The Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream is one of Alberta’s PNP streams that is aligned with Express Entry, which means that a candidate needs a valid Express Entry profile to be eligible to the stream.
Alberta, through this stream, chooses its future newcomers to the province under a set of specific requirements.
There is one main criteria (in addition to the other eligibility requirements) to be selected in a draw under this pathway:
The primary occupation of the principal applicant is connected to agriculture, construction, or hospitality and tourism sectors.
Priority may be given to candidates with an Alberta job offer or whose primary occupation is in demand.
Requirements to qualify for EE
- you need to have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
- you meet the criteria of at least one of the federal immigration programs managed by Express Entry:
Canadian Experience Class
Federal Skilled Trades Program
Federal Skilled Worker Program - your primary occupation in your federal Express Entry profile is an occupation in demand, included as part of a specific Express Entry stream pathway, or is identified as an occupation connected to a provincial economic, sector or occupational priority
- Your chances of receiving a Notification of Interest letter or preference from the AAIP may increase if, your Express Entry profile is valid for more than 5 months
Comprehensive Ranking score
Language
Your chances of receiving a Notification of Interest letter or preference from the AAIP may increase if, French is your first language.
Education Outside Canada
Your chances of receiving a Notification of Interest letter or preference from the AAIP may increase if you are a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution.
Job Offer
- you need to have an Alberta job offer.
- Alberta job offers and current employment contracts must be from a legitimate, established and verifiable Alberta employer:
- that is incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory or the Parliament of Canada and that is operating an established production capacity, plant or a place of business in Alberta, and
- for which you do not hold more than 10% of the overall voting shares for the business
- The job offer must be bona fide, signed by your legitimate, established and verifiable Alberta employer and must offer:
- continuous, paid work under an employer-employee relationship
- employment for 12 months or more
- full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week
Wage or Salary
- wages and benefits that meet or exceed provincial minimum wage:
- Non-wage compensation, including but not limited to compensation from company ownership, is not considered as part of the applicant’s base monetary wage or salary.
Employer Eligibility
The employer who is providing your Alberta job offer must demonstrate to the AAIP’s satisfaction that:
- the business is legitimate
- they are providing a good or service in Alberta
- you are being offered employment consistent with their business activities or needs
- they can fulfill all of the terms of the job offer or employment contract, based on the following employer requirements, which must be verifiable by the AAIP
The Alberta employer must:
- be incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a province, territory or the Parliament of Canada and that is operating an established production capacity, plant or a place of business in Alberta
- have been in continuous and active operation in Alberta for a minimum of 2 complete fiscal years (the year used for tax or accounting purposes) prior to application submission
- have a place of doing business in Alberta where employees can report to work regularly as needed and where work assignments are issued
- demonstrate the need for the position, by providing:
a valid work permit issued under the federal Temporary Foreign Worker or International Mobility programs, or
evidence the employer made reasonable efforts to fill the position with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, as demonstrated by recruitment outcomes (federal recruitment and advertising requirements of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be used as a broad guideline when a nominee applicant is not already living and working in Alberta), or as pre-existing stream or pathway criteria already stipulates.
- 2 years of operation in Alberta: a total of 1 nominee.
- 3 years of operation in Alberta: a total 2 nominees.
have a minimum total gross annual revenue of $400,000 for the most recent fiscal year (the year used for tax or accounting purposes) and employment of a minimum of 3 full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees in Alberta –Independent contractors are not considered as indeterminate employees and do not count.
Two part-time employees may be considered as 1 full-time equivalent position, as long as the total hours add up to at least an average of 30 hours per week.
Note: If an employer cannot demonstrate a gross annual revenue of $400,000 for the most recent tax year and a minimum of 3 full-time employees, the employer can qualify for the program but will be restricted in the number of nominee applicants they can support, based on the number of years the employer has been operating in Alberta:
For each additional year of operation, 1 additional nominee can be supported.
Indigenous, municipal, provincial, and federal government employers do not need to meet revenue and minimum employee requirements.
Caps on number of nominees an employer can support will be applied to applications received on or after March 18, 2024. Note, if a nominee leaves the employer, the nomination will continue to be counted towards job offer eligibility/employer operations.
You must confirm with your employer that they are able to support your application. Your application fee will not be refunded if your employer supports more applicants than permitted based on their years of operation in Alberta.
Eligible NOC TEER Categories
occupations in the:
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Health care
- Tourism and hospitality sectors
Relatives in Province
Your chances of receiving a Notification of Interest letter or preference from the AAIP may increase if, you have a parent, child, or sibling who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Alberta.
Intention to live in Province
you intend to and be able to live and work permanently in Alberta and have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta
Funds
IRCC PROOF OF FUNDS
- You must have enough money to support yourself and your dependent family members when you settle in Canada.
- Note that a family member includes your spouse, common law partner and children under the age of 22, including their children.
- You can meet this requirement through one or a combination of any of the following:
- funds as demonstrated by the balance listed in bank statements, or statements of accounts showing other investments such as non-locked in, fixed term deposits, mutual funds, etc.
- annual earnings from ongoing employment
- a job offer
- you’re applying under the Canadian Experience Class or
- you’re authorized to work in Canada and you have a valid job offer, even if you apply under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Federal Skilled Trades Program
the minimum amount you need to immigrate to Canada as of May 2024. If you have more money, you should list the full amount in your profile or application.
| Number of Family Members | Funds Required (in Canadian dollars) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $14,690 |
| 2 | $18,288 |
| 3 | $22,483 |
| 4 | $27,297 |
| 5 | $30,690 |
| 6 | $34,917 |
| 7 | $38,875 |
| If more than 7 people, for each additional family member, add | $3,958 |
You don’t need to show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family if
Ineligibility
- “you are neither a refugee claimant nor subject to a federal appeal or removal process
- AAIP cannot intervene in the federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process.
- you do not have an active nomination under any AAIP stream
- An active nomination is one that has not expired or is eligible for extension, or both, or a nomination that was used to apply for permanent residence but where a decision has not yet been made on the permanent residence application.
- you are not currently identified as ineligible to re-apply to the AAIP due to misrepresentation”
- your primary occupation is not on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list below:
NOC Code (2021) NOC TEER Category Occupation 00010 0 Legislators 40021 0 School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education 40030 0 Managers in social, community and correctional services 40041 0 Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers 60040* 0 Escort agency managers, massage parlour managers 41100 1 Judges 41220 1 Secondary school teachers 41221 1 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers 51111 1 Authors and writers (except technical) 51122 1 Musicians and singers 42200* 2 Justices of the peace 42202* 2 Early childhood educators who do not have certification through Alberta Children’s Services – Child Care Staff Certification Office or who have been certified as Level 1 Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Assistant) 43100 3 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants 43109 3 Other instructors 53121 3 Actors, comedians and circus performers 53122 3 Painters, sculptors and other visual artists 53124 3 Artisans and craftspersons 53200 3 Athletes 63101 3 Real estate agents and salespersons 33100* 3 Dental laboratory assistants/bench workers 44100 4 Home child care providers 44101 4 Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations 64321 4 Casino occupations 55109 5 Other performers 65109 5 Other sales related occupations 65211 5 Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport 65229 5 Other support occupations in personal services 65329 5 Other service support occupations 75200 5 Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs 85101 5 Harvesting labourers 85102 5 Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers 85104 5 Trappers and hunters 85110 5 Mine labourers
Ineligible applicants based on job offer
The following individuals are not eligible to apply for or be nominated, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period:
- Part-time, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of their working hours
- Independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed as directors, shareholders or agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES)
- Employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business (applies to Alberta Opportunity, Rural Renewal and Tourism and Hospitality Streams; for details on distinctions within the Alberta Express Entry Stream and valid job offer requirements,
- Employees who do not work in Alberta, such as those who work online from a location outside Alberta or who work at a premises outside of Alberta
85121 5 Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers”
Application Period
Estimated average processing time : 2 months
Application Fee
Alberta Express Entry stream is set at 500 CAD
Submission of Application
Candidates must:
- Meet the eligibility requirements of the federal FSW, FST or CEC programs.
- Generate their Express Entry profile, and specify their interest in the province by selecting “Alberta” or “All Provinces and Territories”.
- Qualify for the minimum AEE stream eligibility requirements.
- Obtain a Notification of Interest letter from the AAIP through the Express Entry profile and email a copy of the letter to the AAIP within 2 weeks of receiving it.
- The AAIP will then send an email with a link to the AAIP portal to submit the application.
- Apply to the AEE stream in the AAIP portal by completing the online application and uploading all requested documents.
- Accept the Alberta provincial nomination (after the AAIP processes their application) within 30 days of receiving it on their Express Entry profile.
- Obtain an additional 600 CRS points in the Express Entry profile, and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
- Apply for permanent residence through your Express Entry profile.