Alberta Opportunity Stream

Alberta Opportunity Stream is a program aimed not only at skilled immigrants in Alberta, but also at international students who have been educated at a higher education institution recognized in this part of Canada.

Requirements for candidates:

  • Place of residence and work permit. Immigrants applying for this program are required to have a valid temporary residence status and a valid work permit in their chosen required specialization;
  • Language skills. Since 14 June 2019, English or French proficiency must be at least level 5 of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB). For those who want to work as a nurse in Alberta under this program, the minimum level of language proficiency is set at 7;
  • The minimum required education of a foreign worker must be at the level of a Canadian high school diploma. In order to determine the Canadian equivalent of the education you received outside of the country; all immigrant education documentation must go through the Educational Credential Assessment;
  • Work experience. When applying for immigration, the foreign worker must have at least 12 months of experience over the last 1.5 or 2 years in a profession that has been in demand in Alberta for the last 2.5 years. In addition, when applying, the candidate must practice the profession and continue to do so from the beginning to the end of the entire immigration process. You have to gain full-time experience. The experience you gained while studying (for example, within the Study Permit in the country) is not taken into account.

There are two lists of specializations that are not eligible to apply for the Alberta Opportunity Stream immigration system.

The first list concerns immigrants who have applied under the Alberta Opportunity Stream, and the second is for immigrants who have applied under the Alberta Opportunity Stream with Post-Graduation Work Permit.

NOC код NOC Skill Level Name of Specialty
0011 0 Legislators
0422 0 Principals and administration of primary and secondary schools
0423 0 Heads of social, public and correctional services
0432 0 Chiefs of fire protection and senior officers of the fire service
0651 0 Managers of escort agencies and massage agencies
4031 A High school teachers
4032 A Primary school and kindergarten teachers
4154 A Leading positions in the religious service
5121 A Authors and writers
5133 A Musicians and singers
5135 A Actors and comedians
5136 A Artists and sculptors
1227 B Bailiffs and justices of the peace
3223 B Employees of the dental profession
4214 B Kindergarten educators and their assistants (this applies only to those who do not have a certificate of 2nd level Child Development Worker or 3rd level Child Development Supervisor issued by the Service in Alberta Children’s Affairs (namely the Child Care Certification Office)
4216 B Other instructors
4217 B Other professions related to religion
5232 B Other artists (magicians, circus artists, models, puppeteers and others not mentioned in the list)
5244 B Artisans
5251 B Sportsmen
6232 B Real estate agents and sellers
4411 C Employees providing childcare services at home
4412 C Home care workers, domestic workers and related professions
4413 C Assistants to primary and secondary school teachers
6533 C Professions whose activities are related to casinos
6564 C Other professions of personal service
7513 C Taxi and limousine drivers, chauffeurs
8442 C Fishermen and hunters
6623 C Other sales-related occupations
6722 C Operators and other personnel in entertainment, recreation, and sports
6742 D Other support service occupations
8611 D Janitors
8612 D Land improvement and grounds maintenance workers
8613 D Aquaculture and offshore workers
8614 D Mining workers

There is also a list of additional occupations that make it impossible to apply for immigration to the province of Alberta on a Post-Graduation Work Permit. These professions are not in demand in this part of Canada.

NOC код List of Specialties
0112 Recruitment and human resource managers (HR-managers)
0211 Engineering managers
1215 Supervisors, supply managers, tracking and scheduling coordination
1225 Purchasing agents and officers
1523 Production logistics coordinators
2113 Geologists and oceanographers
2131 Civil engineers
2132 Mechanical engineers
2133 Electrical and electronic engineers
2212 Geological and mineral technology and engineering
2231 Civil engineering technologists and engineers
2253 Design engineers and technicians
7202 Contractors and controllers (supervisors), representatives of electrical and telecommunication professions
7231 Machinists and machine tool inspectors
7237 Welders and related machine operators
7241 Electricians (other than industrial and power systems)
7242 Industrial electricians
7251 Plumbers
7271 Carpenters
7293 Isolation workers
7301 Mechanical contractors and supervisors
7302 Heavy equipment contractors and controllers
7311 Industrial mechanics
7312 Mechanics with a specialty in heavy equipment
7322 Vehicle body repair technicians
7371 Crane operators (other than rough terrain crane operators)
8222 Oil and gas drilling contractors and supervisors and related occupations
8232 Oil and gas well drillers, maintenance personnel, testers and related occupations
8412 Workers and operators of oil and gas drilling services
8615 Oil and gas well service workers and occupations related to these activities
9232 Oil, gas and chemical process operators

Level of income. The foreign worker must demonstrate the level of income for the year, which must be relevant when applying. For reference, the minimum amounts active before January 1, 2020 are as follows:

Number of family members moving with the immigrant Annual household income (CAD)
1 $21,833
2 $30,876
3 $37,816
4 $43,666
5 $48,820
6 $53,480