Coronavirus: Alberta still processing immigration applications

At the moment, however, only candidates living and working in Alberta will be considered for nomination. (File Photo: Wayne S. Grazio/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Applications for immigration to Alberta will continue to be accepted and processed, but the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has introduced new temporary measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The AINP will now accept copies for all required documents, including copies of signatures on forms. The authenticity of signatures and other documents may need to be confirmed with a phone call or email.

Applicants may be permitted to submit an incomplete application if they meet the following requirements:

• Applied after April 29;
• Meet all selection criteria for their AINP stream;
• Include a written explanation as to why their application is incomplete;
• Provide evidence that they have requested the document, or that the issuing party is not operational due to the coronavirus;
• If applying for the Alberta Opportunity Stream, they include language test results, or proof that they have registered for a language test on or before October 29, 2020; and
• If applying for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, they include valid language results and an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Applicants who have applied on or before April 29 who cannot provide documents must also:

• Include a written explanation as to why they are unable to provide the required documents;
• Provide evidence that they have requested the document, or that the issuing party is not operational due to the coronavirus.

For incomplete applications, Alberta will hold them for 60 calendar days from the date of mailing.

After 45 days, it will be determined whether or not the hold will be extended for another 60 calendar days, and so on, for a maximum of six months.

At this point, a decision will be made based on the information available.

Alberta Express Entry Stream

Selection draws and nominations will continue as per usual under the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

At the moment, however, only candidates living and working in Alberta will be considered for nomination.

To receive a nomination, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• be currently working in Alberta, even if they are working from home;
• have a work permit authorizing them to work in their current job;
• have a job that is full-time, paid, meet the provincial minimum wage, exceed Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements; and they must
• work in an eligible occupation. Ineligible occupations include those in the government’s high-wage and low-wage occupations in the province of Alberta, and the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list.

Candidates who were working full time prior to the coronavirus pandemic, and those who are working in a regulated occupation who cannot meet licensure requirements will have their applications on hold for 60 calendar days.

If candidates have no recent employment history in the province, their applications will not be processed until further notice.

Alberta Opportunity Stream

Candidates who are working from home due to the government’s social distancing rules may still be eligible for nomination under the Alberta Opportunity Stream.

If candidates are performing only some of the job duties, they may still be eligible for nomination as long as they intend to return to their regular job duties once the pandemic is over.

Those who have had changes to their employment situation due to the pandemic will have their application put on hold for 60 days to allow them to meet the criteria.

This includes those who are unemployed, working in an ineligible occupation, working in a different occupation, or Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders who are working in a different occupation than their area of study.

Nomination

All nominees are required to advise the AINP and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) of any changes in employment, address, email, phone number or family status, even after nomination.

If a nominee’s employment circumstance changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, he or she will be given 60 calendar days to once again meet their employment criteria in order to keep their nomination.

If a nominee moves to another province, their nomination will be terminated.