Alberta Opportunity Stream
The Alberta Opportunity Stream is a source of the AINP, a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) managed by the region of Alberta. This stream points towards the foreign employees already living and serving in Alberta and getting the offer of employment to start struggling full-time for an Albertan business.
Candidates should have a definite and positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Candidates should fulfill the eligibility standards for residency and job permit type, profession, language, and education.
Graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions who hail from international backgrounds
As an international student, accessing the Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) becomes possible if you’ve completed your studies at an authorized Alberta post-secondary institution and are currently employed in Alberta with a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
The Alberta Advantage Immigrant Program (formerly known as the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program or AINP) encourages student applicants possessing education and skills aligned with Alberta’s labor market demands to explore the AOS.
To qualify, you’ll need to demonstrate a minimum of six months of work experience in an Alberta occupation related to your field of study—this requirement is lower than that for other applicants. Additionally, meeting the same language and income criteria outlined on this page is necessary.
Note that if you studied in a different Canadian province, eligibility for the AAIP as a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder won’t apply to you. However, other types of work permits might still make you eligible for consideration under the program.
Criteria for Residency Status and Work Permits
At the time of applying and throughout the assessment process, you’re required to:
- Hold a valid temporary resident status in Canada that permits working (such as a temporary foreign worker status).
- Residency statuses ineligible under the AOS encompass:
- Possess a valid work permit relevant to an eligible occupation, granted based on:
- LMIA exemption as a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holder, requiring compliance with:
Note: For individuals admitted to an Alberta-approved post-secondary program on or after April 1, 2019, your current occupation must also align with your previous undergraduate or graduate field of study outside Canada.
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Working of the Stream
Generally, this stream consists of the following parameters:
1. Connection to Alberta Province
Petitioners should have legitimate status as brief residents in Canada, which empowers them to work. The candidate must be living and serving the province of Alberta. Note that foreign applicants are not acceptable under this stream. Applicants must have a valid and robust job authorization for a proper occupation and have positive and accurate LMIA.
2. Job Offer
By the time an application is pointed to AINP, then at the same time, the application is judged and checked. The appellant must be working in an eligible profession in Alberta that matches their past job skills. Post-Graduation Work Permit holders should also operate in a business linked to their discipline of study in Alberta.
Job Offer Requirements
To be eligible for the AOS, you’ll need a valid full-time job offer from an Alberta employer in your current occupation, along with the necessary licensing, registration, or certification for that role in Alberta. The job offer should encompass continuous, paid work of at least 30 hours per week for a minimum of 12 months, meeting the criteria for an eligible AAIP occupation. Both you and the Alberta employer must sign the offer, and it should specify work in your current occupation for at least 12 months. However, certain conditions make job offers ineligible, such as part-time positions, roles as independent contractors, business owners, or those working from non-commercial or non-industrial premises within Alberta.
3. Language Proficiency
All applicants must prove ability and skills in either English or French, equal and comparable to the CLB 4. It can also be described by presenting valid conclusions from one of Canada’s recommended language tests. Validation of that test is two years, and after that, you should perform the test again.
Nurses’ aides, valets, and patient assistance associates must obtain a least language test score of CLB 7 for English language ability or NCLC 7 for each French language experience.
4. Education Level for Alberta Opportunity Stream
There is no restriction of education for the opportunity stream of AINP. However, all applicants must have achieved a minimum of high school study in their country of birth.
Education Requirements
When applying for the AOS, you need to have finished at least a Canadian high school diploma or its equivalent from your home country. Verification of your highest level of foreign education is necessary through an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-recognized organization to confirm compliance with education prerequisites.
ECAs aren’t mandatory if you possess a degree, diploma, or certificate from a recognized Canadian post-secondary, technical, or secondary institution. They’re also unnecessary if your work experience qualifies you for the AAIP in a trade, provided you have a valid Alberta Qualification Certificate or recognized trade certificate from Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
For holders of a Post-Graduation Work Permit seeking the AOS, meeting graduation criteria for an Alberta Advanced Education approved credential from an authorized Alberta post-secondary institution in the province is necessary.
Note: For applicants admitted to an Alberta Advanced Education approved program before April 1, 2019, eligibility for this stream might apply. Minimum high school level education is typically required, unless a Post-Graduation Work Permit is held.
5. Work Experience
Job experience for the opportunity stream of ANIP is as follows:
- A minimum of 12-months full-time work in Alberta within the last 18 months
- A minimum of 24-months full-time work experience in their current profession in the previous 30 months
Work Experience Requirements
To be eligible for the AOS, your current occupation, as defined at the time of applying, must align with your work experience. You’ll need a minimum of either 12 months’ full-time work in your current Alberta occupation within the last 18 months, or 24 months’ full-time work in your current Canadian or international occupation within the last 30 months. This experience can stem from work in Alberta, elsewhere in Canada, or internationally.
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders should have at least six months’ full-time work in their Alberta current occupation within the last 18 months. Moreover, the occupation must relate to their field of study as approved by an Alberta educational institution. If completing a one-year post-graduate certificate, the occupation should tie back to their previous undergraduate or graduate field of study in Canada.
Your work experience needs to fulfill certain criteria: it must be full-time (at least 30 hours per week), match your listed current occupation, and have had the necessary authorization by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada with valid temporary resident status if completed in Alberta or Canada. Additionally, work experience obtained during co-op placements or internships as part of a study program in Canada cannot count, unless it was paid co-op work aligned with an Alberta post-secondary institution for Post-Graduation Work Permit holders.
6. Application Procedure
Eligible applicants can submit a form at any time, and requests are processed on a come-and-served basis. Enthusiastic contestants must prepare a comprehensive paper-based application. All documents must be provided in hard copy and presented in a single envelope, by mail, to the office of ANIP.
At the time your application is postmarked and at the time the AINP assesses your application, you must:
Occupation Requirements
To qualify, you must be currently employed in a relevant occupation in Alberta that aligns with your prior work experience. Suppose you possess a Post-Graduation Work Permit along with an approved Alberta Advanced Education post-secondary credential from an authorized Alberta institution. In that case, you should be working in a field related to your study. For individuals completing an approved one-year post-graduate certificate in Alberta, employment in a field linked to their previous undergraduate or graduate studies outside Canada is required. Most occupations under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C, and D are eligible under the AAIP.
Ineligible occupations
People with the following occupations are not eligible to apply for the Alberta Opportunity Stream:
| NOC Code (2016) | NOC Skill Level | Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 0011 | 0 | Legislators |
| 0422 | 0 | School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education |
| 0423 | 0 | Managers in social, community and correctional services |
| 0432 | 0 | Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers |
| 0651* | 0 | Escort agency managers, massage parlour managers |
| 4031 | A | Secondary school teachers |
| 4032 | A | Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 4154 | A | Professional occupations in religion |
| 5121 | A | Authors and writers |
| 5133 | A | Musicians and singers |
| 5135 | A | Actors and comedians |
| 5136 | A | Painters, sculptors and other visual artists |
| 1227 | B | Court officers and justices of the peace |
| 3223* | B | Dental laboratory assistants/bench workers |
| 4214* | B | Early childhood educators who do not have certification through Alberta Children’s Services – Child Care Staff Certification Office or who have been certified as child development assistant (formerly Level 1) |
| 4216 | B | Other instructors |
| 4217 | B | Other religious occupations |
| 5232 | B | Other performers, not elsewhere classified |
| 5244 | B | Artisans and craftsperson’s |
| 5251 | B | Athletes |
| 6232 | B | Real estate agents and salespersons |
| 4411 | C | Home child care providers |
| 4412 | C | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
| 4413 | C | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 6533 | C | Casino occupations |
| 6564 | C | Other personal service occupations |
| 7513 | C | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
| 8442 | C | Trappers and hunters |
| 6623 | D | Other sales related occupations |
| 6722 | D | Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport |
| 6742 | D | Other service support occupations, not elsewhere classified |
| 8611 | D | Harvesting labourers |
| 8612 | D | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 8613 | D | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 8614 | D | Mine labourers |
Post-graduation work Permit holders
If you are a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder with an eligible Alberta Advanced Education-approved post-secondary credential issued by an Advanced Education-approved Alberta public and private post-secondary institution, your occupation must also be related to your field of study in Alberta.
If you are admitted and enrolled in your Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019, and you completed an Advanced Education-approved one-year post-graduate certificate, your occupation must also be related to your previous undergraduate or graduate field of study outside Canada.
In addition to occupations on the list above, Post-Graduation Work Permit holders are not eligible to apply to the Alberta Opportunity Stream if their occupation is on the Government of Canada’s list of high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta. These occupations are not in demand in Alberta and can be filled by Albertans and Canadians.