Alberta: New Immigration Tech Pathway
Alberta will provide a ‘fast track to permanent residence’ to tech professionals who want to live and work in the province.
Alberta’s Immigration Minister, Tyler Shandro, announced this Accelerated Tech Pathway on January 13. According to the Minister, the pathway will support Alberta’s Recovery Plan and strengthen Alberta’s workforce.
“The faster we can fill these jobs with skilled and qualified workers, the stronger our overall recovery will be – and that helps all Albertans, no matter where they live or what they do.” Minister of Labour and Immigration.
Who can apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway?
In order to be selected for expedited processing under the Accelerated Tech Pathway, candidates must:
- be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry Stream.
- have a job offer or be currently working for an Alberta-based company, in an eligible occupation.
You can check the eligible National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes, here. Moreover, if you meet these requirements, check the steps to apply.
Application steps
1. Create an Express Entry profile with the Government of Canada
Candidates must first have an Express Entry profile. This means that you need to be eligible for one of the following immigration programs:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP): skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. Applicants are normally young, highly educated, have some work experience, and know English or French.
- Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP): skilled workers with foreign work experience who want to immigrate to Canada permanently. Applicants in this group are normally licensed plumbers, welders, etc.
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): skilled workers who have at least one year of full-time Canadian work experience in a professional capacity.
2. Fill out an online form for the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)
To apply under the Accelerated Tech Pathway you must send a form. Moreover, through the form, you send information about your Express Entry profile and your tech job in Alberta.
3. AINP determines your eligibility
Candidates who meet minimum eligibility criteria will receive an email inviting them to submit an application.
4. Candidates submit an application
Complete applications go into a pool of eligible applications for consideration for processing.
Please be aware that you cannot apply without this invitation, and you cannot use a nomination under a different AINP stream to apply. Of course, you can check this and more information on the province’s website.
The technology sector in Alberta
Alberta is home to more than 3,000 technology companies, according to the Alberta Enterprise Corporation. Furthermore, Alberta’s based tech companies are scaling in growth and financing. In addition, the 2021 Alberta Technology Deal Flow Study showed that:
- The number of companies with 25 or more employees has increased by 12 percentage points to 25 percent, between 2018 and 2020.
- Also, 43 percent of Alberta’s technology startups have raised at least US $1 million to date.
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