Alberta is a Canadian Province with a strong PNP program. Find all the necessary information here to become a permanent resident through the Alberta PNP.
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) is an immigration program through which a broad range of workers, graduates, and entrepreneurs can settle in Alberta permanently. The AINP is one of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs).
Successful applicants to the AINP receive a provincial nomination certificate. With this nomination, the applicant, as well as his or her accompanying family members, if applicable, may apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for Canadian permanent residence.
Alberta has been a hugely attractive destination for newcomers to Canada over recent years, with the government data from Canada’s most recent census in 2016 showing that Alberta rivals British Columbia for position as the second most popular immigration destination in Canada, after Ontario. Alberta’s share of recent immigrants — defined as people who first obtained permanent resident status in Canada in the five years prior to a census — increased from 6.9 per cent in 2001 to 17.1 per cent in 2016.
Immigrants to Alberta are attracted by the wealth of job opportunities across the province and high living standards. The provincial capital, Edmonton, as well as the slightly larger Calgary and a host of smaller communities across the province, have experienced economic growth over recent years.
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program offers six streams — the Opportunity Stream, the Express Entry Stream, the Accelerated Tech Pathway, the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream, the Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream, and the Self-Employed Farmer stream.
The Opportunity stream provides a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for foreign workers working in Alberta, who will require a job offer from an employer in Alberta in order to be eligible.
The Express Entry stream provides a pathway for Express Entry candidates who Alberta invites to apply to the province. Candidates are invited through their Express Entry accounts with the exact selection criteria not available to the public.
The Accelerated Tech Pathway provides expedited processing to certain Express Entry candidates who are currently employed in Alberta in an eligible tech occupation or hold a job offer from an Alberta employer in an eligible tech occupation.
Express Entry candidates who receive a provincial nomination through an Express Entry-aligned stream receive 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points and an invitation to apply (ITA) for permanent residence at a subsequent draw from the pool.
The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream (IGEIS) is for international students who have graduated from post-secondary institutions in Alberta and wish to immigrate to the province permanently by starting a business or purchasing an existing business.
The Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream (FGSVS) is for recent graduates from post-secondary institutions outside Canada who are interested in starting new businesses and settling in Alberta.
The AINP also offers the Self-Employed Farmer stream for experienced farmers with the demonstrated capacity to operate a farm in Alberta.
Like any application, it pays to be as prepared as possible when it comes time to submit your AINP application. With that in mind, here are four top tips that you should focus on:
You can find out which AINP streams are open right now, in our PNP Canada Live Tracker.
If you have already submitted an application to Alberta immigration authorities, or thinking of doing so soon, you can view updated AINP processing times.
Finally, if you are looking to move to Alberta then you should take the time to visit our detailed and informative city guides about Alberta’s two biggest cities: Calgary and Edmonton
| Category/Stream | Aligned with EE? | Job Offer Required? | Recent update | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Express Entry | Yes | No | Jan 18: 350 candidates invited with CRS scores as low as 346 points. | Open (candidates must receive invitation before applying) |
| Accelerated Tech Pathway | Yes | Yes, unless already working in Alberta | Program launched — details here. | Open |
| Opportunity Stream | No | Yes | Feb 1: Approximately 350 applications are queued for processing and AINP staff are assessing applications received before Jan 3, 2022 | Open |
| International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream | No | No | Oct 27, 2020: Launched as a brand new PNP stream. | Open |
| Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa | No | No | Jan 28, 2021: Launched as a brand new PNP stream. | Open (accepting EOIs) |
| Self-Employed Farmer | No | No | Remains open into 2022 | Open |
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