The Alberta Opportunity Stream is a Provincial Nominee Program designed to help individuals become permanent residents of Canada through a nomination from the province of Alberta.

The Alberta Opportunity Stream is for foreign workers who have a full-time job offer from an Alberta employer in an eligible occupation and are already working full-time in Alberta.

Review the eligibility requirements to see if you are eligible to apply:

Table of contents

Overview

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (formerly known as Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program) is available to individuals who have lived and worked in Alberta for at least one year, hold a job offer from an employer in Alberta, and are qualified for the program.

Candidates must also fulfil additional residency, occupation, language, education and Alberta job offer requirements, as well as work experience in an eligible job.

To apply, potential candidates fill out an online application via the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program portal.

PNP vs Express Entry

Residency, and work permit requirements

You must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that allows you to work in Canada when your application is submitted and when the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) assesses it.

You must have a valid work permit when you submit your application as well as when the AAIP assesses it. Status maintained during processing (formerly known as implied status) and restoration status will make you ineligible to apply.

A valid work permit is:

  • A positive Labour Market Impact Assessment
  • An LMIA exemption work permit:
    • International Experience Canada
    • Workers transferred to Canada within a company
    • International trade agreements
    • Mobilité Francophone
    • R205(d) for religious work
    • Vulnerable workers including workers under the VWOWP exemption, or
    • A family member of a vulnerable worker under the VWOWP exemption
  • A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) from an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution (must also meet specific occupation, education and work experience requirements)
  • An open work permit issued under one of IRCC’s open work permit public policies:

The Alberta Opportunity Stream is not available to the following individuals:

  • refugee claimants or if you are involved in an appeal or removal process
  • temporary residents living in a different province other than Alberta, or
  • foreign nationals who do not have valid temporary resident status

Occupation requirements

You must work in an eligible occupation in Alberta both when you submit your application and at the time the AAIP assessment is conducted. Your work experience and job offer also need to meet certain occupational requirements.

Review the work experience and eligible job offer criteria for more information.

The employment you are currently working in when your application is submitted is referred to as your “current occupation.”

The AAIP covers most occupations with skill levels 0, A, B, C, and D under the National Occupational Classification (NOC).

You must follow certain criteria to stay in Canada with a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

One of the requirements is that your occupation is related to what you studied in Alberta. Review the education requirements section for information on recognized Alberta credentials and authorized Alberta institutions.

How to find your NOC code

Language requirements

The following are the language score requirements that you must meet in English or French when submitting your application, these scores must be based on a single test result.

Check the language score requirements here.

When you submit your application, the results from an official test must be less than 2 years old.

Take a look at the guideline on CLB/NCLC for each of the official tests’ equivalencies.

You will need to provide your official test results with your application from one of the following language exams:

If your occupation is a nurse aide, orderly and patient service associate (NOC code 3413), you are required to meet a minimum language test score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 for each English skill or Niveaux de compétence Linguistique Canadiens (NCLC) of 7 for each French skill.

English test for Express Entry
IELTS to CLB calculator

Education requirements

All applicants unless you are a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder

Upon submitting your application, you must have the educational equivalent of a Canadian high school diploma.

You must submit a copy of your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) issued by a designated organization by IRCC, to show your highest level of education.

You do not need to provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA if:

Please note that to be eligible for the program, PGWP must fulfil the following extra educational requirements at the time of application submission.

Approved Alberta institutions

Your credential must come from an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.

Eligible Alberta credentials

Depending if your Alberta credential program was before or after April 1, 2019, it will depend on which Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials must be.

Check which credential you will need.

Work experience requirements

The term ‘current occupation’ refers to the job you are currently working when you apply.

Your current employment must also correspond with the experience at the time your application is submitted, as well as the time when the AAIP examines your application.

Eligible work experience

When your AAIP application is submitted you must have either:

  • Within the past 18 months, you must have worked for at least 12 months full-time in your current job in Alberta.
  • You must have worked full-time in your current occupation for at least 24 months within the last 30 months - this experience can come from a combination of work done in Alberta, Canada (outside of Alberta), or abroad.

PGWP applicants must have at least 6 months of full-time work experience in their current job in Alberta within the last 18 months.

  • must have worked full-time for at least 30 hours per week
  • must be for the same occupation as your current occupation
  • must have had temporary resident status if done in Canada or Alberta
  • cannot have been gained while studying in Canada unless you are a PGWP holder who finished paid co-op work terms as a part of your program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution. To
  • qualify, your work terms must have been:
    • paid and full-time (at least 30 hours per week)
    • for work experience directly related to your current occupation, and
    • for work experience, all gained within Alberta

Every applicant must meet the specific licensing, registration and certification requirements both when they submit their application and when the AAIP evaluates it:

  • must have the required licensing or certification to work in your current occupation within Alberta if required.
  • for compulsory trades in Alberta, you must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) trade certificate.
  • childcare workers, you must have valid certification as a Level 2 Early Childhood Educator or Level 3 Early Childhood Educator.

Eligible job offers

You must have a full-time job offer from an Albertan employer to work in your current occupation in Alberta at the time you submit your application, and when the AAIP evaluates it.

Your Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered by or under an act of legislation of a territory, province, or the Parliament of Canada and be operating as a business with a place of business in Alberta.

You must and your employer must sign your Offer of Employment, which must contain the following:

  • continuous, and paid work
  • full-time work (at least 30 hours per week)
  • work in your current occupation
  • employment for a minimum of 12 months
  • wages and benefits that meet the provinces minimum wage and:
  • work for an eligible Alberta Advantage Immigration Program occupation that meets AAIP work permit requirements
 

Application fees

The fee for the Alberta Opportunity Stream is $500 CAD.

How to apply

Here is a list of the steps required to get Permanent Residence through the Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS), so that you have a better understanding of the process.

Apply via the AAIP portal by completing the online application and uploading all required documentation.

​Apply for permanent residence to the federal government (IRCC) within 6 months of receiving the nomination via the PR portal and include the nomination from the AAIP along with the application and all required documentation.