Alberta Opportunity Stream

Check your Eligibility

Eligible Applicants  – At the time of your application submission and when the AAIP assesses your application, you must have a valid work permit (not implied status or restoration status).

Valid Work Permits

You must have one of the following types of work permits:

• Positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
• LMIA Exemption for workers based on one of these exemptions as determined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC):
• International trade agreements.Workers transferred within a company.
• International Experience Canada.
• Mobilité Francophone.
• R205(d) for religious work.

Open Work Permit issued by IRCC to:

• Vulnerable workers at risk of abuse or experiencing abuse in the context of their employment in Canada (including under the Vulnerable Workers Open Work Permit – VWOWP).

• Family members of a vulnerable worker under the VWOWP exemption.
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Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) for graduates of an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.

PGWP holders must meet specific occupation, education, and work experience requirements as outlined below.

Open Work Permit issued under one of IRCC’s temporary public policies, except for those that do not confer temporary residence (e.g., refugees, or applicants based on an existing permanent residence application):

Examples include open work permits issued under:

• Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET).
• Public policy for Hong Kong recent graduates.
• Temporary measures for foreign nationals in Canada affected by wildfires in 2024, etc.

If your work permit type is covered by an eligible IRCC temporary public policy that is not listed in the Expression of Interest or application form (if invited), choose ‘Other’ as the work permit type and mention the public policy in the free-text field.

Important Note: If your work permit type is not included in the above list, you are not eligible to apply.

Work Experience

• Current occupation: The occupation you are working in when you submit your application must match your work experience at both the time of submission and when your application is assessed.
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Eligible Work Experience:

For all applicants:

• – 12 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months, or
• – 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation either in Alberta, elsewhere in Canada, or abroad within the last 30 months, or a combination of both.
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• For Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders: 6 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months.
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• Work Experience Conditions:
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• – Must be full-time (at least 30 hours per week).
• – Must match your current occupation.
• – Must be authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) with valid temporary resident status if in Alberta or Canada.
• – Cannot be gained during studies in Canada, except for PGWP holders doing paid co-op work terms as part of their program at an Alberta post-secondary institution.

These work terms must:

• – Be paid and full-time (30+ hours per week),
• – Be directly related to your current occupation,
• – Be completed entirely in Alberta.
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Licensing, Registration, and Certification Requirements: Must have the necessary licensing, registration, or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta.

• – If working in a compulsory trade in Alberta, you must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT) recognized trade certificate.
• – If working as a childcare worker, you must have valid certification as: Level 2 or 3 – Early Childhood Educator (formerly Child Development Worker)

Job Offer or Employment Contract

All applicants, including PGWP holders, must have a full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer to work in their current occupation in Alberta at the time of application submission and when the application is assessed. The job offer or employment contract must:

• Meet the AAIP work permit requirements.
• Meet all Alberta job offer and employer requirements.
• You must fulfill the terms of your job offer or employment contract both when you submit your application and when it is assessed.

Education Requirements for All Applicants (Except PGWP Holders)

As of January 1, 2021, at the time of your application submission, you must have completed at least high school education equivalent to Canadian standards.

You are required to provide an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from an IRCC-designated organization for your highest level of education.

However, you do not need to submit an ECA if:

• – You hold a Canadian degree, diploma, or certificate from a recognized Canadian post-secondary institution, technical college, or secondary school listed in the Directory of Educational Institutions in Canada, or
• – The institution is authorized, registered, or licensed in the Directory of Educational Institutions in Canada and was authorized by Advanced Education to grant your credential. You can confirm this with your educational institution or Advanced Education.
• – You have a valid Alberta Qualification Certificate or a trade certificate recognized by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT).

– The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) may request an ECA from or conduct an internal assessment to verify that the candidate meets the minimum Canadian high school equivalent requirement.

Education Requirements for Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Holders

• Approved Alberta Institutions: Your credential must be issued by an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution.
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• Eligible Alberta Credentials: Your credential must be an Alberta Advanced Education approved credential (also known as a minister-approved credential).
• – Publicly funded post-secondary institutions can issue institution-approved credentials (for non-credit or continuing education programs), but these are not eligible for the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
• – Before applying for nomination as a PGWP holder, confirm with your institution if your credential is a ministry-approved or institution-approved credential.
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Eligible Alberta Advanced Education Approved Credentials:

• – Post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate (minimum 1 year in length)
• – Diploma program (minimum 2 years in length)
• – Undergraduate bachelor’s degree
• – Graduate level degree
• – Graduate level certificate
• – Graduate level diploma
• – If you started your program before April 1, 2019, you may also qualify with an entry-level certificate (minimum 1 year in length).

Language Requirements

Confirm the TEER Category for your occupation in the NOC 2021 and use it to determine your minimum language score. 

Approved Language Tests: You must provide official test results from one of the following approved language tests:

• – Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test
• – International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training Test
• – Test d’évaluation de français Canada (TEF Canada)
• – Test de connaissance du français Canada (TCF Canada)
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Additional Details: 

– Official test results must be less than 2 years old when you submit your application. The test date (not the result release date) determines the age of your results.

– Confirmation of registration for a language test is not accepted in place of actual test results.