Alberta invites candidates with CRS as low as 300 in March draw

Some hopeful immigrants to Alberta have been invited to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) held its latest Express Entry-linked provincial nominee program draw on March 4. A total of 100 candidates with profiles in the federal Express Entry pool who had Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 300 were invited to apply for a provincial nomination.

Candidates who received Notifications of Interest (NOIs), which is the official name for invitations issued through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, did not need a job offer to be invited. However, they did need to have profiles in the federal Express Entry system.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

If successful, the immigration candidates selected in the March 4 draw could receive an additional 600 points toward their overall CRS ranking in a subsequent federal Express Entry draw. Almost a week ago Canada invited 668 candidates with provincial nominations from the Express Entry pool.

Express Entry manages applications for three of Canada’s main economic class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates who are eligible for Express Entry are ranked on human capital factors such as work experience, education, official language proficiency, and age. They are then given a CRS score.

The highest-scoring candidates are selected to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in regular Express Entry draws.

How to be eligible for the Alberta Express Entry Stream

Express Entry candidates need to be working in an occupation that supports Alberta’s “economic development and diversification priorities” in order to be eligible for an invitation through this provincial nomination program.

The AINP does not provide a list of eligible occupations.

While it is not necessary to have a job offer to be eligible for this stream, the AINP says it may give priority to candidates who meet the following three criteria:

• a job offer and/or work experience in Alberta;
• a degree from a Canadian post-secondary institution and a valid job offer; or
• a parent, child or sibling already living in the province.

So far this year, Alberta has issued 751 invitations to Express Entry candidates. In 2019, Alberta issued a total of 11,137 invitations through the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

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