Alberta Opportunity Stream

Last Updated on May 21, 2021

The Alberta Opportunity Stream launched in June 2018 and replaced the province’s Employer-Driven Stream and Strategic Recruitment Stream.

It is designed to simplify the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) application process, reduce waiting times and make the system fairer for candidates and employers.

What Are the Requirements for The Alberta Opportunity Stream?

Interested candidates must meet several categories of requirements to qualify for the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Unless otherwise specified, all requirements must be met at the time of submission of application and at the time AINP assesses the application.

1. Residency and Work Permit Requirements

Eligible candidates must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes them to work. 

• The valid work permit must be based on either:
  • Positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
  • LMIA exemption via international trade agreements, inter-company transferees, International Experience Canada or Mobilité Francophone.
  • Post-Graduate Work Permit.
• The candidates must work in an eligible occupation.

Ineligible candidates:

• refugees, those under appeal or removal proceedings;
• temporary residents living outside of Alberta;
• temporary residents on implied status or restoration status

2. Occupation Requirements

To qualify for the Alberta Opportunity Stream, you must be working in an eligible occupation in Alberta. 

Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible under the AINP.

Unlike some of the other provinces, the AINP does not reward candidates whose occupations appear on a certain list. Rather, the province publishes a list of ineligible occupations.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must also meet additional requirements:

• your current occupation must be related to your field of study in Alberta;
• if you submit an application after November 2020, you may work in an occupation that was previously on the “LMIA refusal to process” list of IRCC.

3. Language Requirements

Effective January 1^st 2020, at the time of your application, you must provide test results showing:

• minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 for all language skills in English or in French, for candidates applying under NOC 0, A and B.
• minimum CLB level 4 for all language skills in English or in French, for candidates applying under NOC C and D.

Only those applying under NOC code 3413 (Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates) must provide a minimum language test score of CLB/NCLC level 7 for each language skill in English or in French.

4. Education Requirements

Effective January 1^st 2021, candidates must have completed a minimum of high school equivalent to Alberta standards. An Educational Credential Assessment is required if the education credential is obtained outside Canada.

Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must also:

• If you were admitted and enrolled in your program before April 1, 2019, your credential must be issued by an approved institution and be one of the following:
  • Certificate or post-graduate certificate of minimum one year.
  • Diploma program of minimum two years.
  • Undergraduate bachelor’s degree.
  • Graduate-level degree, certificate or diploma.
• If you are admitted and enrolled in your Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019, your credential must be on the Alberta Opportunity Stream approved list.

5. Work Experience Requirements

At the time of your application, you must have:

• Minimum of 12 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months; or
• Minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months (combination of experience gained in Alberta, in Canada (outside Alberta) and/or abroad). 

As a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder, you must have a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience:

• in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months AND 
• in an occupation related to your studies for an Alberta-approved credential at an Alberta-approved institution.

Additional requirements:

• The work experience must have been full-time, in the same occupation as your current occupation, authorized if gained in Canada;
  You must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta;

Eligible Job Offers:

You must have a bona fide full-time job offer from an Alberta employer to work in your current occupation in Alberta and be working full-time for that employer in Alberta in that occupation;

Your job offer must be signed by you and your Alberta employer and must offer:

• Continuous, paid work,
• Full-time work (minimum of 30 hours/week for 12 months),
• Work in your current occupation, and
• Work for an eligible AINP occupation for which you have a work permit that meets AINP work permit requirements.

The following individuals are not eligible, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period:

• Part-time employees, regardless of their working hours,
• Independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, or
• 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
• Employees who do not work on premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a “virtual” location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta.