Canada permanently.
• A minimum of 300 CRS score.
• A working-class or must have received a job offer through an eligible tech industry in Alberta.

Rural Renewal Stream

Who can Apply?

This program under AAIP is for the candidates with a job offer from an eligible Alberta province employer to work in the rural communities in Alberta.

How to Apply?

Community support is the foremost approach to be followed in this stream. Candidates with support from the participating community of Alberta can only be eligible to apply. Foreign candidates require extensive experience owning, operating, and managing a farm and also have enough financial capital to launch a new farming operation in Alberta. A highly detailed proposal outlining the intention of the candidate is submitted with the consultation of the province.

Minimum Requirements for Rural Renewal Stream

• You would require a valid full-time job offer or an employment contract from an employer in Alberta to work in an eligible occupation in a designated community.
• You need to meet the language requirements as well.
• At least 12 months of full-time job experience in an eligible profession 18 months before applying. The experience can be anywhere in Canada or abroad.
• Previous Education: High school education that meets minimum Canadian educational standards.
• Need to show sufficient financial standing to support their own living and the expenses related to their family members who are supposed to live with the main candidate in the designated community.

Farm Stream

Who can Apply?

Candidates interested to purchase or start their own business in farming can apply under the Self-Employed Farmer Stream in AAIP.

How to Apply?

A business plan is to be submitted to the Alberta government for them to make a decision. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is consulted by AAIP to give a decision on whether the candidate is eligible to proceed further or not. The decision is based on questions like is the business plan feasible and does the plan meet the needs put forward by Alberta’s agricultural industry? When and if the response is positive the candidates are then required to submit all associated documents and fill out the required forms to the Alberta government and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Minimum Requirements for Farm Stream

• Farm operation and management skills.
• Sufficient investment/ financial resources (minimum investment of CAD $500,000 required).
• A proper investment/business plan compiled in the documentation.

Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

Who can Apply?

This program is meant for foreign nationals who graduated from approved Alberta post-secondary institutions, and are interested in establishing a business career in Alberta.

How to Apply?

An Expression of Interest (EOI) is to be submitted to AAIP online portal. Then the candidate will receive an EOI score over the course of 30 days, where the candidates with the highest ranking will be asked to submit a Business Application, with the required documentation. Note that within 90 days the Business Application is to be completed after the received email for the complete documentation.

Minimum Requirements Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

• At least 2 years of education in Alberta.
• A Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) when applying.
• The minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) required level 7.
• The candidate must establish a new business in the province or operate an existing one with at least 34% ownership.

Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

Who can Apply?

This start-up visa program is basically meant for the foreign-educated graduates wishing to have a start-up business in the province of Alberta, to further become permanent residents in Canada.

How to Apply?

Interested candidates are required to work with the designated agency, that shall issue a letter of recommendation if the candidate meets the requirements. Then the letter of recommendation is to be submitted with the Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AAIP online portal. Agency is also required to provide a written report on the assessment of the applicant’s proposed business plan, the report is to be submitted with the application.

Minimum Requirements Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

• Six months minimum full-time experience in managing and/or owning a business.
• Financials of the business plan must be projected.
• The candidate must have post-secondary education from a foreign institution and have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). The degree should have gotten completed within the last ten years.
• Details related to the business plan in a presentation of a maximum of 10-minutes.
• A minimum of 5 Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB).
• A minimum of 34% ownership if the business is located in an urban area or at least 51% ownership in a business outside Calgary or Edmonton.
• A minimum investment of $100,000 for an urban area, or $50,000 for a regional area. The investments are can be the candidate’s own equity, or through a recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital, or angel investment firm. Keep in mind that more points are given for higher investment.
• A letter of recommendation (LOR) from an approved AAIP agency.
• Financial standing should be strong enough to support themselves and the family coming to stay with the candidate in Canada.

Rural Entrepreneur Stream

Who can Apply?

Candidates wishing to start a business in the rural communities of the province of Alberta can apply under this category.

How to Apply?

As the program is community-driven so the interested entrepreneurs who wish to have a business venture in Alberta need to contact a participating community. An exploratory visit is required after which the candidate must provide a proper business proposal with all the business information and benefits of the venture to the community. Once the candidate has the support of the community they are provided a support letter, an Expression of Interest (EOI) is to be applied by the candidate to the AAIP online portal.

Minimum Requirements Rural Entrepreneur Stream

• The candidate must have at least a high school education equivalent to Canadian standard with an Education Credential Assessment (ECA).
• At least 2 years experience as a business operator or owner or a minimum 4 years experience as a Senior Manager with a period of last 10 years.
• A minimum net worth required: $300,000.
• A minimum investment required: $200,000 from candidate’s own (and/or spouse/common-law partner) equity.
• Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of level 4 each skill in English Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) of 4 for each French language skill.
• A Community Support Letter from a participating rural Alberta community is also required.