18-11-2013
Individuals interested in immigrating to Alberta have until November 28th to complete their application. The Alberta lmmigrant Nominee Program (AINP) has recently experienced changes and has opened up new categories for applicants.
Up until recently AINP was focuses more on skilled and semi-skilled workers. However, since demand for workers remains high in the province, the program will also allow low-skilled workers to apply for permanent residence. The goal of the AINP along with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is to attract and retain immigrants who are ready to work and contribute to the economy.
According to Mark Holthe, a business immigration lawyer, “As long as [applicants] have met a certain English language level, for the most part, many of the low-skill workers are able to qualify. Right now the reality is people cannot get English language testing spots fast enough.”
If an individual is accepted and nominated by the Alberta government they, their spouse and dependent children can all apply for permanent residence through Citizenship and Immigration as a provincial nominee. The age of dependent children has recently changed in Canada from 18 years of age to 20 years of age. Therefore if a child is 20 years of age or over they will have to separating apply for Canadian immigration.
Changes include a new category, which include for the first time international graduates in the post-graduate worker category, a new-streamlined criterion for optional trades and a pilot project in the food service industry where all employers qualify to apply to nominate up to 20% of their total workforce for each restaurant location.
The fast food service industry is definitely an interesting case in Alberta. “Canadians just don’t want to take those jobs. Some of the lower-end jobs that just don’t pay very much, Canadians will come and work for a little bit but as soon as they find something else they’re gone. It’s the foreign workers that provide stability for those companies long term,” said Holthe.
Canadian companies are looking for stable workers, for this reason the changes to allow low-skilled workers to apply for permanent residency in Alberta is the logical next step for the government.
For more information on the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program click here.
FWCanada is a Montreal-based immigration law that provides professional legal services on Canadian immigration. For more updates and tips on Canadian immigration, visit www.canadianimmigration.net. Don’t forget to like FWCanada on Facebook and follow the firm on Twitter.
