June 15, 2018 By Noah Turner And Stephen Smith
The creation of a dedicated Express Entry Stream now allows Alberta take candidates in the federal Express Entry pool for a chance of a provincial nomination. “Candidates who have demonstrated strong ties to Alberta and who can help support the government’s economic development and diversification priorities will be invited to apply,” the AINP said in the announcement.
The federal Express Entry system manages candidates in Canada’s three main economic immigration classes – the Federal Skilled Worker Class, the Federal Skilled Trades Class and the Canadian Experience Class. A candidate in the Express Entry pool who receives a nomination from a Canadian province obtains 600 extra points under the Comprehensive Ranking System and is prioritized for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence. Qualified candidates with profiles in the Express Entry pool will be selected directly by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).
In addition to the new Express Entry stream, Alberta said that as of June 14 it will accept applications under the Self-Employed Farmer Stream and its new Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS). The AOS operates outside of Express Entry and provides a pathway to permanent residence for candidates who are working in Alberta. The AOS replaced Alberta’s Employer-Driven Stream and Strategic Recruitment Stream, both of which are now closed effective June 14. The AINP said applications to both streams that are post-marked before June 14 will still be accepted for processing.
In order to be eligible for the AOS, candidates must be currently working full-time in Alberta in an eligible occupation and satisfy minimum selection criteria for residency and employment status, occupation, language, education, work experience, and income level. The AINP said one of main benefits of the new stream is its expansion of the occupations and skill levels that are accepted.
"We have simplified processes, which will reduce wait times and provide fair access for all workers who wish to build lives in Alberta,” the AINP said.
Workers with professional, personal, and community ties to Alberta are first in line to become permanent residents with a pathway to citizenship. The AINP has been allotted a maximum of 5,600 nominations for 2018 by Canada’s federal government, which shares responsibility for immigration with Canada’s provinces and territories.
Source: www.cicnews.com/