The Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has informed on Feb 16, 2022, that the immigration department of provinces is going to change the names of the previous immigration programs and after two days, Alberta had declared the results of its Provincial Nominee Program PNP draw of February month. The Alberta Provincial Nominee Program has got a new name and also introduced two new Immigration streams under its PNP to promote rural-based immigration and welcome potential entrepreneur immigrants.
Alberta has invited almost 400 candidates on February 1, 2022, who had applied through Alberta Express Entry stream to live and work in Alberta. The candidates who had applied through the Express Entry stream were required a CRS (Comprehensive Ranking System) score of a minimum of 340 to get an invitation to apply (ITA) for a provincial nomination program. If you get an ITA from the immigration department of Alberta then you will get additional 600 CRS points which will be added to your previous CRS score to be eligible for Express Entry Provincial Nomination Program.
The name of the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program is now Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). It has introduced two new streams under this immigration program;
1. The Rural Renewal Stream
2. The Rural Entrepreneur Stream.
Alberta is also going to change the name of the three entrepreneur streams which already exist:
1. The International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream is changed to the Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
2. The Foreign Graduate Start-Up Visa program is Changed to the Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream.
3. The Self-Employed Farmer Stream is changed to the Farm Stream.
The eligibility requirements for these pathways are not likely to change. The government of Alberta has stated that the candidates who are making use of the online portal for the purpose of submission of application as a request for nomination from the province of Alberta will now have to make a request for an extension. If the submission of the application has been completed, then make the request for the extension and submit that request through the portal. If the application you submitted is via mail, you can submit the request for the extension via mail. No other modifications have been made in the process.
Any new programs released will be updated on the official website of the province. The former federal immigration minister announced that stakeholders of immigration in Alberta will meet and discuss the actions that should be taken for supporting the newcomers in the province so that they achieve success and drive the economic growth of the province. Media also released that the new naming is supposed to help in the promotion of the reputation of Alberta and its benefits so that it is seen as an attractive place where work and family environment can be chosen like it is.
The new stream for rural renewal as well as the rural entrepreneur stream is introduced for encouraging the professionals who are skilled and talented and the entrepreneurs around the globe to come and settle in rural communities of Alberta. The rural community must be outside Calgary and Edmonton to be eligible. They must also have a population of fewer than 100,000 people as of the census data of 2016.
Rural Renewal Stream is meant for those candidates who have an offer for work from an eligible Alberta employer, and the work must be in a designated rural community of Alberta. The province is currently welcoming submissions from rural communities to increase participation in the Rural Renewal Stream. The number of communities selected will be limited and they will participate as designated communities in this program. The Rural Entrepreneur Stream is meant for those candidates who are entrepreneurs and wish to either start their own business or buy an existing business in the rural communities of Alberta. If a candidate is eligible, they can submit an expression of interest and take a visit to the community in which they want to start their business.
