Alberta has invited more Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination for Canadian permanent residence.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) released details of the March 18 draw, where 136 candidates were invited to apply through the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

Invited candidates had profiles in the federal Express Entry pool and required a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300.

Candidates do not need a job offer in order to be invited through the Alberta Express Entry Stream, however, they do need to have profiles in the Express Entry system.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs

Candidates invited in the latest Alberta draw can now apply for a provincial nomination from the AINP. If they successfully obtain the nomination they will automatically get an additional 600 points toward their overall CRS score in a subsequent Express Entry draw at the federal level. This will effectively guarantee that they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence.

Express Entry manages applications for three 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 invited to apply for permanent residence through federal Express Entry draws.

About 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 the Albert Express Entry Stream.

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 887 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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