Skilled workers on a temporary H1B visa in the United States are eligible to apply for Canadian Permanent Residence under the Strategic Recruitment Stream of Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP). Alberta has modified the key occupation list and added two new categories focusing on engineers and trades people so that it could build up its skilled labour force with foreign workers.
Who can apply?
All applicants for the AINP programme must meet the following criteria:
- An applicant must be willing to settle and work permanently in Alberta.
- An applicant should be currently working in the USA on a skilled worker visa (H-1B, H-1B1, H-1C, E-3) and continue to hold this status at the time AINP makes its decision about the application.
- An applicant should have at least one year of US work experience under the abovementioned visa categories.
- The applicant’s current job must be in the AINP Occupations Under Pressure List for the Strategic Recruitment Stream – U.S. Visa Holder Category
Whereas applicants are not required to have a job offer to qualify for this program, they are encouraged to look for a job in Alberta before or after they have filed their application with AINP. Applicants with a job offer from an Alberta employer will be processed faster. Please note that a false job offer will lead to a negative outcome.
How to apply
In order to apply under the Strategic Recruitment Stream U.S. Visa Holder Category, eligible applicants have to download and fill out the form for provincial nomination and attach all supporting documents. If they are using a representative there is an additional form to be completed. The application is then sent to the AINP for consideration. Processing times vary from 8 to 12 months; applicants with job offers are given priority. Job offers can be in the form of work contracts or offer of employment letters on official letterhead related to the applicant’s current job. If an applicant is approved, they become a Provincial Nominee and will be able to apply for permanent residence with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). If a Provincial Nominee has a job offer, they may be able to start working before they receive permanent residence status. Spouses, common-law partners and any dependents may also be included in the application.
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