July 2, 2008

Immigration

Alberta makes changes to program to attract foreign workers

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

A program designed to attract skilled foreign workers to Alberta is changing its name and criteria for eligibility.

The Alberta government announced on June 19 that it has renamed the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) and that it expanded the program to include family members.

Eligible Alberta residents may sponsor a parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew for provincial nomination.

“Albertans have family members with skills and knowledge Alberta needs,” said Hector Goudreau, minister of employment and immigration.

He added that this family stream to the AINP will help the province meet their workforce needs, while creating more diverse and welcoming communities for all our families.

The AINP is an immigration program operated by Alberta’s Ministry of Employment and Immigration in conjunction with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to expedite the processing of an application for permanent residence.

Under the program, individuals who have a job offer from a local company can be nominated by the Province of Alberta, together with their spouse and dependent children.

They are eligible to apply for a permanent resident visa through CIC.

“The traditional provincial nominee program and temporary workers program require a Labour Market Opinion (LMO), so the nominee needed a particular skill set or a designated occupation,” said Janice Schroeder, spokesperson for the Alberta ministry of employment and immigration.

“We are not targeting specific occupations.”

This means that the applicants do not need to have secured employment before they apply.

“In the past you needed a job in hand to be eligible for the program,” said Schroeder.

“This is taking a broader approach. If you have an education, skills and the support of a member in your family, you can apply for landed immigrant status.”

To be eligible, the sponsor must show that they have the ability to support the applicant by demonstrating employment, private pension or other regular source of income for the past 12 months or a minimum of $15,000 in liquid assets.

The sponsoring family member living in Alberta will act as a vital support system to help the newcomers while they settle in.

“There are strict criteria in terms of age. The applicants must be between 21 and 45 years old,” explained Schroeder. “We want them to move successfully into the workforce and be here for a long time.”

Other requirements for the family members coming to Alberta include a post-secondary education and work experience.

The applicant or the sponsor must also demonstrate the ability to settle successfully in Alberta by having access to $10,000 at a recognized Canadian bank.

They must also have at least $2,000 for each dependent.

According to Schroeder, the Alberta government would like to process a total of 3,000 nominees in 2008 and expects 600 of these people to come through the family program.

Next year, the number will increase to 800.

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