Alberta is best known for oil, natural gas, and ranching. Indeed, the province has the third-largest oil reserve in the world and, as such, generates many employment opportunities. The province also has the second-highest minimum wage in Canada at $ 15.00.
Beyond employment opportunities, Alberta offers a healthy lifestyle that provides a good balance between work and play. In the cities, you will find hiking and biking trails, as well as incredible sports facilities like the Canada Olympic Plaza in Calgary.
Provincial Nominee Program
The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is an arrangement that has been designed for local provinces to nominate eligible economic immigrants who wish to work and live in a particular province in Canada. To increase your chances of receiving a nomination for Alberta, you will need to ensure that your specific skill is sought in the province.
Below is a table of occupations that are included in the in-demand list of Alberta.
| Occupations In-demand List | |
|---|---|
| NOC Code | Eligible Occupations |
| 0621 | Retail and wholesale trade managers |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultants |
| 3112 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 3414 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| 4412 | Home support workers, housekeepers, and related occupations |
| 9536 | Industrial painters, coaters, and metal finishing process operators |
| 7511 | Transport truck drivers |
| 7244 | Electrical power line and cable workers |
| 7204 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
The first thing you will need is for your application to be approved, it will take around four to nine weeks. The second step consists of medical, police, and security checks, this process can take six to eight months, it is all up to you as the applicant.Advertisements
If you are successful in being nominated by Alberta, you will need to obtain a work visa before arriving in Canada, which the province will help you with.
How do I apply for a PNP?
There are two ways to obtain permanent residence in Canada through the PNP. They are:
- Direct application process; and
- The Express Entry application process
Direct Application Process
- Sent directly to the province of Alberta;
- Submit a paper application via mail or courier; and
- Get application results between 15 and 19 months.
Express Entry Application Process
Applying through the Express Entry system will give you two options:
- Expression of Interest – you express interest in the province of Alberta through your Express Entry profile. The province will nominate you if you have the right skills and experience.
- Apply through a Provincial Nominee Express Entry Stream which in this case is the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).
Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program
The Alberta Nominated Immigrant Program (AINP) is an affordable program, run by the government and Alberta, that nominates qualified foreign nationals for permanent residence in Canada. Applicants must have the skills, qualifications, and work experience necessary to fill the job shortage.
The Alberta Express Entry stream allows Alberta to nominate a limited number of qualified candidates from Canada’s Express Entry system. The sequence has two steps:
Step 1:
Applicants with an Express Entry profile will receive a Notification of Interest Letter (NOI) from the AINP. Only applicants who receive a letter from NOI can contact AINP to notify them that they are interested in applying for dissemination.
Step 2:
The AINP will then invite interested candidates to apply. Applicants will determine if they meet the criteria and submit an application. All completed requests are then forwarded to a pool of eligible requests for review for processing.
What is Express Entry?
Express Entry is an online immigration system designed for skilled foreign workers to become permanent residents of Canada through the three federal programs administered under the Express Entry system. The programs are as follows:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program
- Federal Skilled Trades Program
- Canadian Experience Class
Express Entry is open to almost everyone, making it one of the largest entry points to Canada. Express Entry is issuing 108,500 invitations to apply (ITAs). It would also be one of the fastest ways to immigrate to Alberta, as the processing time can be as short as six months.
How to immigrate to Alberta via the Express Entry system
If you meet the Express Entry requirements, you will only be able to create an online profile using the following:
- Your passport or travel document;
- Education credential assessment report;
- Language test results;
- Certificate of qualification in a trade occupation issued by a Canadian province or territory (if you have one);
- Proof of work experience (if you have one); and
- Provincial Nomination (if you have one).
You will be placed in the Express Entry pool with other eligible applicants, where you will receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score which will determine your ranking. If you meet or exceed the CRS Qualifying Score for a particular raffle, you will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). Obtaining an ITA gives you the opportunity to apply for permanent residence in Canada.
Good to know:
- You can stay in the pool if you aren’t successful the first time around. You can improve your CRS score during this time to increase your success rate for the next draw.
- The draw can happen as frequently as every two weeks; and
- Everything is online, making it easily accessible to you.
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot Project (RNIP) is a program that aims to strengthen rural communities by creating opportunities for foreigners to immigrate to participating communities as Canadian permanent residents.
Claresholm, Alberta is a participating RNIP community and therefore you can follow the three steps to apply for permanent residents through the RNIP:
Step 1: Meet both IRCC eligibility and community-specific requirements.
- have qualifying work experience or have graduated from a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the recommending community;
- meet or exceed the language requirements;
- meet or exceed the educational requirements;
- prove you have enough money to support your transition into the community;
- intend to live in the community; and
- meet community-specific requirements.
Step 2: Find a job with an eligible employer in Claresholm.
You’ll need a genuine offer that meets the following requirements:
- It’ll need to be a full-time job with at least 30 paid hours per week. The job also needs to be non-seasonal;
- The employment is permanent which means there isn’t a set end date;
- our wages need to meet or exceed the Job Bank’s minimum wage for your job offers NOC; and
- Your experience needs to prove that you can execute all job duties.
You must submit your job applications using the Claresholm RNIP Employment Portal.
Step 3: Once you have a job offer, submit your application.
The community will review applications and select best-fit candidates.
Living in Alberta
Over 80 percent of Albertans participate in some form of volunteer work, which says a lot about the Caring Province. Alberta also offers a very low cost of living which has attracted many people from all over the world. As someone who would be in the workforce, it’s good to know that commute times are faster than in other big cities and that Alberta is the only province without sales tax.
By knowing how to immigrate to Alberta, you too can reap the many benefits the province has to offer.