New immigration stream under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program

Canadian Mobility: Immigration alert

The Alberta provincial government announced the launch of a new immigration stream under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). The program is anticipated to help the province in addressing labor gaps and challenges in the tourism and hospitality industry. Eligible applicants will be able to apply under this the new stream 1 March 2024.

Background

Alberta’s tourism and hospitality sector has been impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and business operators continue to face labor shortages, and challenges in supporting their operational needs. Alberta has determined that tourism is one of many sectors needed to continue to grow and diversify the Alberta economy, and currently represents more than 80,000 jobs throughout the province.

Key Developments

The new Tourism and Hospitality immigration stream under the AAIP program will serve as a catalyst for positive change in the province and industry as it provides a structured pathway to permanent residence for qualified skilled workers.  The Tourism and Hospitality stream will be open to eligible skilled individuals who:   

• have a valid full-time, non-seasonal job offer with an approved employer operating within the tourism and hospitality industry
• have been working within the tourism and hospitality sector for at least six (6) months and have met the criteria to establish themselves permanently in Alberta

The government has announced that applications under this stream will be expedited over some of the other AAIP streams, though precise processing time targets have not been shared at this time. There will only be a limited number of spots made available under this program; however, the number of spots and additional details regarding eligibility criteria and application process will be made available once the AAIP opens application acceptance, on 1 March 2024. 

What this means

The program is intended to attract skilled workers to the province by offering a pathway to permanent residence. The program should support employers in attracting talent to the province which should help staff current labor shortages in both rural and urban areas.