Alberta starts two new immigration programs

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program has opened two new immigration streams for international students who graduated from post-secondary institutions of Alberta. The province is launching new immigration pathways that are especially focused upon international graduates so that they can start a new business in Alberta and help in creating new jobs. Alberta has launched a new stream through its Provincial Nominee Program: International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration Stream. International students who have recently graduated from post-secondary institutions located in Alberta can apply for this new stream. This new AINP stream will be managed by the Expression of Interest system. Candidates can now submit an EOI profile under the International Graduate Entrepreneur Immigration pathway. The AINP will evaluate the profiles and give points accordingly. Candidates with high scores will be invited to submit a Business Application. Only those candidates who are invited by Alberta under this new stream will be able to access the AINP portal.

Eligibility Requirements: International Graduate Entrepreneur stream

Foreign students who have recently graduated from Alberta colleges and universities must ensure that they meet certain eligibility criteria if they want to apply for the Entrepreneur stream. International student graduates must immigrate to Alberta with an intention to start a new business or support an existing one by having at least 34 percent ownership in the business. However, the business type should not belong to the list of ineligible businesses in Alberta. Candidates require at least 6 months of work experience which should be full-time. This work experience can be in the role of owner or manager as per the AINP webpage. An equivalent amount of work experience with a business accelerator, incubator, or entrepreneurship program courses can also be counted as a work experience. They also should have completed a minimum of 2 years of education in Alberta. The study program must be full-time and from a Designated Learning Institution in Alberta. In addition, candidates must have secured a Post-Graduation Work Permit which has a validity of at least 2 years. Another requirement is a minimum CLB of at least 7 in all language abilities of French or English.

Increase your chances of receiving an invitation from AINP

If a business plan provides an economic benefit to the province of Alberta through better investment, job creations, and a great development in intellectual property among other benefits, candidates have a higher chance of receiving invitation requests. Candidates in the age group of 21 to 49 years have better chances of getting invited by the province. If a candidate’s or his or her spouse’s immediate family is residing in Alberta, it increases a candidate’s chance of getting an invitation from the province. The Foreign Graduate Start-up Visa Stream is another immigration pathway that will be launched by Alberta next year in January. This stream is also meant for international graduates who studied from top colleges and universities of the U.S. The province will provide more details regarding this stream later.