Alberta launched a stream for tourism & hospitality & has paused processing applications for the Alberta Opportunity stream under further notice. 

The AAIP says the pause will give the province time to address its present inventory & focus its limited immigration nominations on priorities, like filing labor shortages in healthcare, technology, construction, agriculture, tourism, hospitality & other in-demand sectors. 

In addition, the province assesses any Alberta Opportunity Stream applications submitted before February 15. Moreover, it asserts that it will be implementing measures to handle future application volumes against program priorities & to maintain reasonable service standards across its streams. 

The Alberta Opportunity Stream of the AAIP targeted temporary foreign workers who work full-time in the province on a valid Canadian work permit & have a full-time employment offer from an employer in Alberta. Also, PGWP holders might also be eligible. 

Province Launches New PNP Stream For Tourism & Hospitality

Alberta launches a stream for tourism & hospitality. 

On March 1, the AAIP is introducing a new stream that targets people who have been working for a tourism & hospitality business for a minimum of six months & who have met the criteria to establish themselves in the province. 

Furthermore, applicants should have a valid full-time, non-seasonal job from an approved employer operating within the appropriate industry. 

A recent release by the Alberta government states that the stream will help with shortages throughout the sector & help businesses throughout the province, including rural areas, retaining workers, & the economy. 

In addition, the province states that it will accept a limited number of applications for the stream & expedite their processing within other priority initiatives. 

Alberta is one of Canada’s most popular tourist destinations. According to data from the provincial government, over 2 million people visited Alberta in 2022, which generated $10.7 billion in expenditures. 

Immigrating To Alberta

Alberta launches a stream for tourism & hospitality. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is a PNP that the Government of Alberta uses to select the economic immigration applicants who are likely to establish successfully in the province.  

Like all PNPs, there are numerous streams that select applicants with different in-demand attributes. For instance, the province has PNP streams that target skilled workers in certain professions, like healthcare, agriculture, etc. It also has PNP streams for those who work in rural communities within the province & entrepreneurs. 

Through the PNP, provinces are allocated a certain number of nominations that they can issue throughout the year. Also, in 2023, the province issued 9,750 nominations to AAIP applicants.

The province asserts that it has not yet confirmed the number of nominations it has been allocated for 2024. However, according to the federal Immigration Levels Plan 2024 – 2026, Canada will welcome over 110,000 newcomers via the PNP by the end of this year.