AAIP STREAMS

ALBERTA ADVANTAGE IMMIGRATION PROGRAM (AAIP)

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY STREAM (THS)

The Tourism and Hospitality Stream is for foreign nationals already working full-time in Alberta’s tourism and hospitality industry. To qualify, they must have a job offer from an eligible Alberta employer in an approved occupation, along with a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Applicants also need to meet basic requirements for language, education, occupation, and work experience.

This stream includes occupations such as Cook, Food Service Supervisor, Food Counter Attendant, Light Duty Cleaner, and Kitchen Helper.
The employer must be actively registered in Alberta’s tourism and hospitality sector, and the candidate must have already completed six months of full-time employment in Alberta under a valid work permit at the time of application.

ALBERTA OPPORTUNITY STREAM (AOS)

This stream is for Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) who are already residing in Alberta and working full-time from an eligible Alberta employer. The applicant must have a full-time job offer letter for an eligible occupation and a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). If the candidate does not have a LMIA, then he/she must have a LMIA-exempt work permit (ex: Post-Graduate Work Permit, Working Holiday, etc.).

The applicant’s eligible occupation is based on the government’s definition of what’s eligible and ineligible, so it’s absolutely important to check the occupation is eligible at the time of the candidate’s application. Language requirements differ based on the occupation as well. For TEER 0, 1, 2, and 3 occupations, minimum CLB 5 is required and minimum CLB 4 is required for TEER 4 and 5 occupations.

Except Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders, all candidates must have a minimum of high school diploma that’s equivalent to Alberta’s standards. Moreover, the applicant must meet the work experience requirement which is either having 12 months out of the last 18 months of full-time experience in Alberta, or 24 months out of 30 months of experience in Canada or abroad.

ALBERTA EXPRESS ENTRY STREAM (AEE)

For any candidates that are interested to pursue this stream, they can first build an Express Entry profile and wait for a Notification of Interest (NOI) letter to apply for AAIP. They can be invited based on their qualifications under Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and/or Canadian Experience Class.

GRADUATE ENTREPRENEUR STREAM (GES)

This stream is for international graduates from Alberta post-secondary institutions who are planning to establish and operate a business in Alberta. If they are an entrepreneurial international student who just graduated, then this option can be an amazing program for them to acquire permanent residence.

In terms of eligibility requirements, the candidates must have at least completed a 2 years program in Alberta post-secondary institution. Also, they must hold a Post-Graduate Work Permit that’s valid for a minimum 2 years at the time of submitting Expression of Interest (EOI). Moreover, minimum language requirement of CLB 7 for each language skill is required (reading, writing, listening, reading). In addition, a minimum of 6 months of full-time work experience of actively managing and operating a company is required. This experience can include but not limited to, working at a business accelerator or incubator, completing an entrepreneurship program courses and more. Lastly, the applicant must show a business establishment by either starting a new business or by acquiring an existing business with a minimum of 34% of ownership shares.

RURAL ENTREPRENEUR STREAM (RES)

This stream is for experienced entrepreneurs who are planning to start or purchase a business in a rural Alberta community. To be eligible, the applicant must have at least three years of experience as an active business owner or manager within the past ten years. The business must align with the economic priorities of the community and must not be on the ineligible business list.

Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $300,000 CAD and must invest at least $100,000 CAD into the business. A Community Support Letter from the rural municipality is required as part of the application process. Applicants also need to meet language, education, and ownership requirements, including holding at least 51% ownership in a new business or 100% ownership if purchasing an existing one.

FARM STREAM

This stream is for individuals who have the financial capital and farming experience to purchase and manage a farm in Alberta. Firstly, applicants must be able to invest at least $500,000 CAD of equity in an Alberta farm. Secondly, they must provide documentation that proves their farm management skills such as education, training, and work experience documents. Lastly, the applicants should provide a business plan that outlines how they will invest in and operate the farm.

If the applicant meets all the eligibility requirements, then they can submit their business plan to the Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation office. If the business plan is approved, then a Ministerial Recommendation Letter will be issued to the candidate. The candidate can use this letter to apply for the AAIP application.