Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) FAQ

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), previously named the Alberta Provincial Nomination Program, is a process in which the Province of Alberta nominates candidates to immigrate to and settle in the province. It is administered by the Ministry of Employment and Immigration on behalf of the Government of Alberta.

There are eight different streams under the AINP system, each with their own categories:

• U.S. Visa Holder Stream - ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
• Engineering Occupations Stream
• Strategic Recruitment Stream
• Compulsory and Optional Trades Stream
• Skilled Worker Stream
• International Graduate Stream
• Semi-Skilled Worker Stream
• Family Stream - ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
• Self-Employed Farmer Stream. 

The Employer Driven Stream is a process in which employers in Alberta can nominate the workers they need from outside Canada if they have been unable to fill vacant permanent positions with Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents. If an employer has extended a permanent job offer to a candidate, and the candidate has accepted a job offer, they can apply for a Provincial Nomination Certificate.
There are three categories in the Employer Driven Stream:

• The first is the Skilled Worker Category, in which the position to be filled is a skilled occupation that falls under the "0" skill type or “A,” or “B” skill levels in the National Occupation Classification.
• The second is the International Graduate Category, in which an employer is filling a position (in the “A,” “0” or “B” skilled levels) with a foreign student who has completed post-secondary education at a publicly-funded institution in Canada.
• The third category is the Semi-Skilled Worker Category, in which the position to be filled is in a specific industry but does not fall under the "0" skill type or “A,” or “B” skill levels, but rather under the “C” and “D” skill levels. 

The Strategic Recruitment Stream is a process in which the Province of Alberta nominates people to become permanent workers in Alberta according to the province’s needs. However, a job offer from an Alberta employer is not required. There are three categories in the Strategic Recruitment Stream:

• The US Visa Holder Category (ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE),
• The Compulsory and Optional Trades Category, and
• The Engineering Occupations Category.

You can apply under this category if you are currently working in the US on a valid H1-B, H1-B1, H-1C, or E-3 visa in an eligible occupation, that Alberta considers an “Occupation Under Pressure,” if your US temporary work visa will be valid at the time you receive your Provincial Nomination. In addition, you must have a minimum of one year of work experience in the United States. NOTE: This category is on hold until further notice. As of August 23, 2010, new applications will not be accepted for processing.

You can apply under the Compulsory Trades Category only if you have an Alberta Qualification Certificate in a Compulsory Trade and if you have an invitation letter from Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT). You must be residing in Alberta at the time of application and you must either currently be working in Alberta in your trade or have worked in Alberta in your trade in the past few years.

You can obtain a letter of invitation if you successfully complete the Qualification Certificate examination(s) of your Compulsory Trade.

The Engineering Occupations Category under the Strategic Recruitment Stream is a program that is designed to increase the number of permanent workers in certain Engineering, Designing or Drafting Occupations. To be eligible for a Provincial Nomination under this category, you must

• currently be residing in Alberta with the intention to permanently reside in the province.
• have education and/or training in one of the eligible occupations.
• obtain and submit a “Letter of No Objection” from the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA), the body that regulates those occupations or be registered as a foreign licensee.
• be currently working, or have worked within the last 12 months in Alberta, for a recognized Alberta Engineering, Procurement, and Construction company, or a company which is a member of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta
• have worked in Alberta in one of the eligible Engineering occupations.

 NOTE: This stream is on hold until further notice. As of August 23, 2010, new applications will not be accepted. You can apply under the Family Stream if you have a relative (mother/father, son/daughter, sister/ brother, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew) who has resided in Alberta for at least two years, who is willing to sponsor your application.
In addition to having a family member in Alberta who can sponsor your application, you and your spouse or common-law partner must:

• demonstrate proficiency in one of Canada’s official languages (English or French);
• show the completion of at least two years of post-secondary education; and
• show at least three years of work experience in the field of their education or training in the last four years; or
• show at least three years of fulltime postsecondary education in the last four years; or
• show combination of both that adds up to at least three years in the last four.

The Province of Alberta can nominate farmers who want to immigrate and then acquire and operate a farming business in Alberta. The intended farming business is restricted to primary agriculture only.