Alberta PNP draw invites Express Entry candidates with CRS scores as low as 303

More Express Entry candidates in Alberta are one step closer to permanent residence, following a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on June 17.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) issued 187 invitations to candidates who may be eligible through the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

Invited candidates in the Express Entry pool needed a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) requirement of at least 303.

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Express Entry is the system that manages applications for three federal immigration streams: Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, and Canadian Experience Class.

Candidates are then ranked according to the CRS, which awards points for human capital factors such as age, work experience, education, and language proficiency in English or French.

The highest-scoring candidates are then issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence through regular Express Entry draws.

Alberta Express Entry Stream

Express Entry candidates have the opportunity to be invited to apply for a provincial nomination from Alberta, and other provinces with Express Entry-aligned PNPs.

A provincial nomination awards candidates an additional 600 CRS points toward their overall score, which boosts them to the top of the pool to be selected in a subsequent Express Entry draw.

Coronavirus has affected operations at the AINP. For the time being, only candidates within Alberta are being invited for a nomination.

Candidates need to have work experience in an eligible occupation that supports the province’s economic development and diversification priorities.

The AINP does not provide a list of eligible occupations, rather they provide a list of occupations that they will not consider. Ineligible occupations include those in the government’s high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta, and the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list.

With special coronavirus measures in place, the AINP now requires candidates to meet the following criteria in order to receive a nomination:

be currently working in Alberta, even if they are working from home;
have a work permit authorizing them to work in their current job;
have a job that is full-time, paid, meet the provincial minimum wage, exceed Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements; and they must work in an eligible occupation.

Candidates who were working full time prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and those who are working in a regulated occupation who cannot meet licensure requirements will have their applications on hold for 60 calendar days.

If candidates have no recent employment history in the province, their applications will not be processed until further notice.

So far this year, Alberta has issued 1,785 invitations to Express Entry candidates. In 2019, the Albert Express Entry Stream rendered 6,884 invitations. Alberta’s provincial nomination allocations for 2020 have not yet been released.

Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs