Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP): A complete guide to settle in Alberta in 2022
Introduction
Alberta is a beautiful province in Western Canada filled with lovely landscapes, lakes, coniferous forests, and vast mountains. Alberta boasts of one of the strongest economies in the world, and the GDP of the province is about 50% higher than the average GDP of Canada!
Hence, it is not surprising that many immigrants want to move to Alberta to study, work, or settle down. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is an immigration program that nominates outsiders for a Permanent Residency status in the province. The AAIP is run by both the Canadian and Alberta governments. The applications for this program are handled, approved, or rejected by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) department.
Do note that this program was previously known as the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program (APNP). The name has been changed effectively from the 16th of February, 2022. Two new rural streams have also been added to the list.
This article will take you through different streams through which you can reside in Alberta and get your citizenship status confirmed over time.
What is the AAIP program all about?
The oil and gas, agriculture, and technological industries are all lifelines to Alberta’s economy. As a result, they are constantly looking for immigrants who can add value to these industries and help the economy grow better. This is the idea behind the introduction of the AAIP program.
This program invites invitations regularly, and the first draw for 2022 happened in January. In this draw, about 250 individuals were invited to submit an application and sources say that scores as low as 327 were considered.
Alberta Advantage Immigration Program
There are two Alberta Advantage Immigration programs under which you can apply.
· Worker Stream
· Entrepreneur Stream
AAIP Worker Stream
This stream is primarily for foreign workers who want to work in Alberta or are already working there.
There are three streams under this to apply for.
- Alberta Express Entry System
A small number of applicants who have applied under the regular Express Entry Stream may be chosen and asked to submit an application under this stream. Usually, the authorities pick immigrants with skills that they feel will add to the value of their province.
Eligibility
Depending on which Express Entry stream you apply in – Federal Skilled Worker, Federal Skilled Trades, Canadian Experience Class, you will need to satisfy the respective eligibility criteria.
Click here to check Express Entry eligibility criteria.
- Alberta Opportunity Stream
The Opportunity Stream is a very popular AAIP program for immigrants who already have a full-time job in Alberta and are already living in the province. Such individuals must also have a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) document to prove a need for their skills in the region.
Eligibility
| Eligibility | Requirements |
| Education | Provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) of your highest level of education |
| Language | CLB level 5 or NCLC level 5 (for NOC 0,A,B) and CLB level 4 or NCLC level 4 (for NOC C or D) |
| Work experience | Work occupants falling under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C, or D |
- Rural Renewal Stream
This stream was newly introduced this year and is a community-driven approach that helps improve the economy and development of the rural regions. This stream helps immigrants move to the rural communities in Alberta for work and a possibility of settling down there.
In this AAIP stream, the rural communities decide on the labor requirements and provide the candidate an endorsement of candidate letter. This letter is compulsory for the person to submit an application.
Eligibility
| Eligibility | Requirements |
| Education | Provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) of your highest level of education |
| Language | CLB level 5 or NCLC level 5 (for NOC 0,A,B) and CLB level 4 or NCLC level 4 (for NOC C or D) |
| Work experience | Work occupants falling under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C, or D |
AAIP Entrepreneur Stream
Current and proposed entrepreneurs who want to reside in Alberta permanently can choose this program to get their PR status. There are four streams you can choose from here.
- Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
This program is exclusively for international students who studied in Alberta post-secondary institutions and have an entrepreneurial dream. Such students will have to apply for this AAIP stream with a solid business plan in hand.
Eligibility
| Eligibility | Requirements |
| Education | At least a 2-year full-time degree or diploma course from a publicly funded post-secondary institution |
| Language | CLB level 7 or NCLC level 7 completion |
| Work Permit | Post Graduation Work Permit valid for at least two years |
| Business requirements | Must buy or own a business with a minimum 34% stake |
| Work experience | At least six months of full-time work experience inside or outside Canada that include owning or managing a businesss |
- Farm Stream
As the name specifies, this stream is for farmers who want to live in Alberta and contribute to the farming industry as an entrepreneur.
Eligibility
| Eligibility area | Requirements |
| Skills | Prior farming skills and documents that prove the skills. A business plan and proof that a Canadian institute is willing to finance your business will improve the odds of being selected |
| Investment | Minimum of CDN $500,000 of equity |
- Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
Even if you haven’t studied in Alberta or worked there before, you can apply under this stream if you think your business plan would be welcome in the province.
Eligibility
| Eligibility area | Requirements |
| Education | Degree from a post-secondary institution with Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) |
| Language | CLB level 5 or NCLC level 5 completion |
| Business requirements | A completed business plan with future financials. Must own 34% ownership in business if it is in the urban center or a 51% ownership if it is in the regional areas |
| Work experience | Minimum six months of full-time work experience running or managing a business |
*Apart from these, you will also require a letter of recommendation from an AINP-approved agency
4. Rural Entrepreneur Stream
This is a new stream introduced in 2022 and is for entrepreneurs who want to buy or build a business in the rural Alberta communities.
Eligibility
| Eligibility area | Requirements |
| Education | At least a high school equivalent to the Canadian standard with Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) |
| Language | CLB level 4 or NCLC level 4 completion |
| Business requirements | A completed business plan with a 10-minute presentation about the venture |
| Work experience | Minimum 3 years experience as an active business owner/manager or 4 years of experience as a senior manager in the last decade. |
Basic documents needed
Here is a list of essential documents you may need to submit to apply for this program.
- Valid passport
- Statement of earnings
- Address and ID proof
- LMIA certificate
- Work permit (in some instances)
- Employment letter (if applicable)
- Language test score results
- Proof of funds
What are the other requirements to apply?
Depending on individual cases, you may also need some or all of the below documents and tests to be submitted when you apply for any of the AAIP streams.
- Medical test certificates
- Police clearance certificates
- Marriage certificates
- Security checks
- Biometrics
How to apply?
If you want to apply for the AAIP Express Entry program, then you need to apply to the main Express Entry program and wait. After that, your application gets automatically eligible for the AAIP. If your profile is what the province is looking for right then, you will receive a notification of interest, and you can proceed to submit your application.
You may have to separately process your application for the other modes depending on whichever stream you are choosing. When it comes to Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, your profile matters a lot. That’s why putting forward a compelling and attractive application is important.
Bunchberry Immigration will be able to help you create an application that stands out. We also ensure our clients submit the correct documents the first time around, so they don’t have to go through the hassles of resubmissions, or worse, rejections.
If you want to apply for the AAIP program, get in touch with us right away.
Takeaways
- The AAIP program is a lucrative program for immigrants with the right skills to reside in The Province of Alberta permanently.
- Alberta is one of the strongest economies right now and provides ample educational and work opportunities.
- AAIP is also a chance to get your citizenship in the future.
- Make sure you explore the different programs in detail before picking the perfect one for you.
- It makes sense to get the support of an immigration expert to get the right documents together and create a compelling application the first time around.