Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

Qualified candidates with an Express Entry profile may be invited by AINP to apply for nomination for permanent residence. The Alberta Express Entry Stream allows Alberta to nominate a limited number of qualified candidates from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry system.

Candidates who have demonstrated strong ties to Alberta or who can help support the government’s economic development and diversification priorities may be asked to submit an application.

International graduates from Canadian post-secondary institutions may also be asked to apply under this stream.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be in the Express Entry pool.
• Must have expressed interest in immigrating to Alberta permanently.
• Must be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification.
• A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300.

This stream has 2 steps:

1. Candidates with an Express Entry profile with the Government of Canada receive a Notification of Interest (NOI) letter from AINP in their Express Entry profile. Only candidates who receive an NOI letter may contact the AINP to advise they are interested in applying to this stream.

2.The AINP invites these candidates to apply. Candidates determine if they meet assessment criteria and submit an application. Complete applications go into a pool of eligible applications for consideration for processing.

Selection and notification process

Based on available profile information in the federal Express Entry portal, Alberta may select candidates and send them a Notification of Interest letter in their federal Express Entry profile. Profile information is self-declared by candidates in the federal Express Entry pool.

If you receive a Notification of Interest letter from Alberta and you are interested in being considered for this stream, you must send a copy of the letter along with additional information to the AINP by email within 2 weeks of receiving the letter. Instructions on how to contact the AINP are in the How to apply section.

There is no guarantee that if you meet the selection requirements you will receive a Notification of Interest letter or be asked to apply. Notification of Interest letters and requests to apply are affected by the volume of potential candidates meeting these requirements, the type (occupation or sector) of submissions in AINP processing queues, and the number of available nominations.

You may receive a Notification of Interest letter if you:

• have an active Express Entry profile in the federal Express Entry pool
• have stated an interest in immigrating permanently to Alberta
• are working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification
• have a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300

Factors that increase your chances

Meeting one or more of the following adaptability factors may also increase your likelihood of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

• you have an Alberta job offer and/or work experience
• you are a graduate of a Canadian post-secondary institution
• you have a parent, child, brother and/or sister who is a permanent resident living in Alberta, or a Canadian citizen living in Alberta

Factors that decrease your chances
If you meet one or more of the following factors, this may decrease your likelihood of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

• your Express Entry profile expires in 5 months or less
• you work in an occupation:
• on the list of High-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta set out on the online Government of Canada Refusal to Process a Labour Market Impact Assessment list
• on the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list
• that has a high volume of submissions across all AINP streams

Experienced farmers who plan to buy or start a farm in Alberta can apply for permanent residence. This stream is for entrepreneurs who have the financial resources and farm management experience to establish a new or purchase an existing farm in Alberta.

Candidates must submit their application, along with a proposed business plan, to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) for assessment. The AINP will consult with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to ensure the business plan is feasible and viable and meets the needs of Alberta’s agriculture industry.

Note: If the AINP discovers fraud or misrepresentation in an application, a candidate may be banned for up to 5 years from reapplying to the AINP.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for this stream, candidates must meet the following criterion at the time their application is mailed to the AINP and at the time of assessment by the AINP. Meeting these criteria does not guarantee a nomination or permanent residence.
Minimum Requirements:
• Farm management skills.
• Sufficient financial resources (minimum investment of CAD $500,000);
• Investment plans documented in a proposed business plan.

Farm management skills
Candidates must prove that they have farm management skills.
Proof of this may include, but is not limited to:
• financial documentation of an existing farm business
• documentation of education, training, and work experience
• a proposed business plan for the farming enterprise you are considering in Alberta
• proof that a Canadian financial institution is willing to finance your proposed farming business
Sufficient financial resources
Candidates must be able to invest a minimum of CDN $500,000 of equity in a primary production farming business in Alberta.
Documents must be provided that show a minimum net worth of CDN $500,000, or confirmation of the ability to access a similar amount of funds from other sources.
Candidates may be required to show the ability to invest more than the minimum.
Primary production investment
Candidates must document their investment plans in a proposed business plan and submit this with their application to the AINP. The proposed business plan will be reviewed by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to ensure the farming operation aligns with Alberta farming industry requirements.
Applications representing the best opportunity for growth relevant to Alberta’s agri-food targets will be given priority.

International graduates of approved Alberta post-secondary institutions who want to start a business or buy an existing business can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream (IGEIS) allows Alberta to nominate qualified international graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions who want to establish or operate a business in Alberta to apply for permanent residence.

Minimum Requirements:
• At least two years full time education in Alberta;
• A Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) valid for at least two years;
• A minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7;
• Must establish a new business or operate an existing business with at least 34% ownership.
• A minimum of six months of full-time work experience.

Foreign graduates from outside of Canada can apply for permanent residence.
Overview
The Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa Stream (FGSVS) is an economic immigration program that nominates talented and qualified foreign educated graduates from outside Canada for permanent residence upon launching start-up enterprises and innovative businesses in Alberta. The FGSVS is a collaboration between the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) and approved designated agencies.
Foreign graduates who are interested in applying under the FGSVS must work with a designated agency. The designated agency will issue a letter of recommendation if it deems that the foreign graduate meets the AINP requirements. The foreign graduate must submit the letter of recommendation with their Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AINP Portal.
The designated agency will review business plans based on the foreign graduate’s ability to demonstrate market need or demand, the potential for successful market entry in the short-term to medium-term, customer acquisition, business development, key partnerships, and financial plans to fund the development and operation of the start-up. The designated agency will provide a written report on their assessment of the proposed business plan. Foreign graduates must submit this report with their FGSVS Business Application.
Minimum Requirements
To apply for the FGSVS, you must meet the following requirements:
• Work Experience: A minimum of six months of full-time work experience of managing and/or owning the business.
• Education: Must have a post-secondary education from a foreign institution and have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). The degree must have been completed within the last two years.
• Business Plan: You are also required to submit a business plan with projected financials. A 10-minute slides-only presentation that explains the business and details what an investor what want to see.
• Language requirements: You must have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level of 7 for each English language skill (reading, writing, listening and speaking) OR Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) of 7 for each French language skill (reading, writing, listening and speaking)
• Business establishment: Must have at least 34% ownership if the business is located in an urban centre, or at least 51% ownership if located in outside Calgary or Edmonton.
• Business investment: Must make a minimum investment of $100,000 for an urban centre, or $50,000 for a regional area. More points are awarded for higher investments. These can be made from your own equity, or from a recognized Canadian financial institution, venture capital or angel investment firm.
• Must have enough money to set up their business and support yourself and your family in Canada.
• Letter of recommendation: Must have a letter of recommendation from an AINP-approved agency.