Alberta added the criteria of having immediate family relatives in the province as a criterion to become eligible for its provincial nominee program, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).
The move will help Alberta address the present and future labor shortages as the province faces the challenge of filling over 100,000 job vacancies. The new eligibility criteria will boost the immigration of in-demand workers, ensuring them a good opening to settle in the province.
The change comes into effect immediately. Express Entry candidates who mention their family ties in Alberta in their profile will have a greater chance of receiving a Notification of Interest (NOI) under the Alberta Express Entry stream.
The new update will apply to the Alberta Express Entry stream with no changes in other eligibility criteria like a job offer and postsecondary education from a Designated Learning Institute in Alberta.
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) aims to help Alberta employers meet their labor requirements. Alberta is experiencing unprecedented labor shortages as it added over 41,000 new job vacancies during December 2022, taking the total number of vacant job positions to 100,000. The factors responsible for the tight job market are an uptick in the number of retirees and industrial growth. They predict Alberta will face labor shortages through 2025.
