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AAIP - Alberta PNP - Alberta Express Entry (AEE) Stream

The only PNP stream of Alberta aligned with Express Entry that will get you an additional 600 points

Home > Permanent Residence > Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) > Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) > AAIP - Alberta Express Entry (AEE) Stream

The guide below takes a deep look into one of the streams of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Nominee Program (AAIP), the Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream. The guide will go through an overview of the stream, its eligibility requirements, how it works, the documentation needed, its cost and processing times.

1. Overview of the Alberta PNP stream

2. Eligibility requirements

3. Application process summary

4. Required supporting documents

5. Application fees

6. Processing times

7. Draw history

8. Do I have to stay in the province?

9. Does the stream have in-demand jobs?

Overview of the Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream

The Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream is one of Alberta's PNP streams that is aligned with Express Entry, which means that a candidate needs a valid Express Entry profile to be eligible to the stream.

Alberta, through this stream, chooses its future newcomers to the province under a set of specific requirements.

The AAIP goes through all the candidates already in the Express Entry pool, and sends Notification of Interest letters (equivalent to invitations to apply) to the ones whose profile corresponds best to their needs.

The AEE stream has minimum eligibility requirements, however, Alberta does not send Notification of Interest letters to every candidate that meets these minimum criteria. In fact, Alberta conducts periodic AEE draws, and each draw has its own criteria (in addition to the minimum criteria). More information is available in the draw history section of this guide.

Since December 2021, the AAIP has launched a program called "Accelerated Tech pathway". The latter allows candidates with a job offer in the technology sector to be invited to submit an application more quickly and to benefit from less processing times.

If nominated, a candidate will receive an additional 600 CRS points in their Express Entry profile, thus guaranteeing an Invitation to Apply.

Eligibility Requirements

Regular Express Entry candidates
As said earlier, meeting these minimum eligibility requirements does not necessarily mean that you will receive a Notification of Interest letter from the AAIP. These are other sets of criteria that are specific to each draw (criteria are not disclosed).

There are 5 minimum criteria of eligibility under the Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream:

Having at a minimum, a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300.
Meeting the criteria of minimum one of the federal immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades (FST) or Federal Skilled Worker (FSW).
Having an active Express Entry profile in the pool of candidates.
Intending to, and being able to work and live in the province of Alberta.
Having experience in a job (primary occupation in your Express Entry profile) that supports the province’s economic development and diversification. There is no available published list of in-demand occupations, but there is some information that could hint to possible in-demand occupations in the province (See In-Demand Occupations section below).

The following adaptability factors may increase the chances of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

Having graduated from a post-secondary institution in Alberta.
Having a valid Alberta job offer (continuous, paid full-time work in a location in Alberta (min. of 30 h/week), for a min. 12-month contract, with wages and benefits that meet or exceed provincial minimum wage).
Having a Canadian citizen or permanent resident immediate family member (parent, child, brother and/or sister) who is currently living in the province of Alberta.
Having French as a first language.

The following factors may decrease (but not necessarily eliminate) the chances of receiving a Notification of Interest letter:

Having an Express Entry profile expiring in less than 5 months.
Working in an occupation on the list of (see below for NOC lists):
- Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations, and
- Occupations with a high volume submission across all AAIP streams.

List of Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations

NOC 0011 - Legislators
NOC 0422 - School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education
NOC 0423 - Managers in social, community and correctional services
NOC 0432 - Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers
NOC 0651 - Escort agency managers, massage parlour managers
NOC 4031 - Secondary school teachers
NOC 4032 - Elementary school and kindergarten teachers
NOC 4154 - Professional occupations in religion
NOC 5121 - Authors and writers
NOC 5133 - Musicians and singers
NOC 5135 - Actors and comedians
NOC 5136 - Painters, sculptors and other visual artists
NOC 1227 - Court officers and justices of the peace
NOC 3223 - Dental laboratory assistants/bench workers
NOC 4214 - Early childhood educators who do not have certification through Alberta Children's Services – Child Care Staff Certification Office or who have been certified as child development assistant (formerly Level 1)
NOC 4216 - Other instructors
NOC 4217 - Other religious occupations
NOC 5232 - Other performers, not elsewhere classified
NOC 5244 - Artisans and craftspersons
NOC 5251 - Athletes
NOC 6232 - Real estate agents and salespersons

List of occupations with a high volume submission across all AAIP streams

NOC 0211 - Engineering managers
NOC 0621 - Retail and wholesale trade managers
NOC 1123 - Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
NOC 1241 - Administrative assistants
NOC 2131 - Civil engineers
NOC 3211 - Medical laboratory technologists
NOC 6211 - Retail sales supervisors
NOC 6311 - Food service supervisors
NOC 6322 - Cooks
NOC 7511 – Transport truck drivers

Accelerated Tech pathway candidates
The process is similar between regular applicants and Accelerated Tech pathway applicants. The only difference is that Accelerated Tech pathway applicants must submit an interest form on their own, and if the AAIP considers that they meet the eligibility criteria below, they should receive an invitation to submit an application (while regular applicants receive their invitation while waiting in the Express Entry pool).

There are 5 minimum criteria of eligibility under the Accelerated Tech pathway program of the AEE stream:

Having at a minimum, a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 300.
Meeting the criteria of minimum one of the federal immigration programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC), Federal Skilled Trades (FST) or Federal Skilled Worker (FSW).
Having an active Express Entry profile in the pool of candidates (that expires in more than 3 months).
Currently working full time or have a full time job offer for an employer based in Alberta:
- in an occupation that is on the list of occupations eligible for the Accelerated Tech pathway (see below),
- for an employer who is part of the Alberta technology industry as defined by their eligible NAICS codes (see below).
The primary occupation of the Express Entry profile must match the current job or job offer.

List of eligible occupations under the Accelerated Tech pathway

NOC 0013 - Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services
NOC 0112 - Human resources managers
NOC 0131 - Telecommunication carriers manager
NOC 0211 - Engineering managers
NOC 0212 - Architecture and science managers
NOC 0213 - Computer and information systems managers
NOC 0512 - Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
NOC 0601 - Corporate sales managers
NOC 1123 - Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
NOC 1121 - Human resources professionals
NOC 1223 - Human resources and recruitment officers
NOC 2131 - Civil engineers 2132 Mechanical engineers
NOC 2133 - Electrical and electronics engineers
NOC 2147 - Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
NOC 2161 - Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
NOC 2171 - Information systems analysts and consultants
NOC 2172 - Database analysts and data administrators
NOC 2173 - Software engineers and designers
NOC 2174 - Computer programmers and interactive media developers
NOC 2175 - Web designers and developers 2221 Biological technologists and technicians
NOC 2232 - Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
NOC 2233 - Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
NOC 2241 - Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
NOC 2253 - Drafting technologists and technicians
NOC 2281 - Computer network technicians
NOC 2282 - User support technicians
NOC 2283 - Information systems testing technicians
NOC 3211 - Medical laboratory technologists
NOC 3212 - Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists' assistants
NOC 3219 - Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
NOC 4163 - Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
NOC 5131 - Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
NOC 5241 - Graphic designers and illustrators
NOC 7241 - Electricians (except industrial and power system)
NOC 7242 - Industrial electricians
NOC 7246 - Telecommunications installation and repair workers

List of eligible NAICS codes under the Accelerated Tech pathway

NAICS 2211 - Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution
NAICS 3251 - Basic Chemical Manufacturing
NAICS 3254 - Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
NAICS 3333 - Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing
NAICS 3341 - Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing
NAICS 3342 - Communications Equipment Manufacturing
NAICS 3343 - Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
NAICS 3344 - Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing
NAICS 3345 - Navigational, Medical and Control Instruments Manufacturing
NAICS 3346 - Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media
NAICS 3364 - Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 4173 - Computer and Communications Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
NAICS 5112 - Software Publishers
NAICS 5121 - Motion Picture and Video Industries
NAICS 5171 - Wired Telecommunications Carrier
NAICS 5172 - Wireless Telecommunications Carrier (except satellite)
NAICS 5174 - Satellite Telecommunications
NAICS 5179 - Other Telecommunications
NAICS 5182 - Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services
NAICS 5191 - Other Information Services
NAICS 5413 - Architectural, Engineering and Related services
NAICS 5414 - Specialized Design Services
NAICS 5415 - Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 5417 - Scientific Research and Development Services
NAICS 5419 - Other Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
NAICS 7115 - Independent Artists, Writers and Performers
NAICS 8112 - Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance

Application Process Summary

For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream. Candidates must:

1. Meet the eligibility requirements of the federal FSW, FST or CEC programs.
2. Generate their Express Entry profile, and specify their interest in the province by selecting "Alberta" or “All Provinces and Territories”.
3. Qualify for the minimum AEE stream eligibility requirements.

4a. For regular Express Entry candidates: Obtain a Notification of Interest letter from the AAIP through the Express Entry profile and email a copy of the letter to the AAIP at within 2 weeks of receiving it.
4b. For Accelerated Tech pathway Express Entry candidates: Complete the Accelerated Tech Pathway form.
5. The AAIP will then send an email with a link to the AAIP portal to submit the application.
6. Apply to the AEE stream in the AAIP portal by completing the online application and uploading all requested documents.
7. Accept the Alberta provincial nomination (after the AAIP processes their application) within 30 days of receiving it on their Express Entry profile.
8. Obtain an additional 600 CRS points in the Express Entry profile, and receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA).
9. Apply for permanent residence through your Express Entry profile.

You can check out our 10-step guide for Express Entry for more detailed information and advice.

Required Supporting Documents

All required documents must be uploaded through the AAIP portal. Specific requirements for documents are explained in detail here.

Application Fees

The fee for the Alberta Express Entry stream is set at 500 CAD. It can only be paid by a credit or debit card. Application fees are non-refundable.

Processing Times

The AAIP does not publish processing times information on the Alberta Express Entry stream. You should expect at least 3-4 months for your application to be processed and could be longer depending on multiple factors such as the application quality (completeness, eligibility, outdated application information/documents), volume of applications received, etc.

Draw History

You can check out our awesome Live PNP Monitor to see the latest news and draw history on the Alberta Express Entry stream, as well as for all the other PNP streams.

Do I have to stay in the Province?

This is a tricky question and there are multiple situations that can happen. You can learn more about this subject on our dedicated article: Can I move to another province?

Does the Stream have In-Demand Jobs?

Some streams target specific NOC codes, meaning that if you have experience in those in-demand jobs, you either (i) have more chances to be invited or (ii) that you can be eligible to the stream.

In the case of the Alberta Express Entry (AEE) stream, there is no official list of occupations targeted by the province. However, you can check the list of occupation in high demand published the government of Alberta (not the AAIP) here.

There is also a list of NOC codes (not official, but gathered from previous candidates) that have been targeted in the relatively recent past in the AEE stream. This list will not of course guarantee you a Notification of Interest letter, but can only serve as guidance :

NOC 0601 - Corporate sales managers
NOC 0621 - Retail and wholesale trade managers
NOC 0631 - Restaurant and food service managers
NOC 0731 - Managers in transportation
NOC 1122 - Professional occupations in business management consulting
NOC 1215 - Supervisors, supply chain, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations
NOC 1221 - Administrative officers
NOC 1241 - Administrative assistants
NOC 1242 - Legal administrative assistants
NOC 1311 - Accounting technicians and bookkeepers
NOC 2132 - Mechanical engineers
NOC 2145 - Petroleum engineers
NOC 2173 - Software engineers and designers
NOC 2253 - Drafting technologists and technicians
NOC 2282 - User support technicians
NOC 3012 - Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
NOC 4011 - University instructor
NOC 4214 - Early childhood educators and assistants
NOC 6235 - Financial sales representatives
NOC 7245 - Telecommunications line and cable workers
NOC 7246 - Telecommunications installation and repair workers
NOC 8232 - Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers