The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has chosen to stop processing applications for the Alberta Opportunity Stream as of February 15. This will last until further notice.
The AAIP says that this choice was made to give the province the time it needs to deal with its current backlog of applications and make smart decisions about how to use its limited immigration nominations. This strategic allocation is meant to help key industries like healthcare, technology, building, agriculture, tourism, and hospitality that are having trouble finding workers.
Applications sent in before February 15 will still be looked at, but the AAIP will be taking steps to better handle future application volumes so they are in line with program goals and to make sure that service standards are met across all streams.
Temporary foreign workers who are already working full-time in Alberta under a legal Canadian work permit and have been offered a full-time job in Alberta are the main people whom the Alberta Opportunity Stream of the AAIP is for. People who have Post-Graduation Work Permits may also be able to apply in this stream.
To increase the number of people working in Alberta, the AAIP will start a new stream on March 1 for people who have worked in the tourism and hotel industry for at least six months and meet the requirements for permanent residency in Alberta. Those who want to apply must have a valid full-time, non-seasonal job offer from an approved employer in the right field.
The goal of this effort is to help businesses across the province, even those in rural areas, keep skilled workers and keep the economy growing by addressing staffing shortages in the sector.
The province has said that it will only accept a certain number of applications for this new stream and will handle them faster as part of its priority processing programs. On March 1, more complete information about this stream is expected to be made public.
Alberta is known as one of the best places to visit in Canada. In 2022, about 32 million tourists came to the province, spending a total of $10.7 billion. This made a big difference in the local economy.
Economic immigrants who are likely to do well in Alberta are chosen by the government of Alberta through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which is what the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program does.
Like other PNPs, the AAIP has different streams that are designed to find people with a wide range of skills and traits that are in high demand. These streams include trained workers in fields like healthcare and agriculture, as well as people who live and work in rural areas or start their own businesses.
Under the PNP framework, each province is given a certain amount of nominations each year. Alberta nominated 9,750 AAIP candidates in 2023, but the state hasn’t said what the number will be for 2024. However, Canada wants to bring in 110,000 newcomers through the PNP by the end of this year, as planned by the government Immigration Levels Plan 2024–2022.
