On October 20, 2017 AINP announced it would be making the following changes to its streams as of January 2, 2018:
1. Reduce the number of streams available and accept applications under only two streams: the Alberta Opportunity Stream (replacing the Employer-Driven Stream and the Strategic Recruitment Stream) and the Self-Employed Farmer Stream.
2. Introduce Alberta Express Entry stream.
AINP later announced that these planned changes would be postponed.
The AINP has been allocated 5600 spots in 2018.
Quick facts (as of January 20th, 2018):
1. The AINP has so far issued over 250 nominations in 2018.
2. There are over 4600 applications awaiting assessment.
Employer-driven Stream
- International Graduate Category – over 1750 applications
- Skilled Worker Category – over 1800 applications
- Food and Beverage Processing Industry – more than 80 applications
- Foodservice Industry – less than 10 applications
- Trucking Industry – over 10 applications
- Hotel & Lodging Industry – over 20 applications
- Manufacturing Industry – less than 10 applications
Strategic Recruitment Stream
- Post-Graduate Worker Category – over 800 applications
- Compulsory & Optional Trades Category – over 30 applications
- Engineering Occupations Category – over 20 applications
3. The following occupations make up over half of the AINP applications so if you applied under one of these occupations, your application may take longer to process:
- 6311 – Food Service Supervisors
- 6211 – Retail Sales Supervisors
- 7511 – Transport Truck Drivers
- 6315 – Cleaning Supervisors
- 7284 – Plasterers, Drywall Installers and Finishers, and Lathers
- 1241 – Administrative Assistants
- 0631 – Restaurant and Food Services Managers
- 0621 – Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers
- 6421 – Retail Salespersons
- 1221 – Administrative Officers
4. You must maintain a valid work permit during the processing of your application.
AINP Streams and Categories
Employer-Driven Stream – this stream is suitable for applicants who have a full-time, permanent job offer from an Alberta employer. You can apply under one of the following categories:
- Skilled Worker Category – suitable for application who have been offered a permanent and full-time job in an eligible skilled (NOC 0, A or B) occupation.
- International Graduates Category – suitable for applications who have recently graduated from an eligible post-secondary institution in Canada, hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit, and have been offered a permanent and full-time job in an eligible occupation.
- Semi-Skilled Worker Category – suitable for applicants who have been offered a permanent and full-time job in an eligible semi-skilled occupation (NOC C or D).
Strategic Recruitment Stream – this stream is suitable for applicants who wish to apply on their own (without an employer). You can apply under one of the following categories:
- Compulsory and Optional Trades Category – suitable for applicants who have a valid trade certificate in a compulsory or optional trade in Alberta issued or recognized by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training.
- Engineering Occupation Category – suitable for applicants who have Alberta work experience in an eligible engineering occupation.
- Post-Graduate Worker Category – suitable for applicants who have graduated from an eligible post-secondary institution in Alberta, hold a Post-Graduation Work Permit, are currently working in Alberta.
Self-employed Farmer Stream – suitable for applicants who have sufficient financial resources and farm management experience to purchase and establish a farm in Alberta.
Currently, there is a backlog of 4600 applications however it is reasonable to expect that apx. 50% of these applications will be canceled or refused as many of these applicants have either qualified and applied under some federal program or have run out of work permits while waiting for their AINP application to be processed.
Please do not hesitate to schedule a consultation with us should you wish to discuss your AINP options further.
Even though we cannot guarantee the success of your application, we can guarantee that we will do our best to prepare a high-quality submission. The best proof of our extensive knowledge in this matter is our AINP application approval rate, which is close to 100%.