Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS)
- At the time the AINP assesses your application, you must have a valid work permit – not implied status or restoration status – for an eligible occupation.
- Valid work permits
- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) held by a graduate of an Alberta Advanced Education publicly funded post-secondary institution
Eligible occupations
- At the time your application is mailed to the AINP or submitted in the AINP portal, and at the time the AINP assesses your application, you must work in an eligible occupation in Alberta. Occupation requirements also apply to your work experience and job offer.
- You must review the work experience criteria and eligible job offer criteria sections below for details
- The occupation you are working in at the time your application is mailed to the AINP or submitted in the AINP portal is your ‘current occupation’
- Most occupations under National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are eligible under the AINP.
Ineligible occupations
| NOC Code (2016) | NOC Skill Level | Occupation |
| 0011 | 0 | Legislators |
| 0422 | 0 | School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education |
| 0423 | 0 | Managers in social, community and correctional services |
| 0432 | 0 | Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers |
| 0651* | 0 | Escort agency managers, massage parlour managers |
| 4031 | A | Secondary school teachers |
| 4032 | A | Elementary school and kindergarten teachers |
| 4154 | A | Professional occupations in religion |
| 5121 | A | Authors and writers |
| 5133 | A | Musicians and singers |
| 5135 | A | Actors and comedians |
| 5136 | A | Painters, sculptors and other visual artists |
| 1227 | B | Court officers and justices of the peace |
| 3223* | B | Dental laboratory assistants/bench workers |
| 4214* | B | Early childhood educators who do not have certification through Alberta Children’s Services – Child Care Staff Certification Office or who have been certified as child development assistant (formerly Level 1) |
| 4216 | B | Other instructors |
| 4217 | B | Other religious occupations |
| 5232 | B | Other performers, not elsewhere classified |
| 5244 | B | Artisans and craftspersons |
| 5251 | B | Athletes |
| 6232 | B | Real estate agents and salespersons |
| 4411 | C | Home child care providers |
| 4412 | C | Home support workers, housekeepers and related occupations |
| 4413 | C | Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants |
| 6533 | C | Casino occupations |
| 6564 | C | Other personal service occupations |
| 7513 | C | Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs |
| 8442 | C | Trappers and hunters |
| 6623 | D | Other sales related occupations |
| 6722 | D | Operators and attendants in amusement, recreation and sport |
| 6742 | D | Other service support occupations, not elsewhere classified |
| 8611 | D | Harvesting labourers |
| 8612 | D | Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 8613 | D | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 8614 | D | Mine labourers |
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders
If you started attending your Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019 and you have completed an Advanced Education-approved one-year post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate, your occupation must also be related to your previous post-secondary field of study outside Canada.
Language requirements
| National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level | Canadian Benchmark (CLB) test score required | Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) test score required |
| If you are working in a NOC 0, A or B occupation | Minimum of 5 for each English language skill | Minimum of 5 for each French language skill |
| If you are working in a NOC C or D occupation | Minimum of 4 for each English language skill | Minimum of 4 for each French language skill |
Note : If you apply to the AINP under NOC code 3413 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates), the AINP requires a minimum language test score of CLB of 7 for each English language skill, or NCLC of 7 for each French language skill.
Eligible applicants
- You must have completed a minimum of high school education in your country of origin.
- Starting January 1, 2021, all candidates except Post-Graduation Work Permit holders must have completed a minimum of high school equivalent to Alberta standards.
Post-Graduation Work Permit holders
Approved Alberta institutions
If you started attending your Alberta credential program before April 1, 2019, your credential must be one of the following Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials:
- certificate or post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate (minimum 1 year in length)
- diploma program (minimum 2 years in length)
- undergraduate bachelor’s degree
- graduate level degree
- graduate level certificate
- graduate level diploma
If you started attending your Alberta credential program on or after April 1, 2019, your credential must be one of the following Alberta Advanced Education approved credentials:
- post-diploma certificate or post-baccalaureate certificate (minimum 1 year in length)
- diploma program (minimum 2 years in length)
- undergraduate bachelor’s degree
- graduate level degree
- graduate level certificate
- graduate level diploma
Eligible work experience
- a minimum of 12 months full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months, or
- a minimum of 24 months of full-time work experience in your current occupation in Canada or abroad within the last 30 months or both – this work experience can be a combination of experience gained in Alberta, in Canada (outside Alberta) or abroad.
- Post-Graduation Work Permit holders require a minimum of 6 months full-time work experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months.
- must have been full-time, for a minimum of 30 hours a week
- must be for the same occupation as your current occupation
- must have been authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and with valid temporary resident status if completed in Alberta or Canada
- cannot have been gained while studying in Canada and doing co-op work placements or internships as part of a study program, unless you are a PGWP holder who completed during paid co-op work terms as a part of your program of study at an Alberta post-secondary institution. To qualify, the work terms must have been:
paid and full-time (minimum 30 hours per week) for work experience directly related to your current occupation, and for work
All applicants, including PGWP holders, must meet the following licensing, registration and certification requirements:
- You must have the required licensing, registration or certification to work in your current occupation in Alberta at the time your application is mailed or submitted in the AINP portal and at the time the AINP assesses your application for nomination.
- If you are working in a compulsory trade in Alberta, you must have a valid Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Trade (AIT) recognized trade certificate.
- If you are working as childcare worker, you must have valid certification as a child development worker (formerly Level 2) or child development supervisor (formerly Level 3).
Eligible job offers
- continuous, paid work
- full-time work, defined as a minimum of 30 hours per week
- employment for 12 months or more
- work in your current occupation
- wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage and:
- meet or exceed the requirements set out in your LMIA, or
- if you are LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta as set out on the Alis website
- work for an eligible AINP occupation for which you have a work permit that meets AINP work permit requirements
You must meet the terms agreed to in your job offer or employment contract at the time of application and assessment.
Ineligible applicants based on job offer
Ineligible applicants based on job offer
The following individuals are not eligible to apply for or be nominated under the AOS, even if they have a job offer to work 30 hours a week or more in a 12-month period:
- part-time, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of their working hours
- independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed as directors, shareholders or agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES)
- employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business