Part 03: Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP)

The next few posts are going to take us over the western prairie region, starting with Alberta and ending with Manitoba. These programs are all very similar and the requirements change very slightly. Again, I have to remind you all that the information contained herein is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. I am linking to each Nominee Program's homepage, and so it would best serve you to visit the home page and read up on the programs in detail. I am always available for questions and concerns, so please do not hesitate to contact me.

There are 4 Streams - or categories within the AINP. (For the sake of consistency, I am going to refer to them as streams, as this is what the program refers to them as):

1. Employer Driven >> Skilled Workers, International Graduates, Semi-Skilled Workers
2. Strategic Recruitment >> Compulsory Trades, Engineering Occupations, US Visa Holders
3. Family
4. Self Employed Farmer

Each of these streams have their own requirements, and so its really important to do a self assessment or seek the advice of an Immigration Consultant (make sure they are CSIC Licensed) or a Lawyer (make sure they have some experience/expertise in immigration) -- Good help is so hard to find these days. :)

Unfortunately there is no actual catch all stream, and so you really need to determine where to start:

If you have family in Alberta - it would make sense to start with the family stream. This stream requires: that the Canadian relative in Alberta is over 21 years of age, has been living in Alberta for 2 or more years and has a steady income. And the foreign relative must be between the ages of 21 - 45, demonstrate English ability with IELTS score of 4.0 (some exceptions do apply) and they must have a combined work/education history in the last 4 years. Finally, they have to be able to show they have settlement funds, starting at $10,000 per person plus $2,000 per family member.

If you do not meet one of those requirements above, then things get complicated, you may qualify for the Employer Driven Stream, depending on what occupation you engage in and what skill sets you have.

To read more on the AINP, please visit http://www.albertacanada.com/immigration/immigrate/ainpforms.html

Looking Ahead.. .Saskatchewan

** The information contained in this post is for your information only and does not constitute legal advice. For information and assistance in the preparation of Immigration Applications - provincial or federal, please contact me. **