Alberta Employer-Driven Stream

The Employer-Driven Stream is consisting of three different categories with eligibility criteria for both the employer and the applicant.

• Skilled Worker Category
• International Graduate Category
• Semi-Skilled Worker Category

Skilled Worker Category

Minimum Requirements for Employers

To be eligible under the Alberta Skilled Worker Category, employers must:

• Be incorporated or registered in Canada and operating in Alberta;
• Offer a job that is in an occupation classified as skill level NOC 0, A, or B;
• Provide a job offer to the candidate that meets Alberta's employment and wage standards;
• Provide a job offer to the candidate that does not conflict with existing collective bargaining agreements. The AINP will not approve an application if there is a labour dispute in progress that may involve, directly or indirectly, either the employer or the candidate;
• Receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for the job they are offering to the applicant. Some occupations or candidates may be exempt from the LMIA requirement;
• If the worker is not currently working in Alberta, must demonstrate that efforts have been made to recruit in Canada before offering job to the applicant;
• Meet additional requirements if the applicant is an Early Childhood Educator or Childcare Staff

Minimum Requirements for Applicants

In addition, applicants must:

• Intend to live and work in Alberta permanently;
• Have related training, work experience, and any necessary licensing to perform the job in Alberta;
• Show valid work permit if already working in Alberta;
• Show proof of legal status if living abroad;
• Meet additional requirements if they are Early Childhood Educators or Childcare Staff

Additional Criteria for Early Childhood Educators and Childcare Staff

In addition to the minimum requirements listed above, employers of early childhood educators and childcare staff must:

• Be accredited with the Alberta Association for the Accreditation of Early Learning and Care Service;
• Be approved for funding under the Alberta Child Care Accreditation Funding Program

Early childhood educator and childcare staff applicants must also:

• Have a valid work permit under the NOC code 4214;
• Be currently residing in Alberta;
• Have completed a minimum of high school education

• Be a certified Child Development Worker (Level 2) or Child Development Supervisor (Level 3) through the Alberta Human Services Child Care Staff Certification Office;
• Be employed by a pre/accredited daycare program or family day home agency for a minimum of six months.

International Graduate Category

This category was created for individuals who graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution and have received a full-time, permanent job offer from an Alberta employer. Both the employer and the targeted employee must be deemed eligible in order to submit an application.

Minimum Requirements for Employers

To be eligible under the Alberta International Graduate category, employers must:

• Be incorporated or registered in Canada and operating in Alberta;
• Offer a job to the applicant that meets provincial employment standards;
  • In addition, the job offer must not conflict with collective bargaining (union) agreements
• Offer a job that is in an occupation classified as NOC 0, A, B or C level.
• Demonstrate that wages being offered are consistent with industry standards

Minimum Requirements for Applicants

Additionally, applicants must:

• Intend to live and work in Alberta permanently;
• Be working in Alberta full-time for the employer supporting their application;
  • The current occupation must be the same as the occupation listed on the AINP application. It must fall into an NOC 0, A, B, or C level.
• Have completed a certificate, diploma, degree or graduate level program from an eligible institution in Alberta or Canada;
  • The completed program of study must have been at least one-year long.
• Hold a valid Post-Graduation Work Permit.
• If working in an NOC C level occupation, must submit language test score results.

Semi-Skilled Worker Category

Minimum Requirements for Employers

In order to be eligible under the Alberta Semi-Skilled Worker category, employers must:

• Be incorporated or registered in Canada and operating in Alberta;
• Operate in one of the five industries currently eligible under this category:
  • Food and Beverage Processing,
  • Hotel and Lodging,
  • Manufacturing,
  • Long-Haul Trucking,
  • Food Services.
• Provide a permanent, full-time job offer in an eligible occupation (see below);
• Job offer must meet Alberta employment and wage standards
• Job offer must not conflict with collective bargaining (union) agreements
• Receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for the position being offered to the applicant;
• For the occupation of Front Desk Agent/Clerk (NOC 6525), if the applicant is working for the employer on a Post-Graduation Work Permit, no LMIA is required;
• Provide a settlement and retention plan for the individual applicant.

Minimum Requirements for Applicants

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be currently working in Alberta on a valid work permit in an eligible occupation (see below);
• Demonstrate that they have at least a high school level education;
• Submit language test results;
• Meet additional criteria for the specific industry (see below).

Industry-Specific Criteria

Food and Beverage Processing

In addition to the requirements listed above, employers must:

• Operate an agricultural-based industrial food processing plant. Retail establishments are not eligible;
• Must demonstrate satisfactory recruitment, employment policies, and retention/settlement plans.

Additionally, applicants must:

• Complete an interview with a staff member of the Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (AARD);
• Have a total of three years full-time industry work experience in home country;
• Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP.

Eligible occupations:

• Food and Beverage Production Worker (NOC 9617)
• Bakery Production Worker (NOC 9617)
• Food and Beverage Processing Equipment Cleaner (NOC 9617)
• Industrial Butchers and Meat Cutters (NOC 9462)
• Poultry Production Workers (NOC 9462)

Hotel and Lodging

Employers must also:

• Be a member in good standing with the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA);
• Be aware of the maximum number of allocations per calendar year for Food and Beverage Servers and Room Attendants, which is based on the total number of rooms at a property. Allocations are as follows:
  • 1 - 50 rooms: 2 allocations per year
  • 51 - 100 rooms: 4 per year
  • 101 - 150 rooms: 6 per year
  • 151 - 200 rooms: 8 per year
  • 201- 250 rooms: 10 per year
  • 251 - 350 rooms: 12 per year
  • 351 - 400 rooms: 14 per year
  • 401 - 450 rooms: 16 per year
  • 451+ rooms: 18 per year
• Be aware of the maximum of one allocation per property, per calendar year for the occupation of Front Desk Agent/Clerk.
• Demonstrate satisfactory recruitment strategies, employment policies, and retention/settlement plans to qualify for allocations.

In addition, applicants must:

• Have a total of three years of work experience in the hotel and lodging industry;
• Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP.

Eligible occupations:

• Food and Beverage Servers (NOC 6513)
• Room Attendants (NOC 6731)
• Front Desk Agent/Clerk (NOC 6525)

Manufacturing

Employers must:

• Demonstrate satisfactory recruitment, employment policies and retention/settlement plans.
• Applicants must:
• Have a minimum of two years industry work experience;
• At least one of two years must have been completed in Canada
• Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP.

Long-Haul Trucking

In addition to the requirements listed above, employers must:

• Demonstrate satisfactory recruitment strategies, employment policies, and retention/settlement plans to qualify for allocations.
  • Companies will not receive an allocation larger than the number of foreign drivers for which the company has received an LMIA.
• Provide details of recruitment activity and supporting documentation demonstrating that the foreign trained driver is aware of the scope of their employment - this includes:
  • duration of long-haul trips taken
  • mileage
  • normal amount of days away from home
  • anticipated annual salary.
• Show that the applicant has received training in Alberta
• Show that the applicant has prior driving training and related professional experience.

Applicants must:

• Be currently working for the supporting employer as a long-haul truck driver;
• Have a valid Alberta Class 1 driver's license;
• Provide a copy of his/her foreign driver's license which indicates C+E certification (if from Europe);
  • If not in English, the driver's license must be translated by certified translator.
• Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP;
• Have sufficient proof of previous professional driving experience and driving related training.

Eligible occupation:

• Long-Haul Truck Driver (NOC 7511)

Food Services (Pilot Project)

To be eligible, employers must also:

• Demonstrate that the candidate has access to accommodations for 33 percent or less of his/her gross salary;
• Be aware of the maximum of one allocation per restaurant location for one of the three eligible occupations (see below);
• Sign an Employer Compliance Declaration Form and include it in the application;

In addition, applicants must:

• Have three years of work experience in the food services industry;
• Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of nine months before applying to the AINP.

Eligible occupations:

• Food and Beverage Servers (NOC 6513)
• Food Counter Attendants (NOC 6711)
• Kitchen Helpers (NOC 6711)

Who is not eligible?

Candidates should not apply if they are:

• Refugee claimants, or individuals involved in a federal appeal or removal process;
• Live-in Caregivers currently living in Canada;
• Temporary Foreign Workers working and residing in a province other than Alberta;
• International students studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of their study program;
• Supervisors, foremen and tradespersons working in a compulsory or optional trade in Alberta;
• Clergy, elementary and secondary school teachers, professional athletes and dental laboratory bench workers; or
• Semi-skilled workers who are not in an eligible AINP occupation.