Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)

Alberta Express Entry Stream

Alberta can use the Express Entry stream to nominate people with a profile in the federal Express Entry system. If you show your ties to Alberta and the necessary skills to contribute to the province’s economic growth, you might be invited by the province to apply. If you receive a provincial nomination from Alberta, you will be awarded an additional CRS points.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream is only available by invitation. If you have an Express Entry profile, you may get a Notification of Interest (NOI) straight from the Alberta government in the federal system. You will be contacted by the AAIP and asked to file for provincial nomination by submitting all relevant documentation through the AAIP online portal.

Minimum Requirements

• You must be in the Express Entry pool;
• You must have expressed interest in immigrating to Alberta permanently;
• You must be employed in a field contributing to Alberta’s economic development and diversification.
• A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300.

Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Programme (AAIP) Accelerated Tech Pathway is a stream of the AAIP for Express Entry candidates currently working for an Alberta employer or having a job offer in one of 38 in-demand tech occupations.

If you are working or have a full-time job offer with an Alberta technology industry employer, you can apply for this program under the expedited pathway. You need to submit an online application via the AAIP website. If you meet all the required criteria, you will receive an invitation from AAIP to apply for provincial nomination.

Minimum Requirements

• You must have a profile in the Express Entry pool.
• You must express your permanent residency in Alberta.
• The cut-off score of the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) is 300.
• You must be employed or receive a full-time job offer from an eligible tech company in Alberta.

You must first submit a business plan to the Alberta government and await a decision. Your business plan must be feasible and agreeable with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. The decision is based on how your business plan would fulfil the needs of Alberta’s agricultural economy. If the decision is favourable for you, you must then accumulate all necessary documentation and fill out the necessary forms for both the Alberta government and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

• Farm management skills;
• Sufficient financial resources (minimum investment of CAD $500,000);
• Investment plans are documented in a proposed business plan.

• Minimum Net Worth: CAD 300,000
• Minimum Investment: CAD 200,000
• Ownership: 51% or greater
• Experience: Min. 3 years as a business owner or four years in a senior management role.
• Education: Completed high school (ECA required)
• Language Proficiency: CLB4 or Above in English or French.
• Job Creation: Mandatory
• Community Support Letter: Mandatory

• Minimum Investment: CAD 100,000 (Urban Center), CAD 50,000 (outside Calgary and Edmonton)
• Ownership: 34% or higher (Urban Center), 51% (outside Calgary and Edmonton)
• Experience: Min. 6 months as a business owner or manager.
• Education: Equivalent college or university degree obtained from outside Canada.
• Language Proficiency: CLB Level 5 or Above in English or French.
• Pitch Deck: 10-minute slideshow presentation
• Business Plan: Mandatory
• Letter of Recommendation: Mandatory
• Settlement Funds: Mandatory

• Ownership: 34% or greater with Canadian citizens or permanent residents as partners.
• Experience: Minimum 3 years as a business owner or four years in a senior management role.
• Education: Completed a program lasting two or more years at an Alberta College or University. A degree or diploma is mandatory.
• Language Proficiency: CLB 7 or above in English or French.
• Work Permit: PGWP Mandatory.

You need to fill out your application online through the AAIP online portal. You must also submit all relevant documents and pay the online application fee, depending on your situation.

• You must have a valid, full-time work permit.
• You must be a full-time employee in Alberta that fits your work experience.
• You must demonstrate your language efficiency in English or French, as determined by a formal language evaluation ((CELPIP, IELTS, or TEF). You must attain a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 4, 5 or 7, depending on your occupation.
• You must produce a degree from high school.
• A minimum of 12 months of work experience in Alberta in the last 18 months or a minimum of 24 months of work experience in Canada in the last 30 months.

Since this stream is community-driven, you must get the approval of a participating community in Alberta. Employers make job offers to designated communities, and the community ensures that the applicant satisfies the stream criteria. You are subsequently given a letter of support. After receiving the endorsement, the foreign national submits their application to the AAIP.

• A valid full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer is necessary.
• You must have at least 12 months of full-time work experience in an eligible profession 18 months before applying.
• You must meet English or French language requirements.
• Your education should be equivalent to Canadian high school education standards.
• You must have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family member(s) if anyone will be moving with you.