Alberta Advantage Immigration Program

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is an economic immigration program operated by the government of Alberta, Canada. It nominates individuals for permanent residence in Alberta, aiming to attract and retain skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and international graduates to support the province’s economic growth and labor market needs. The AAIP provides a structured pathway for individuals and families to establish themselves in Alberta, contributing to the province's vibrant economy and diverse communities. For more detailed information and to determine eligibility, prospective applicants should visit the official AAIP website.

The AAIP offers four streams for foreign workers either currently residing and working in Alberta or planning to do so:

Tourism and Hospitality Stream
   - Suitable for qualified candidates living and working in Alberta with a full-time job offer from an employer in the province’s tourism and hospitality sector.


Alberta Opportunity Stream
   - Designed for qualified candidates who live and work in Alberta and have a job offer from an Alberta employer. These individuals can apply for an AAIP nomination.


Alberta Express Entry Stream
   - Invites qualified candidates with profiles in the federal Express Entry pool, meeting minimum requirements and aligning with provincial economic, sectoral, and occupational priorities. Specific pathways exist for healthcare professionals, technology workers, and police occupations.

Rural Renewal Stream
   - Communities must achieve designated status to recruit and endorse candidates. Temporary foreign workers with a job offer from an employer in a designated community and an endorsement letter from that community can apply for an AAIP nomination. Additionally, communities can endorse qualified refugees under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) with support from non-governmental referral partners who assist with the AAIP application process.

The AAIP offers four streams for entrepreneurs who intend to live in Alberta and either start or purchase a business in the province:

Rural Entrepreneur Stream
   - Entrepreneurs interested in starting or buying a business in a rural Alberta community can submit an Expression of Interest.

Graduate Entrepreneur Stream

   - International graduates from approved Alberta post-secondary institutions who wish to start or buy a business can submit an Expression of Interest.

Farm Stream
   - Experienced farmers who aim to buy or start a farm in Alberta can apply for a nomination.

Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
   - Foreign graduates with a degree from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada, who want to establish a start-up or innovative business in Alberta, can collaborate with a designated agency to submit an Expression of Interest.

For those applying to the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) who need a job offer in Alberta, it is your responsibility to collaborate with your Alberta employer to ensure: 

- The employer and job offer or employment contract requirements listed below are fulfilled. 

- All necessary employer and job offer or employment documents are included with your application. If these requirements are not met, your application will be declined, and application fees will not be refunded. Applicants must prove their ability to establish themselves economically in Alberta. 

Applications to the AAIP are considered an expression of interest and will be processed based on: 

- The quality of the application (completeness, eligibility). 

- Labour market information. 

- Occupational supply and demand forecasting. 

- AAIP application volumes or any other factors at the AAIP’s discretion. 

By applying to the AAIP, you acknowledge and agree that your application may not be processed in the order it was received or at all. The AAIP has sole discretion over the decision to assess or process any application and the outcome of such assessment or processing.

The employer providing your Alberta job offer must demonstrate to the AAIP that: 

- The business is legitimate. 

- They provide a good or service within Alberta. 

- The job offer aligns with their business activities or needs. 

- They can meet all terms of the job offer or employment contract according to the following verifiable requirements:

 The Alberta employer must: 

- Be incorporated or registered under an act of the legislature of a province, territory, or the Parliament of Canada, and operate an established production capacity, plant, or place of business in Alberta. 

- Have been continuously and actively operating in Alberta for at least 2 complete fiscal years before application submission. 

- Have a place of business in Alberta where employees can report to work regularly and receive work assignments. 

- 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 of reasonable efforts to fill the position with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, as shown by recruitment outcomes (using federal recruitment and advertising requirements of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program as a guideline when a nominee applicant is not already living and working in Alberta), or as specified by pre-existing stream or pathway criteria. 

- Have a minimum total gross annual revenue of $400,000 for the most recent fiscal year and employ at least 3 full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees in Alberta: - Independent contractors are not considered indeterminate employees and do not count. 

- Two part-time employees can be considered as 1 full-time equivalent position if their total hours average at least 30 hours per week.

If the employer cannot demonstrate a gross annual revenue of $400,000 for the most recent tax year and a minimum of 3 full-time employees, they can still qualify but will be limited in the number of nominee applicants they can support, based on their years of operation in Alberta:

 - 2 years of operation in Alberta: 1 nominee. 

- 3 years of operation in Alberta: 2 nominees. 

- 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 the number of nominees an employer can support will apply to applications received on or after March 18, 2024. If a nominee leaves the employer, the nomination will still be counted towards job offer eligibility/employer operations. You must confirm with your employer that they can 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.

Your job offer or employment contract must be genuine, signed by a legitimate and established Alberta employer, and must include:

- Continuous, Paid Work: Under an employer-employee relationship. 

   Fee-for-service contracts are eligible for Alberta healthcare providers. 

- Full-Time Work: Defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week. 

   In the Dedicated Healthcare Pathway, employment can be under contracts for full-time, part-time, part-time with actual full-time           hours, and casual terms, provided it totals 12 months or more. 

- Employment Duration: Must be for 12 months or more. 

- Wages and Benefits: Must meet provincial minimum wage and: 

 Meet or exceed the requirements set out in your Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) if applicable, or

 Meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta.

Non-Wage Compensation: Compensation from company ownership or other non-wage benefits is not considered part of the applicant's base monetary wage or salary. 

Exceptions for Certain Occupations:

 For NOC 41302

 Religious leaders and NOC 42204 

 Religion workers: - If your job offer is LMIA exempt, your wages and benefits must still meet or exceed the minimum wage. 

Deductions: Meal and lodging deductions that comply with Employment Standards are permitted. Proof of employee authorization for these deductions is required.

Some AAIP streams may have been discontinued or replaced over time. It's important to check the official AAIP website or recent updates to confirm which streams are currently active and which have expired.

Processing times and application inventories can vary depending on the stream and the volume of applications received. For the most up-to-date processing times, applicants should refer to the official AAIP website or contact AAIP directly.