The details of Alberta’s February 16 draw have been announced for Express Entry Canada.
A total of 159 Express Entry candidates were invited to apply for the Alberta Express Entry stream by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. A Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 352 was all that was required of those who were invited. Candidates will now apply for a provincial nomination, putting them at the top of the Express Entry pool.
All candidates invited to the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw in Alberta had an Express Entry profile.
Express Entry Canada is an application management system for the three Federal High Skilled Immigration Pathways, including the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Workers Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
A score based on the CRS is granted to qualified immigration candidates. Points are given for factors that the government has decided would help a prospective immigrant succeed in Canada’s labour market. These criteria include the applicant’s age, education, job experience, English or French language skills, etc.
Canada’s Immigration Department, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regularly holds Express Entry draws, inviting top-scoring applicants to apply for permanent residency.
Those receiving the provincial nomination from Alberta would automatically receive an additional 600 CRS points added to their overall ranking. This means that the lowest-scoring candidates in this draw will have a new score of 952.
This enhanced PNP is intended for Express Entry candidates who have close ties with Alberta or support the government’s economic growth and diversification priorities. Alberta is only considering applicants who are already living and employed in the province during the pandemic.
Applicants will need to have work experience in a qualifying profession. The AINP only sets out a list of occupations that they will not recognise. Any other professions could be considered.
On November 1, 2020, the federal government expanded the number of occupations not qualifying for the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in Alberta. However, candidates who obtained a Notification of Interest on or after November 1 2020, may be selected via the Alberta Express Entry Stream, even if they are employed in an occupation for which the federal government will not process the LMIA.
Alberta was authorised to grant 6,250 nomination certificates in 2020. However, as a result of COVID-19, Alberta limited its allocation to 4,000 appointments. All of these appointments were made by June 2020. That’s why there were no draws for the second half of the year.
The number of provincial nominations assigned to Alberta for 2021 has not yet been released.