Dear Mr Brown:

I heard that they are going to cancel the Provincial Nominee Programme in Alberta. Will that affect applications that were already submitted?

– MG

Dear MG:

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Programme (AAIP) is a Provincial Nominee Programme (PNP) that the Government of Alberta uses to select economic immigration candidates who are likely to be successful economically within the province. In 2023 Alberta issued 9,750 nominations to AAIP candidates.

The Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) is a pathway to Canadian permanent residence for foreign nationals working in Alberta and international graduates who have completed their studies at an approved Alberta post-secondary institution. The programme targets temporary foreign workers who currently work full-time in the province on a valid Canadian work permit and who have a full-time job offer from an employer in Alberta, as well as post-graduation work permit holders.

The province says it has not yet confirmed the number of nominations it has been allocated for 2024 but, according to the federal Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026, Canada will welcome 110,000 newcomers through the PNP by the end of this year.

Temporary pause

As of February 15, 2024 the Alberta Advantage Immigration Programme (AAIP) has temporarily paused processing applications for the Alberta Opportunity Stream until further notice. The measure was taken to address its current inventory and focus on priorities such as filling labour shortages in health care, technology, construction, agriculture, tourism and hospitality, and other in-demand sectors.

To directly answer your query, it is important to highlight that applications submitted before February 15, 2024 will still be processed as usual. However, the AAIP will implement measures to manage future application volumes by limiting application intakes or adjusting processing timelines.

New stream

A new stream specifically tailored for the tourism and hospitality industry will launch on March 1, 2024.

This stream targets individuals with:

• at least 6 months of experience working in the tourism and hospitality sector in Alberta;

• criteria for permanent establishment in Alberta;

• a valid full-time, non-seasonal job offer from an approved employer in the industry.

The benefits of the new stream include:

• applications submitted through this stream will receive expedited processing compared to other streams, ensuring a faster path to permanent residency;

• plans to accept a limited number of applications, potentially increasing your chances of success.

• the commitment to addressing the critical workforce needs of Alberta’s tourism and hospitality sector.

Please visit JAMAICA2CANADA.COM for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes, including Express Entry, the Study & Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.

Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM, a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to
documents.jamaica2canada@gmail.com