Alberta Opportunity Stream

The Alberta Opportunity Stream under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program(AAIP) targets those immigration candidates who are already working full-time in Alberta and have a full-time job offer from an employer in Alberta in an occupation listed as eligible under the stream. Further, the candidates are also supposed to have a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment(LMIA) or hold work permits that are exempted from the LMIA requirement. The candidates are also required to meet the eligibility criteria for the stream with regard to work permit, occupation, language, education, job offer etc.

Eligibility requirements for Alberta Opportunity Stream

Residency, work permit

While submitting an application under the Alberta Opportunity Stream and while this application is being assessed, the candidate must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada. It can be:

• A work permit with a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment(LMIA)
• A work permit with LMIA exemption
• An open work permit
• A Post-Graduation Work Permit(PGWP)

If a candidate is living and working in a province other than Alberta, they will not be eligible under the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Foreign workers living in Canada without a valid temporary resident status are also not eligible under the stream.

Occupation

The candidate must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta at the time of submitting the application and while their application being assessed. This occupation is denoted as “current occupation” in the application and this should be an eligible occupation under the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Most occupations that are categorised under NOC categories 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are eligible under the AAIP.

List of Ineligible occupations under Alberta Opportunity Stream

*This National Occupation Classification (NOC) code has both eligible occupations and ineligible occupations under it. Here, the ineligible occupation is specified.

If the applicant is a Post-graduation Work Permit Holder, their occupation must be related to their field of study in Alberta.

Language

The candidates must meet the minimum language requirements in order to qualify under the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Those working in an occupation categorised under NOC 0, 1, 2 or 3 TEER category must have a minimum language proficiency equal to Canadian Language Benchmark(CLB) 5 in English or French. For those who are working in an occupation classified under NOC TEER category 4 or 5, language proficiency must be equal to CLB 4 in English or French.

If the candidate is applying under NOC code 33102, which is nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates, the minimum language test score is CLB 7 in all the four abilities, in English or French.

The language tests recognized by the AAIP are:

• Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Test
• Test d’évaluation de français Canada (TEF Canada)
• Test de connaissance du français Canada (TCF Canada)

The language test results must not be older than two years at the time of application.

Education

The candidate must have education equal to Canadian high school. Those who have earned their education credentials from outside Canada must submit a copy of the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) along with the application.

However, those who have a valid Alberta Qualification Certificate or a trade certificate recognized by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIP) will be exempt from this requirement.
The Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must have completed their education in a publicly funded post-secondary institution and that must have led to a certificate or post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate, diploma or degree.

Work Experience

A candidate’s current occupation must match their work experience.

They must have either

A minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in the current occupation in Alberta. They must have acquired the same within the last 18 months.

Or

They must have a total of at least 24 months of full-time work experience. It can be the combined work experience acquired from Alberta or in Canada or abroad. Also, the candidate must have obtained this work experience in the past 30 months.

In the case of PGWP holders, the work experience requirements are:

• It must be a full-time job, having at least 30 hours a week.
• The work experience must be in the same occupation as your current one
• They must have earned the work experience while residing and working in Canada legally.

Further, the candidates must have obtained the required certificate or licensure to practice their profession in Alberta.

Requirements with regard to job offers

• The employer must be incorporated or registered as per the law and must have an established production capability or plant or place of business in Alberta
• The offer must be for a continuous, paid work
• It must be a full-time work, with at least 30 hours per week
• The offer must be for employment of at least 12 months
• The occupation must be same as your current occupation
• The wages and benefits must not be less than the provincial minimum wage

Applying for Alberta nomination

You can apply under Alberta Opportunity Stream any time you want. If you meet the eligibility requirements under the Alberta Opportunity Stream and receive an invitation to apply for provincial nomination from Alberta, you may apply on the AAIP portal, by paying the application fee. You can update the information in your application even after submitting.

If you receive a provincial nomination, you may submit the application for permanent residence to the IRCC.

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