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AAIP

NEWS

Alberta Introduces New Expression of Interest System for AAIP Worker Streams 

As of September 30, Alberta has updated its process for issuing Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for certain Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) worker pathways.  Now, candidates wishing to apply to one of the AAIP worker streams must first submit a Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) through the AAIP portal. To complete this, applicants need to fill out an online form providing personal and professional details. Once submitted, they will be added to the Worker Stream pool for selection, and there’s no cost associated with submitting an EOI.  Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration The new Worker EOI system will rank candidates based on a points-based framework, similar to the federal Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Points will be awarded for human capital factors such as education level (with additional points if the education was completed in Alberta), language proficiency, and work experience (with Alberta-based experience carrying more weight). Factors like age and family connections in Alberta will also contribute to a candidate’s overall score.  Candidates with higher scores will have a better chance of being chosen for a provincial nomination, and selected applicants will receive invitations via email.  Alberta has also emphasized that candidates cannot submit a Worker EOI if they have an existing Worker or Entrepreneur EOI, or if they have a pending or active AAIP application. In these cases, previous applications or EOIs must be withdrawn before creating a new Worker EOI.  There’s no immediate urgency to submit EOIs, as Alberta won’t begin holding worker stream draws until mid-to-late October.  Alberta Worker Streams  Earlier in 2023, Alberta adjusted its approach to accepting applications for Worker streams to better address overwhelming demand and meet labor market needs.  In June, the province announced it would only accept a limited number of applications into the pool each month. If the target number was reached before the deadline, further applications would be paused until the next period.  This system aims to manage processing times more effectively and align with Alberta’s allocation of 9,750 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominations granted by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for 2024. The changes affect the following streams:  Alberta Opportunity Stream  Rural Renewal Stream  Accelerated Tech Pathway  Tourism and Hospitality Stream  The new approach is designed to offer candidates multiple chances to apply throughout the year while maintaining access to the program year-round.  Demand for the Alberta Opportunity Stream has been particularly high in 2023, causing the province to temporarily stop accepting applications for this stream between February and June.  The pause allowed the AAIP to manage its current inventory of applications more efficiently and focus its limited nominations on priority sectors like healthcare, technology, construction, agriculture, tourism, hospitality, and other high-demand industries in Alberta.  Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

NEWS

“Alberta Introduces New Expression of Interest System for AAIP Worker Streams: A Gateway to Opportunity”

In certain paths of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), Alberta is altering the process by which it issues Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to applicants. Candidates who wish to apply to one of the AAIP worker streams must submit a Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) starting today, September 30. Candidates must accomplish this by going to the AAIP portal and filling out an online form with personal data. Those that submit a Worker EOI, according to the province, will be added to a pool for consideration in the Worker Stream. Applying is free of charge. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration The Worker EOI points grid, which functions similarly to the federal Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS), will be used to rank candidates. For instance, their points will be determined by human capital factors like age, having a family connection in the province, language proficiency, work experience (with more points given for work experience in Alberta), education (including whether or not they completed their education in the province), and so on. Higher scorers have a better chance of being chosen for provincial nomination. Emails will be used to send invitations. Alberta notes that candidates cannot create a Worker EOI if they “have an existing Worker EOI or Entrepreneur EOI or a draft or active AAIP application. Existing applications or EOIs must be withdrawn prior to creating a Worker EOI.” The province says candidates do not need to rush to submit their application as it will not begin conducting worker stream draws until mid to late October. Alberta Worker Streams Earlier this year, Alberta changed the way it accepts applications for Worker streams to better handle overwhelming demand and meet labour market priorities. In June, the province announced it would only accept a targeted number of applications into the application pool at one time. If a target were reached by the monthly deadline, no further applications would be accepted. The system was meant to better balance processing time and the 9,750 PNP nominations that IRCC allocated Alberta for 2024. The impacted programs included: Alberta Opportunity Stream Rural Renewal Stream Accelerated Tech Pathway Tourism and Hospitality Stream This approach was meant to “provide applicants with multiple opportunities to apply and access to the program year-round.” In fact, the Alberta Opportunity Stream has been so high in demand this year that the province had to pause accepting applications for this stream between February and June. At the time, the province said the pause was necessary to help enable the AAIP to “address its current inventory and focus its limited immigration nominations on priorities, such as filling labour shortages in healthcare, technology, construction, agriculture, tourism and hospitality and other in-demand sectors.” Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

NEWS

AAIP eligibility change in response to Alberta wildfires

For a limited time, Alberta has suspended the work experience prerequisite for some candidates under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). In order to help workers whose current job is impacted by the wildfires find new employment as soon as possible, the Alberta Opportunity and Tourism and Hospitality Streams of the AAIP have temporarily waived the requirement for specific work experience. The Alberta government reports that open work permits from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will be accepted by the AAIP for workers in the wildfire-affected Streams who are looking for work. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration It is anticipated that the eligibility changes will take effect on July 19, 2024, and end on November 30, 2024. This is a stopgap meant to help people who might lose their jobs as a result of the fires, which happened in an area that is home to many of Alberta’s hotels and resorts. Requirements for work experience Candidates in the tourism and hospitality stream were required, outside of the measure, to have completed seventy-odd hours of work experience in six consecutive months with their current employment. Candidates for the Alberta Opportunity Stream need: a minimum of 18 months’ worth of full-time job experience in their present field in Alberta, or a minimum of 24 months of full-time experience working in their present field in Canada or overseas within the previous 30 months, or both. The experience may have been obtained in Alberta as well as in Canada (outside of Alberta) or overseas. Holders of Post-Graduation Work Permits must have completed at least six months of full-time work experience in Alberta during the previous eighteen months in their present line of work. The lack of explicit work experience requirements for the Rural Renewal and Express Entry pathways will not disadvantage applicants who wish to use them. Additional assistance for individuals impacted by wildfires The modifications are the latest in a string of unique actions taken by the IRCC to assist individuals who are directly impacted by the wildfires. The Alberta government made the following announcement on July 26: Apply for a free replacement of lost, damaged, or destroyed citizenship, immigration, or travel documents (passports included). Extend or reinstate their status as a temporary resident; if you are unable to continue working for your current job, switch from an employer-specific work permit to an open work permit. The lack of explicit work experience requirements for the Rural Renewal and Express Entry pathways will not disadvantage applicants who wish to use them. Additional assistance for individuals impacted by wildfires The modifications are the latest in a string of unique actions taken by the IRCC to assist individuals who are directly impacted by the wildfires. The Alberta government made the following announcement on July 26: Apply for a free replacement of lost, damaged, or destroyed citizenship, immigration, or travel documents (passports included). Extend or reinstate their status as a temporary resident; if you are unable to continue working for your current job, switch from an employer-specific work permit to an open work permit. Applicants will have one year to prove they meet the criteria outlined by the AAIP including finding a new, eligible position if left unemployed by the fires. The Alberta government notes that all other criteria for each stream will still apply, and it will continue monitoring the situation for further updates. Impact of wildfires on Alberta’s economy This summer has seen over 100 wildfires burning across Alberta in the last month. As of now, the fires have claimed 358 of the 1,113 total structures in Jasper, with the evacuation notice only lifted on August 17, 2024. The fires have already disrupted the local economy, particularly the hospitality industry in Jasper, which attracts thousands of tourists and temporary workers every year. With plans to more than double the size of the tourism economy by 2025, the Alberta government’s response to the wildfires aims to support both the businesses and workers at the heart of the hospitality sector. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

NEWS

British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec invite candidates to apply for provincial immigration

This week, applicants are being asked to apply for provincial immigration programs in three Canadian provinces. Invitations were sent out by Alberta and British Columbia (B.C.) via their Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Instead of having a PNP, Quebec has a separate arrangement with the federal government that gives the state the power to choose every candidate for economic immigration. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Provincial immigration figures for August 3–9. British Columbia Over 144 individuals were asked by British Columbia this week to submit nomination applications via the BC PNP. 52 applicants were invited by the province in a general draw that took into account applicants from the entry-level, semi-skilled, skilled worker, and international graduate streams. With the exception of Entry-Level and Semi-Skilled candidates, who had to score 110, all candidates needed to receive a minimum score of 132. Additionally, four occupation-specific drawings were held by British Columbia for applicants in the International Graduate and Skilled Worker streams. Among them were: 32 candidates in childcare occupations with a minimum score of 88 29 candidates in construction occupations with a minimum score of 90 24 candidates in healthcare occupations with a minimum score of 101 and; less than five candidates in veterinary care occupations with a minimum score of 80 Alberta On July 30, Alberta conducted a drawing for applicants in the Alberta job offer stream of its Dedicated Healthcare Pathway. A minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300 or above was necessary for the 54 candidates. Alberta shares the outcomes of these draws in retrospect. Candidates must already have an application in the Express Entry application pool in order to be considered for this stream, which is in line with Canada’s federal Express Entry system. In an upcoming Express Entry draw, applicants who obtain an invitation from the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) will automatically receive an extra 600 CRS points on their application, almost guaranteeing them an ITA. Alberta is also launching a new expression of interest system on September 30, 2024, for worker streams. This new system will replace the current monthly application intake and allow for an ongoing intake of applications. The AAIP says that applicants will be placed in a selection pool and then be invited to apply based on their “candidate ranking and provincial labour market needs and priorities.” Quebec Quebec invited provincial immigration candidates on August 1. Like Alberta, Quebec posts provincial immigration results retroactively. The province invited 1,490 people to apply. They required a minimum score of 580 to be considered in addition to  a level 7 oral proficiency (or higher) in French according to the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français  (Quebec’s scale of French proficiency levels for adult immigrants) or its equivalent; Candidates may also have been considered if they had a job offer outside of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

NEWS, Provinces

In the most recent drawings, five provinces invited applicants for provincial immigration

This week, applications for provincial immigration have been extended to five provinces: Prince Edward Island (PEI), British Columbia (BC), Quebec, Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec. Provincial Nominee Programs, a type of regional immigration program, are used in every Canadian province and territory—with the exception of Nunavut and Quebec—to choose candidates for economic immigration (PNPs). The goal of these programs is to assist each participating province and territory in welcoming talented immigrants who, in the opinion of their local government, can best assist in addressing the demands of the local labor market and demographic issues. Note: Because of its government’s agreement with the federal government to retain control over its own economic immigration, Quebec does not operate a PNP. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Immigration outcomes by province from April 27 to May 3. The British Columbian On April 30, 2024, two provincial immigration draws were held in British Columbia. The province of British Columbia (BC) invited 47 people to a general draw for the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP). In keeping with the format of all previous BCPNP general draws this year, candidates were taken into consideration from each of the following five streams: Expert Laborer Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option for skilled workers Foreign Alumnus Foreign Graduate: EEBC choice Beginning and Moderately Skilled A minimum score of 131 was necessary for invitation to all but one of these streams, with the exception of the Entry Level and Semi-Skilled applicant group (minimum score of 107). In addition to the main draw, BC held four further draws in which it extended invitations to applicants in the categories of skilled worker and international graduate (including EEBC option). In particular, invitations were sent to candidates in the following four occupational groups. Below is a breakdown of the precise numbers: Candidates in childcare jobs (minimum score of 91) received nine invitations. Candidates for construction vocations received nine invites (minimum score of 93). Candidates in healthcare occupations (minimum score of 100) received nine invitations. For veterinary care vocations (minimum score of 80), less than five invitations were sent out to candidates. Quebec Just now, the results of two different lotteries for provincial immigration were released by Quebec, one of the two provinces that does so. On April 11, 2024, the first of these two draws took place. 1,036 persons were invited by the province to apply for permanent selection as a result of this draw. Note: The Minister of Immigration, Francization, and Integration (MIFI) is in charge of immigration in Quebec. On April 8, 2024, a drawing was held from the Arrima bank in Quebec for this batch of invites. During this draw, candidates had to satisfy both of the following requirements in order to be invited: An oral French skill level of level 7 or above, as determined by the French proficiency level scale for adult immigrants in Québec or its equivalent. The Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français is the name of this scale. Hold a legitimate employment offer from anywhere outside the boundaries of Montréal’s metropolitan area Furthermore, individuals whose occupations were included in one of two grouped lists of National Occupation Classification (NOC) codes were invited to participate in this draw. The website of the Government of Quebec provides further information on the particular NOCs that were invited. It should be noted that candidates with a NOC in group one of occupations had to receive a minimum score of 536, whilst candidates in group two of occupations had to receive a minimum score of 606. April 25th illustration An additional 1,415 individuals were invited by Quebec to apply for permanent selection on April 25. On April 22, 2024, a selection was made from the Arrima bank for this round of invites. Candidates had to fulfill three requirements in order to be invited during this draw: an oral French competency level of seven or above, as determined by the Échelle québécoise des niveaux de compétence en français own a legitimate work offer from anywhere outside the boundaries of Montréal’s metropolitan area A minimum of 598 points is required. Next Steps: Those who were invited by the Quebec government may now submit an application for a Quebec Selection Certificate. If an applicant for immigration is planning to settle in Quebec, they must have this certificate before submitting an application to the IRCC for permanent residence. Alberta Other than Quebec, only Alberta posts the results of its provincial immigration draw in retroactive fashion. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), the province’s PNP, announced this week the outcomes of a draw held on April 17, 2024. 49 Notifications of Interest (NOI) letters were sent out by the AAIP during this draw to individuals who qualified for its “dedicated healthcare pathway with Alberta job offer” category. All of these applicants had to have a CRS score of at least 302. Manitoba Manitoba released updated PNP draw results on April 30. In compliance with the specific immigration measure for Ukraine implemented by the provincial administration, this particular draw was devoted to welcome immigration candidates. The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) sent 451 Letters of Advice to Apply for this special immigration measure to qualified candidates during this draw. On May 2, Manitoba held another draw in which candidates were invited from three streams. Initially, the MPNP sent out 488 Letters of Advice to Apply in an occupation-specific selection from the Skilled Worker in Manitoba stream. The qualified candidates listed below received these letters: Individuals who hold the subsequent NOC 2021 occupations: 33102 – Orderlies, patient service associates, and nurse assistants Managers of retail and wholesale commerce, 60020 Individuals employed in the following NOC 2021 sub-major group: 731 – General trades in construction Individuals employed in the following three primary groups of the NOC 2021: 12-Supervisors of finances and administration as well as specialized administrative jobs 14-Supply chain logistics and financial and administrative assistance 22-Technical jobs in the applied and scientific sciences Apart from the aforementioned, 66 letters were sent by

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