How to apply to AAIP worker streams

As of September 30, 2024, you must submit a Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) if you are interested in receiving an invitation to apply to one of the AAIP’s worker streams. There is no fee to submit a Worker EOI.

In the Worker EOI, you will self-declare information about yourself. If you successfully submit a Worker EOI, the AAIP will place you into the Worker Stream pool to be considered for selection. The AAIP will issue a Worker EOI score based on the information you declare. Each Worker EOI will be scored and ranked using a points grid. Your Worker EOI may be selected by the AAIP through ongoing selection draws. The AAIP will select candidates based on candidate EOI score rankings and provincial labour market needs and priorities, available AAIP nominations, and application levels. Individuals who are selected will receive an invitation to apply by email.

A. Terms and conditions

The AAIP has sole discretion in selecting candidates to apply to the program. The AAIP does not guarantee a Worker EOI will be assessed, processed, or otherwise actioned, or that an individual who meets the selection draw parameters will be invited to apply.

While you will indicate your preferred stream in your Worker EOI, there is no guarantee you will be invited to apply to your preferred stream or at all, and the AAIP may choose to invite you to apply to a different stream. The AAIP may also cancel Worker EOIs in the pool to support technology updates or changes to the Worker EOI or the Worker EOI points grid.

You are responsible for the information provided to the AAIP in your Worker EOI and any subsequent application. When the AAIP selects candidates, it expects that information contained in the Worker EOI is accurate. If you are invited to submit an AAIP application, the AAIP will validate the information you declared in the Worker EOI was accurate at the time it was submitted. Incorrect or fraudulent information could result in the AAIP application being declined, and you could be banned from applying to the AAIP for a period of time.

B. Prepare to submit your Worker EOI

Important considerations before you start your Worker EOI:

• You can only have one Worker EOI.
• You cannot create a Worker EOI if you have an existing Worker EOI or Entrepreneur EOI or a draft or active AAIP application.
  • Note: candidates with an active application who meet the requirements for their stream are not encouraged to withdraw their application to be considered for another stream, as there is no guarantee of being selected and a new fee and full processing times would apply. To withdraw your application or business application, follow the withdrawal instructions in the Create New Request section of the AAIP portal. The AAIP will review your request and notify you by email after the review is completed. The application fee for the withdrawn application will not be refunded.
  • To cancel your Worker or Entrepreneur EOI, go into your submitted EOI in the AAIP portal, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the Cancel button. The Entrepreneur EOI fee for the cancelled EOI will not be refunded. Cancelled EOIs cannot be reinstated.
• Confirm you meet the eligibility requirements for at least one AAIP worker stream:
  • Alberta Opportunity Stream eligibility requirements
  • Alberta Express Entry Stream eligibility requirements
    • Dedicated Health Care Pathway eligibility requirements
  • Tourism and Hospitality Stream eligibility requirements
  • Rural Renewal Stream eligibility requirements
    • Note: To qualify for selection and receive Worker EOI points, an endorsement letter from a designated community is required at the time of Worker EOI submission.
• Make sure you have a valid, basic Alberta.ca Account. You may use an existing basic or verified Alberta.ca Account.  
  • An Alberta.ca account is a free online identity for accessing Government of Alberta services online.
    • Learn how to create an Alberta.ca account
  • The AAIP does not recommended that you share your Alberta.ca Account with others, including family members and third-party representatives, as your Worker EOI and any subsequent application could be modified without your knowledge or consent.
• Be ready to complete the entire Worker EOI.
  • You cannot save a draft of the Worker EOI.
  • Review the Worker EOI points grid to understand the type of information you will be providing in the Worker EOI, how points are awarded and minimum requirements for language proficiency.

C. Review the Worker EOI points grid

AAIP will award points based on a points grid:

• The maximum points that may be obtained is 100.
• You do not need to meet a minimum point score to submit a Worker EOI.
• Download the Worker Stream Expression of Interest points grid.

The AAIP also collects the following information in the Worker EOI to support selection for draws to meet sector labour needs and other program priorities. The AAIP does not award points for these factors:

• Status with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (work permit status and federal Express Entry profile information)
• National Occupational Classification (NOC) code (2021 version) of your Alberta Job offer occupation
• Primary line of business of your Alberta job offer employer identified using a 4-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code (2022 version)

D. Submit your Worker EOI

Log into the AAIP portal to complete and submit your EOI.

You are in the Worker stream pool if your status is ‘Submitted.’ Go to the Check Existing Worker EOI section of the AAIP portal to see your status and your Worker EOI Score.

If you submit your Worker EOI between September 30 and October 15, your EOI score will not be available until at least October 16, 2024. Worker EOI scores will be provided at time of submission after October 15, 2024.

A. Worker EOI expiry

Worker EOIs are valid for one year after the date of creation.

If you are not selected by the AAIP within 12 months of the creation date of your Worker EOI, your Worker EOI will be cancelled and you must submit a new Worker EOI.

B. Monitor the status of your Worker EOI and keep it up to date

You can monitor your Worker EOI status in the Check Existing Worker EOI section of the AAIP portal.

Your Worker EOI must contain true and accurate information.

If you have a change in your circumstances, you must cancel your existing Worker EOI and create a new Worker EOI. To cancel your Worker EOI, go into your submitted Worker EOI, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the Cancel button. The Status of your Worker EOI will state ‘Cancelled’. Cancelled EOIs cannot be reinstated.

C. Stay informed on selection draws

Review information on selection draws completed by the AAIP on the AAIP EOI Draws page.

If you are selected by the AAIP, you will receive an email from the AAIP inviting you to submit an application for a specific stream or pathway. The email will be sent to same Alberta.ca Account email address used to create your Worker EOI.

Your status in the AAIP portal will state Invited.

Read Helpful Hints for the AAIP Portal for tips on completing your AAIP application, reporting technical issues, and understanding and monitoring the status of your AAIP application.

A. Follow the instructions to apply

The invitation email contains a unique application link. Only click on the link if you are ready to apply.

You will use the same Alberta.ca account you used to create your Worker EOI.

You have 30 days to start the application and it must be submitted 60 days after is started. During this period, you will be removed from the Worker Stream pool and will be ineligible to receive any other invitations to apply. If you do not complete and pay for the application for which you have been invited to apply, you will be placed back into the Worker Stream pool and must wait to see if you are selected again.

B. Confirm your eligibility

Existing AAIP application

You may only have one AAIP application in process at any time across all AAIP streams. If you have an existing application, you may request your existing application be withdrawn.

To withdraw your application or business application, follow the withdrawal instructions in the Create New Request section of the AAIP portal. The AAIP will review your request and notify you by email after the review is completed. The application fee for the withdrawn application will not be refunded.

Pathway requirements

Make sure you meet all candidate eligibility requirements or the stream or pathway for which you were invited and that your employer meets all job offer and employer requirements. Your application will be declined if you or your employer do not meet the criteria. Candidates under the Economic Mobility Pathway Pilot must also ensure they have a Referral Partner letter.

You are responsible for the information provided to the application. Be aware that any incorrect or fraudulent information could result in the AAIP application being declined, and you could be banned from applying to the AAIP for a period of time. The AAIP recommends you complete the application on your own, to ensure the application is not modified without your knowledge or consent.

C. Understand AAIP application terms and conditions

The availability of AAIP streams, categories, pathways and pilots is dependent upon application volumes and labour market needs. The AAIP reserves the right to close application intake for any AAIP stream, category, pathway or pilot at any time, without prior notice. Further, the AAIP may decline to consider applications to closed or suspended streams, categories, pathways or pilots, regardless of when the applications were submitted. The criteria for the AAIP are routinely evaluated and may be subject to change at any time and without notice. Changes to the AAIP, including notice of suspension or closure of its streams, categories, pathways and pilots and criteria changes, are available at AAIP – Updates.

The AAIP is not obligated to assess/process any applications submitted. Applications to the AAIP are treated as an expression of interest, and as such, will be processed according to quality of the application (completeness, eligibility), labour market information, occupational supply and demand forecasting, AAIP application volumes or any other factors at the AAIP’s discretion. By applying to the AAIP you acknowledge and agree that your application may not be processed in the order received, or at all. Further, the decision to assess or process any particular application, and the outcome of any such assessment or processing, is at the AAIP’s sole discretion. As such, the AAIP does not guarantee that all complete applications received by the AAIP will be assessed, there is no guarantee all candidates who meet the assessment requirements will be issued a nomination.

Being invited to apply does not guarantee a nomination. Program criteria are eligibility minimums, and meeting program criteria does not guarantee that a candidate’s application will be assessed, processed, or granted. The AAIP may choose to assess applications with the most current criteria irrespective of the date of submission of an application.

Candidates must have a strong likelihood of becoming economically established in Alberta and the AAIP reserves the right to decline applications if the AAIP is of the opinion that the candidate may not economically establish in Alberta.

Submission of an application does not guarantee you will be issued a permanent resident visa.

D. Fill in your application

Read Helpful Hints for the AAIP Portal for tips on filling out your application.

E. Upload your documents

Read the document checklist for your stream and upload your documents.

Some documentation, such as language testing results, may take time to get. You will need your Alberta employer's support to obtain business documents as well as endorsement letters for the Rural Renewal Stream.

Requirements for documents are included in the document checklists for each stream:

• Alberta Express Entry Stream Document Checklist
• Alberta Opportunity Stream Document Checklist
• Tourism and Hospitality Stream Document Checklist
• Rural Renewal Stream Document Checklist
• Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot Document Checklist

You may also need to provide one or more of the following forms:

• Employer Declaration and Authorization
• Use of Representative form
• Spouse, Common-Law Partners and Dependants Authorization form – this is referred to as Dependants Authorization form in the AAIP portal

F. Submit your application

Once you have reviewed your application for completeness and accuracy, submit the application in the portal.

A file number will be provided to you in the portal and will also be listed on the MyApplications page.

G. Pay the application fee

You must pay the application fee before your application is accepted for processing by the AAIP.

An application fee of $840 applies to all online applications:

• The AAIP application fee is non-refundable once an application has been submitted to the AAIP. Refund requests for application fees will not be considered. The application fee covers the cost of processing your application and is required whether a nomination certificate is issued or not. There is no guarantee you will be issued a nomination certificate.
• Each AAIP application requires a separate application fee and the fee will not be refunded.

Instructions on how to pay your fee are available in the portal. For any online fee payment issues, contact Alberta.ca eServices.

You will need to pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your complete application in the portal. The $840 fee must be paid online using a single credit or debit card. If you do not pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your application, your application will be cancelled. Cancelled applications cannot be reinstated and a new application must be created and submitted. If your application is cancelled, you will need to submit a new Worker EOI and wait to see if you are invited to apply again.

Check the Web Application status of your application on the MyApplications page to confirm if your application fee has been paid.

Your application has been accepted for processing by the AAIP if the Web Application status of your application on the MyApplications page in the portal is 'Submitted'. You will also have an email from eServices with your fee payment receipt.

Your application has not been accepted for processing by the AAIP and your fee has not been paid if the Web Application status of your application is 'Payment Pending'.

A. Keep your application information up to date

Your application information must kept up to date while you wait for your application to be assessed and while it is being assessed by an AAIP officer.

If you need to change your email address for corresponding with the AAIP, you must update your Alberta.ca Account.

Use the Create New Request function in the AAIP portal to:

• withdraw your application (Once an application is withdrawn, it cannot be re-activated. The AAIP will review your request to withdraw and will notify you by email after the review is completed.)
• update your contact information
• update employment information (reference letters, LMIAs, work permits, job offers, employment contracts, pay records, records of employment and licensing or certification documents)
• update family information for spouse or common-law partner and dependents
• request change of representative (A signed Use of Representative form must be provided to change your third-party representative for your AAIP application)

We will make the changes to your contact, family, employment and representative information in our internal system. Changes will only be reflected in the individual requests in the Check Existing Request section in the portal. Changes to your information will not be reflected in the online application.

All other updates can be provided to the AAIP when an AAIP officer contacts you during the assessment of your application.

B. Respond to AAIP requests for information

You can see in the Check Your Existing Application section of the AAIP portal if a request for information has been made.

An AAIP program officer will contact you or your current or past employers by email or phone if more information or documents are needed to assess your application. The information must be submitted in the format requested by the AAIP officer to their government email address.

Emails from the AAIP will always come from an @gov.ab.ca account. The Alberta government does not use email accounts such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. If you receive a suspicious email, contact your local police and report the incident to the AAIP by email at aaipoffice@gov.ab.ca.

You will receive a decision on your application by email. If you identified an immigration representative to act on your behalf for your application, the decision email will be sent to you and copied to your representative.

A. Approved applications

If your application is approved, you will become a Provincial Nominee and get a nomination package by email. Make sure you read all documents in the package.

Review the AAIP’s After you are nominated page for your stream for next steps.

B. Declined applications

If your AAIP application is declined, you will receive an email with a letter setting out the reasons for decline. Read the reasons for decline.

If you can demonstrate an error was made in assessing your application you may be eligible to submit a request for reconsideration.

C. Request for reconsideration

You may only submit one request for reconsideration per application.

You may submit a request for reconsideration on the decision of your AAIP application only if you meet the following criteria. A request for reconsideration must:

• be directly related to the reasons stated in the decision letter
• demonstrate that an error was made in applying program criteria to the application
• be submitted by either the applicant named on the decision letter or the authorized representative of the applicant
• be submitted within 30 calendar days of the date the decision letter was issued

A request for reconsideration cannot be used:

• to ask for an exemption or exception to program criteria
• as an opportunity to submit new evidence or re-state the evidence submitted in the application
• if unsatisfied with the final decision or a component of the final decision
• to request Humanitarian and Compassionate consideration

Use the Create New Request function in the AAIP portal to submit a request for reconsideration.

All requests for reconsideration are subject to a service fee of $250.

• The AAIP request for reconsideration fee will automatically be refunded only if the original decision on your application is overturned. Other refunds for requests for reconsideration fees will not be considered.
• Instructions on how to pay your fee are available in the portal. For any online fee payment issues, contact Alberta.ca eServices.
• You have 24 hours to pay the fee. If you do not pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your request, your request will be cancelled. Cancelled requests cannot be reinstated and a new request must be created and submitted.
• You can confirm if your request fee has been paid using the Check Existing Requests page. Your fee has not been paid if the status is 'Payment Pending.' Your request has been accepted for processing by the AAIP if the status is 'Submitted'. You will also have an email from eServices with your fee payment receipt.

You can also check the AAIP portal to monitor the status of your request.

The information submitted in the request will be reviewed and if the request meets the conditions required, an AAIP program officer who was not involved in the original decision will conduct a review of the decision on your application.

There is no guarantee that a request for reconsideration will result in your application being re-assessed.

An email with the decision on your request for reconsideration will be issued within 30 calendar days of the date the request was received.

If you do not meet the conditions listed above to request reconsideration, you may wish to review the AAIP website for information and updates to AAIP criteria, to determine if you meet the eligibility criteria to re-apply.