Express Entry is the program that handles applications for three types of federal immigration: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Group.
Candidates are ranked according to the CRS which awards points in English or French for human capital factors such as age, work experience, education and language skills.
Read More: Canada Issued Invitations to PNP Candidates with CRS Scores of 696 and Above
Through regular Express Entry draws, the top-scoring candidates are then given an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.
Alberta Express Entry Stream
Now, the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has released 187 invitations via the Alberta Express Entry Process to candidates who may be eligible. A Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) threshold of at least 303 was required for invited candidates to the Express Entry list.
Express Entry candidates have the opportunity to be invited to apply for Alberta and other provinces with Express Entry-aligned PNPs for a provincial nomination.
Read More: Express Entry Draw: Lowest CRS for CEC Candidates Since 2017
A provincial nomination awards a further 600 CRS points to candidates for their overall score, which boosts them to the top of the pool to be selected in a subsequent Express Entry draw.
Coronavirus affected AINP activities. At the moment, only candidates are being considered at nomination within Alberta. Candidates must have work experience in a qualified occupation which supports the economic development and diversification priorities of the province.
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The AINP does not provide a list of qualifying professions but instead provides a list of professions they do not take into account. Disqualified occupations include those in the province of Alberta’s high- and low-wage government jobs and the Alberta Opportunity Stream Disqualified Jobs list.
With special measures for coronavirus in place, the AINP now allows applicants to meet the following conditions to obtain a nomination:
- The applicant must be working in Alberta at the moment, even though they work from home;
- Candidate must have a work permit which allows them to work in their current job.
- Candidate must have a full-time, paying employment that meets the provincial minimum wage, satisfies the criteria of the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and must work in a qualifying workplace.
Candidates who worked full time before the coronavirus pandemic and those who work in a supervised profession who are unable to meet licensing standards will be keeping their applications for 60 calendar days.
Read More: Express Entry: Ontario Issued 699 Invitations for PNP Candidates
If applicants do not have a recent history of jobs in the province, their applications are not accepted until further notice.
Alberta has given 1,785 invitations to applicants for an Express Entry so far this year. In 2019 6,884 invitations were made by the Albert Express Entry Network. Provincial nomination allocations for Alberta by 2020 have not yet been released.
