Updates to the Alberta PNP

How does the AAIP work?

Let’s take stock of the Alberta PNP.

Remember that many applicants cannot apply directly to the AAIP. Anyone hoping for an Express Entry linked AAIP nomination under the Alberta Express Entry Stream must first qualify for the regular Federal Express Entry minimum eligibility of 67 points on the selection factors and meet the criteria for the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker category (FSW) or the Federal Skilled Trades (FST) and have a minimum CRS of 300 points.

If you happen to be able to meet the general eligibility criteria for the Alberta Express Entry Stream AND you have a job offer in a tech occupation and your employer is in the tech industry, then there is a way to submit an Accelerated Tech Pathway form.

Usually, only if a candidate gets a Notification of Interest (NOI) from Alberta and then also gets a positive Provincial Nomination from the AAIP, will that candidate get 600 points in their EE profile.

Applying for Provincial Nomination is thus a 2-stage process. The first stage is where you either apply to the AAIP or wait for a NOI from the AAIP. Then the candidate pays $500 and submits an online application to the AAIP. The candidate cannot proceed unless the AAIP actually nominates them. The second stage is submitting your PR application if you do get a full Nomination (you would wait for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) under the Federal Express Entry system then complete your eAPR if you are under the Alberta Express Entry Steam or you would finalize your PR forms through the PR portal if you are under one of the other AAIP non-EE streams).

I wrote an article called “The Alberta PNP Explained – do you have a pathway to PR” that outlines the Alberta Express Entry Stream, Accelerated Tech, and the other Alberta PNP Streams (Alberta Opportunity Stream, Rural Renewal Stream, Rural Entrepreneur, Graduate Entrepreneur, Farm Stream, and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream) on our blog if you want to learn more.

What’s new?

Higher number of nomination spots

A positive development for 2023 includes a higher Provincial overall allocation in PNP spots.  Alberta went from being able to nominate 6,500 applicants per year to 9,750 nomination spots. The increase in the Provinces’ abilities to select immigrants that they believe will best be able to settle in their region is a consistent theme this year and continues to be projected to rise from now for the next two years.

Dedicated Healthcare Pathway, making the the Rural Entrepreneur and Rural Renewal Streams more accessible, and participation in the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)

The AAIP announced on April 3, 2023 that up to 30% of available Alberta Express Entry Stream allocations in 2023 will go to physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, physician assistants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and clinical social workers. A dedicated Healthcare Pathway under the Express Entry stream likely signals a shift away from the Tech industry. Only Healthcare professionals with Alberta job offers from an employer in the healthcare sector in Alberta are eligible and the candidates must be able to show their qualifications and that they meet the regulatory requirements to work in their regulated occupation.

Other minor changes announced this month include the amount for the minimum investment amount for Rural Entrepreneurs decreasing from $200,000 to $100,000 and that applicants no longer need a Settlement Organization Endorsement Letter if they are applying under the Rural Renewal Stream.

Alberta also said it will now participate in the Federal Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) and will release details on implementation “in the coming months.”

Family and occupations in demand

As of January 18, 2023, the AAIP indicated that candidates who have Federal Express Entry profiles and who have a parent, child, or sibling who is a Canadian citizen or Canadian Permanent Resident living in Alberta may have a better chance at receiving a Notification of Interest (NOI). The other factor that gives people a better chance at receiving NOI is having a job offer from an Alberta based employer (a company should have a physical office location in Alberta where employees operate) and whose occupation is in high demand. The AAIP provided no specific details on which occupations they consider to be in high demand. It is telling that the AAIP does use the ALIS Alberta Government website to determine which wages some PNP applicants should have. ALIS has an Occupations in Demand page on their website that candidates can explore.

Beware the fine print

There is a $500 application fee if a candidate is given a NOI. However, Alberta operates in a non-transparent way and refuses to commit to anyone’s application being considered even if they were given a Notification of Interest. Also, the AAIP does not operate on a first in, first out basis. They can pick and choose which applications they consider based on their own prerogatives. There are no guarantees that the AAIP will issue a positive Nomination.

Read the AAIP terms and conditions carefully because they say, among other things:

“The AAIP is not obligated to assess/process any applications submitted. Applications to the AAIP are treated as an expression of interest and, as such, will be processed according to quality of the application (completeness, eligibility), labour market information, occupational supply and demand forecasting, AAIP application volumes, and/or any other factors at the AAIP’s discretion.

By submitting an application to the AAIP you acknowledge and agree that your application may not be processed in the order received, or at all.

…

Program criteria are eligibility minimums, and meeting program criteria does not guarantee that a candidate’s application will be assessed, processed, or granted. The AAIP may choose to assess applications with the most current criteria irrespective of the date of submission of an application.”

Make sure to check the AAIP updates page to keep on top of new developments and book an immigration legal consultation with me if you would like to assess your eligibility for PR under an Alberta PNP stream.