Canada : + 1 647 223 6314Alberta Opportunity Stream
November 30, 2018 – The date the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved
Post-Secondary
Credentials goes into effect for Post-Graduate Work Permit holders has been extended to April 1, 2019.
The income threshold requirement was removed as of November 1, 2018. If applicants submitted an AOS
application prior to
November 1, 2018, the income threshold criteria will not be applied to their application. They will not be
required to
meet the minimum income threshold to be eligible for nomination under this stream but they will need to meet
all other
criteria that were in place at the time that they applied. After being nominated, the federal government
will determine
whether candidates are able to support themselves and their families over the long term.
Residency status and work permit requirements
Eligible Candidates
At the time the application is postmarked and Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) assesses
the application,
applicants must have a valid temporary resident status in Canada that authorizes them to work in
Canada (i.e. temporary
foreign worker).
Valid work permits are based on one of the following:
- a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA);
- a LMIA exemption for workers based on one of the following exemptions as determine by
Immigration, Refugees and
Citizenship Canada (IRCC):- international trade agreements;
- workers transferred within a company;
- Experience Canada; and
- Mobilité Francophone
- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holder
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must also meet additional education and occupation
requirements:- Current occupation must be related to the field of study in Alberta;
- If applicants are admitted and enrolled in their Alberta credential program before
April 1, 2019, their credential
must be issued by an Alberta
Advanced Education approved Alberta public and private
post-secondary institution and must
be one of the following Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials:- ➢ certificate or post-graduate certificate (minimum one year in
length) - ➢ diploma program (minimum 2 years in length)
- ➢ undergraduate bachelor’s degree
- ➢ graduate level degree
- ➢ graduate level certificate
- ➢ graduate level diploma
- ➢ certificate or post-graduate certificate (minimum one year in
- If applicants are admitted and enrolled in their Alberta credential
program on or
after April 1, 2019, their
credential must be on the Alberta
Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary
Credentials
Ineligible Candidates
The following candidates cannot apply for the Alberta Opportunity Stream:
- refugee claimants or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process. The AINP
does not intervene in the
federal refugee claim, appeal or removal process - temporary residents living or working in a province or territory of Canada other than
Alberta, or - foreign nationals living or working in Canada who do not have valid temporary resident
status
Occupation requirements
Eligible occupations
At the time the application is postmarked and AINP assesses the application, Applicants must:
- ❖ work in an eligible occupation in Alberta; and
- ❖ work in an occupation that matches their previous work experience.
Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D
are eligible under the
AINP.
Ineligible occupations
| NOC Code (2016) | NOC Skill Level |
Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| 0011 | 0 | Legislators |
| 0422 | 0 | School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education |
| 0423 | 0 | Managers in social, community and correctional services |
| 0432 | 0 | Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers |
| 0651* | 0 | Escort agency managers, massage parlour managers |
| 4031 | A | Secondary school teacherss |
| 4032 | A | Elementary school and kindergarten teacherss |
| 4154 | A | Professional occupations in religion |
| 5121 | A | Authors and writers |
| 5133 | A | Musicians and singers |
| 5135 | A | Actors and comedians |
| 5136 | A | Actors and comedians |
| 1227 | B | Court officers and justices of the peace |
| 3223* | B | Dental laboratory assistants/bench workers |
| 4214* | B | Early childhood educators who do not have certification through Alberta Children’s Services – Child Care Staff Certification Office or who have been certified as child development assistant (formerly Level 1) |
| 4216 | B | Other instructors |
| 4217 | B | Other religious occupations |
| 5232 | B | Other performers, not elsewhere classified |
| 5244 | B | Artisans and craftspersons |
| 5251 | B | Athletes |
| 6232 | B | Real estate agents and salespersons |
| 4411 | B | Home child care providers |
| 4412 | C | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
| 4413 | C | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 6533 | C | Casino occupations |
| 6564 | C | Other personal service occupations |
| 7513 | C | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
| 8442 | C | Trappers and hunters |
| 6623 | D | Other sales related occupations |
| 6722 | D | Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport |
| 6742 | D | Other service support occupations, not elsewhere classified |
| 8611 | D | Harvesting labourers |
| 8612 | D | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 8613 | D | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 8614 | D | Mine labourers |
*This National Occupation Classification (NOC) code consists of both eligible occupations
and
in eligible occupations. The ‘Occupation’ column specifies which occupations are ineligible
for each NOC Code listed.
If applicants are unsure whether their occupation is on this list, they need to:
- ✓ Find their occupation based on their job title and
job duties; - ✓ Call the Immigrate to Alberta Information Service
at 1-877-427-6419 or email immigration.info@gov.ab.ca
If applicants are a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder with an eligible Alberta Advanced
Education approved
post-secondary credential issued by an Advanced
Education approved Alberta public and private
post-secondary
institution, their occupation must also be related to their field of study in Alberta.
If applicants are admitted and enrolled in their Alberta credential program on or after April 1,
2019 and they completed
an Advanced Education-approved one
year post-graduate certificate, their occupation must also be related to their
previous undergraduate or graduate field of study outside Canada.
In addition to occupations on the above list, Post-Graduation Work Permit holders are not
eligible to apply to the
Alberta Opportunity Stream if their occupation is on the Government
of Canada’s list of high-wage and low-wage
occupations in the province of Alberta. These occupations are not in demand in Alberta
and can be filled by Albertans
and Canadians.
Note: Post-Graduation Work Permit Holders must review both ineligible occupation
lists to
determine occupation
eligibility.
Language requirements
At the time the application is postmarked, applicants must demonstrate they meet the following
language test score in
English or French:
| Canadian Benchmark (CLB) test score required | Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) test score required |
|---|---|
| Minimum of 4 for each English language skill | Minimum of 4 for each French language skill |
Application to the AINP under NOC code 3413 (Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service
associates), the AINP requires
a minimum language test score of:
-
❖
CLB of 7 for each English language skill, or
-
❖
NCLC of 7 for each French language skill
Applicants must provide their official test results with their AINP application for one
of the following language tests:
Note: Official test results must be less than 2 years old at the time the application
was postmarked. The AINP will not
accept confirmation of registration to take a language test in place of a test
result.
Check the federal guideline on CLB/NCLC equivalency for each of the tests.
Effective November 1, 2018, changes have been made to the planned increases to language
requirements. As of January 1,
2020 if candidates are working in a NOC
❖ 0, A or B occupation, they must meet a minimum of CLB 5 for each English
or French language
skill at the time of
application;
❖ C or D occupation, there are no planned changes to language
requirements. The minimum of CLB 4
for each English or
French language skill at the time of application will continue to apply.
Read more about future
criteria requirements
Language requirements
At the time the application is postmarked, applicants must demonstrate they meet the following
language test score in
English or French:
Starting January 1, 2021, all candidates except Post-Graduation
Work Permit holders must have
completed a minimum of
high school EQUIVALENT TO ALBERTA STANDARDS.
Effective November 30, 2018, the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education
Approved Post-Secondary
Credentials will apply to Alberta international students enrolled on or after April 1, 2019
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must meet additional education and occupation requirements:
- ➢ current occupation must be related to their field of study in Alberta.
- ➢ If they are admitted and enrolled in their Alberta credential program
before April 1, 2019,
their credential must be
issued by an Alberta Advanced Education approved Alberta public and private post-secondary
institution and must be one
of the following Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials:- certificate or post-graduate certificate (minimum one year in length);
- diploma program (minimum 2 years in length);
- undergraduate bachelor’s degree;
- graduate level degree;
- graduate level certificate; and
- graduate level diploma;
- ➢ If applicants are admitted and enrolled in their Alberta credential
program on or after April 1, 2019, their
credential must be on the Alberta
Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved
Post-Secondary
Credentials.
Work experience requirements
The current occupation (which is the occupation applicants are working in at the time their
applications are postmarked
to the AINP) must also match their work experience at the time their application is postmarked
and the AINP assesses
their application.
Eligible work experience
At the time the application is postmarked Applicants must have either:
- a minimum of 12 months’ full-time work experience in their current occupation in Alberta
within the last 18 months; or - a minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in their current occupation in Canada
and/or abroad within the
last 30 months- ❖ This work experience can be a combination of experience
gained in Alberta, in
Canada (outside Alberta) and/or abroad.
- ❖ This work experience can be a combination of experience
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders require a minimum of 6 months’ full-time work
experience in
their current occupation
in Alberta within the last 18 months. This occupation must be related to their field of study in
Alberta of your Alberta
Advanced Education approved credential at an Advanced Education approved Alberta public and private
post-secondary
institution.
If they are admitted and enrolled in their Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019 and
they completed an
Advanced Education-approved one-year post-graduate certificate, their occupation must also be
related to their previous
undergraduate or graduate field of study outside Canada.
Work experience in the qualifying period:
- ➢ must have been full-time, for a minimum of 30 hours a week;
- ➢ must be for the same occupation as their current occupation;
- ➢ must have been authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Canada and with valid
temporary resident status if
completed in Alberta or Canada; and - ➢ cannot have been gained while studying in Canada and doing co-op
work placements or
internships as part of a study
program*
*There is an exception to this rule if applicants are a Post-Graduation Work Permit holder. Work
experience completed
during paid co-op work terms that was part of a program of study at an Alberta post-secondary
institution can be used to
meet the work experience criteria with the following conditions:
- ➢ the paid co-op work term was full-time (minimum 30 hours per week);
- ➢ the work experience is directly related to their current occupation; and
- ➢ the work experience was all gained in Alberta
Applicants must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in their current
occupation in
Alberta at the time their applications are postmarked and the AINP assesses their applications for
nomination.
If applicants are working in a compulsory trade in Alberta they must have a valid Alberta
Apprenticeship and Industry
Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate. And if they are working as childcare worker, they must
have valid
certification as a child development worker (formerly Level 2) or child development supervisor
(formerly Level 3).
At the time their applications are postmarked and the AINP assesses their applications for
nomination, applicants must
have a bona fide full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in
their current occupation
in Alberta.
Their Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered by or under an act of the legislature of a
province,
territory, or the Parliament of Canada and operating as a business that has an established
production capability, plant
or place of business in Alberta.
Their job offer or employment contract must be signed by the applicants & their Alberta employer
and must offer:
- ➢ continuous, paid work;
- ➢ full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours/week;
- ➢
employment for 12 months or more; - ➢ work in your current occupation;
- ➢ wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage:
- meet or exceed the requirements set out in their LMIA, or
- if they are LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the lowest starting
wage for your
occupation across all industries in Alberta
as set out on the website;
- ➢ work for an eligible AINP occupation for which they have a work
permit that meets AINP work permit requirements
Applicants must meet the terms agreed to in their job offer or employment contract at the time
of application and
assessment.
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, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of their
working hours; - ➢ independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency
workers, including individuals listed as Directors,
Shareholders or Agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES); - ➢ 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; and - ➢ 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
AOS planned changes (2018 to 2021)
The selection criteria for language and education will increase over the next 3 years. The
following table contains
information on what is expected to change and when it is expected to change. Changes to
selection criteria may happen
without notice at any time. These changes will be communicated by the AINP.
Note: It is for information only and will not be used to assess
applications.
| AOS Selection requirements (Applies to all candidates unless otherwise noted) |
Effective April 1, 2019 | Effective January 1, 2020 | Effective January 1, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residency Status/Work Permit | No change | No Change | No Change |
| Occupation | No change | No Change | No Change |
| Language | Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 4 |
CLB/NCLC 5 for candidates working in NOC 0, A or B occupation. No change for NOC C or D occupations |
CLB/NCLC 5 for candidates working in NOC 0, A or B occupation. No change for NOC C or D occupations |
| Education (for all applicants except Post-Graduation Work Permit Holders) |
Minimum High School in Country of Origin | Minimum High School in Country of Origin | Minimum High School equivalent to Alberta standard |
| Education (Post-Graduation Work Permit Holders only) | Change in eligible Alberta post-secondary certificates/diplomas. If admitted and enrolled in Alberta program on or after April 1, 2019, must have post-graduate-certificate or diploma on the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary |
Change in eligible Alberta post-secondary certificates/diplomas. If admitted and enrolled in Alberta program on or after April 1, 2019, must have post-graduate-certificate or diploma on the Alberta |
Change in eligible Alberta post-secondary certificates/diplomas. If admitted and enrolled in Alberta program on or after April 1, 2019, must have post-graduate-certificate or diploma on the Alberta Opportunity Stream List of Alberta Advanced Education Approved Post-Secondary |
| Work Experience (for all applicants except Post-Graduation Work Permit Holders) |
No change | No Change | No Change |
| Work Experience (Post-Graduation Work Permit Holders only) | Eligible post-graduate certificate holders must show occupation/work experience is related to their prior post-secondary field of study outside Canada |
Eligible post-graduate certificate holders must show occupation/work experience is related to their prior post-secondary field of study outside Canada |
Eligible post-graduate certificate holders must show occupation/work experience is related to their prior post-secondary field of study outside Canada |
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