The Alberta community has spoken and the government listened. There has been a significant Tech Worker shortage in the Alberta province. In response, The province announced the development of the Accelerated Tech Pathway, which will give highly talented tech workers who wish to live and work in Alberta a fast road to permanent residency.
According to the Alberta Enterprise Corporation, Alberta has over 3,000 technological enterprises. However, IT businesses continue to have difficulty finding people, particularly sales and technical skills.
“Especially within Alberta, like there’s around zero percent unemployment in tech. And that’s really why we need programs, to bring global talent,” said Bronte Valk, the Alberta-based government relations manager for the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI), who called the new stream “very good news for Alberta scale-up companies.”
Who is Eligible for the Accelerated Tech Pathway
The minimum requirements to be eligible for the Accelerated Tech Pathway:
- Have an Express Entry pool with a minimum CRS score of 300
- You are working full time in Alberta or have a job offer for a full-time job in Alberta
- Must have the job or job offer in an occupation in the list of eligible occupations (below)
- The primary occupation in your EE profile is the same occupation as your current Alberta employment or job offer
There are 38 eligible NOC Codes that qualify to apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway:
| NOC Code | Occupation |
| 0013 | Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services |
| 0112 | Human resources managers |
| 0131 | Telecommunication carriers manager |
| 0211 | Engineering managers |
| 0212 | Architecture and science managers |
| 0213 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 0512 | Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts |
| 0601 | Corporate sales managers |
| 1121 | Human resources professionals |
| 1123 | Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations |
| 1223 | Human resources and recruitment officers |
| 2131 | Civil engineers |
| 2132 | Mechanical engineers |
| 2133 | Electrical and electronics engineers |
| 2147 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
| 2161 | Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries |
| 2171 | Information systems analysts and consultant |
| 2172 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers |
| 2174 | Computer programmers and interactive media developers |
| 2175 | Web designers and developers |
| 2221 | Biological technologists and technicians |
| 2232 | Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2233 | Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians |
| 2241 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
| 2253 | Drafting technologists and technicians |
| 2281 | Computer network technicians |
| 2282 | User support technicians |
| 2283 | Information systems testing technicians |
| 3211 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 3212 | Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants |
| 3219 | Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health) |
| 4163 | Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants |
| 5131 | Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations |
| 5241 | Graphic designers and illustrators |
| 7241 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 7242 | Industrial electricians |
| 7246 | Telecommunications installation and repair workers |
How to Apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway
The Accelerated Tech Pathway has an application process that can be simplified in three steps:
- Create Express Entry Profile
- Fill out the Eligibility Form
- Apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway
Create Express Entry Profile
The first stage is to be accepted into the Express Entry candidate pool. Fill out an online form for the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program to apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway (AINP). You transmit information about your Express Entry profile and your tech job in Alberta using this form.
Express Entry applicants must have a job offer or be employed in a qualified occupation for an Alberta-based firm to be eligible for the tech pathway.
Fill out the Eligibility Form
To be considered for the Accelerated Tech Pathway, you must provide your information. If you are qualified to apply through this method, the AINP will evaluate your information and notify you by email. The AINP verifies that you fulfill the Alberta Express Entry Stream’s minimal eligibility requirements. If this is the case, you will get an email from the AINP asking you to apply for a provincial nomination. You will not be able to apply without this invitation, and you will not be able to apply using a nomination from a separate AINP stream.
Apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway
After you have received an email invite then you will determine if you meet the assessment criteria. If the AINP finds fraud or deception in an application, you may be barred from applying again for up to five years. Completed applications are added to a pool of those who are eligible. These applications for a provincial nomination are reviewed by the AINP.
You have 30 days to accept a nomination from Alberta by utilizing your online Express Entry profile. Your Express Entry score will be increased by 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.
Do You Want to Apply for the Accelerated Tech Pathway to Alberta?
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