Alberta adds family relatives to eligibility criteria for the Alberta Express Entry program

 Alberta adds family relatives to eligibility criteria for the Alberta Express Entry program

Candidates who have immediate family relatives in Alberta can now receive extra consideration under the Alberta Express Entry program.

On January 18, the Alberta Advantage Immigrant Program (AAIP), a provincial nominee program for Alberta, will add having a relative in the province to the candidate selection criteria for the Alberta Express Entry stream (administered by AAIP) .

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This means that (effective immediately) candidates listed in the federal Express Entry pool as having an immediate family member (parent, child, brother or sister who is a Canadian permanent resident or citizen) in the province will now meet the additional selection factor criteria. This can Further giving candidates a better chance of receiving a Notice of Intent (NOI) from the Alberta Express Entry stream and further being invited to apply for permanent residence. Note that eligibility is based on information submitted by candidates to their profile in the federal Express Entry pool.

Alberta believes that these immediate family relationships are critical to helping newcomers establish themselves in the province and successfully settle in Alberta.

Importantly, the selection criteria for any of the streams under the AAIP have not changed, this program update only affects Alberta Express Entry streams, and only adds this selection criteria without affecting existing selection factors (such as companies from Alberta obtain a job offer), are a graduate of an Alberta post-secondary institution, etc.).

"This is not a family reunification program," Alberta Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism Rajan Sawhney said. Under the changes, the Alberta Express Entry stream will now be able to allocate 25 per cent of the NOI to individuals with an immediate family relationship in Alberta and experience in an in-demand occupation in the province that requires workers.

AAIP is one way to help employers address Alberta's labor shortage. The province has experienced huge growth in the last month alone, adding nearly 41,000 new jobs through December 2022, most of them in the private sector. However, Alberta also has a high job vacancy rate, with nearly 100,000 vacancies currently vacant - further forecast to see a cumulative shortfall of more than 33,000 across multiple occupations and sectors by 2025. These are key reasons driving the province to attract more newcomers.

What is the AAIP and the Alberta Express Entry stream?

AAIP is Alberta's provincial immigration program designed to welcome new immigrants from abroad into the province. The program currently administers eight categories, broadly divided into worker categories and entrepreneur categories.

Streams for workers include:

• The Alberta Opportunity stream;
• The Alberta Express Entry stream, which also includes the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway (AATP); and
• The Rural Renewal stream.

To be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry stream, candidates must:

• Have an active profile in the federal Express Entry pool (ideally with more than 5 months validity);
• Have a stated interest in moving to Alberta permanently;
• Are working or have experience working in an in-demand occupation that supports Alberta’s economic development and diversification; and
• Have a minimum CRS score of 300.

 Candidates now stand a better chance of receiving an invitation to apply if they also:

• Have a valid job offer and/or Albertan work experience;
• Are a graduate of a post-secondary institution in Alberta; or
• Have a parent, child, brother or sister currently residing in Alberta who is a citizen or permanent residence.

To enter a candidate must first submit a profile to the Federal Express Entry pool. If selected and issued an NOI, candidates must email a copy of the document to AAIP and declare their interest in applying.

If AAIP determines that a candidate meets the minimum eligibility criteria, they will receive an email inviting them to apply to the program. From here, candidates (now applicants) must submit an application in order to apply and will receive an additional 600 CRS points in the federal pool (as an enhanced provincial nomination). The completed application is then placed in the pool of eligible applications for processing.

"The changes to Alberta's Express Entry process announced today are one of many steps our government will be taking to ensure Alberta has the qualified and skilled people it needs..." Minister Sawhney said at the end of the announcement.

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