Alberta Introduces New Immigration Program for Techies

Key Highlights:

• Overview
• New Tech Pathway

The Canadian province of Alberta recently launched a new immigration stream, called Accelerated Tech Pathway, for eligible candidates who work in its technological sector.

New Tech Pathway

This announcement was made by the province’s immigration minister, Tyler Shandro, in a press release. Alberta already started accepting applications under the Accelerated Tech Pathway in December. 

The stream is part of the Alberta Immigration Nominee Program (AINP), a program set up by the federal government to nominate skilled foreign professionals to get permanent residence there if they fill labour shortage or set up a business in the province.

To be eligible under this program, applicants must have registered their profile in the federal Express Entry system and qualify for the Alberta Express Entry stream.

“Under this new pathway, tech professionals from across Canada and overseas can become permanent residents in as little as six months if they have a job offer in an in-demand tech industry occupation,” Shandro said in the press release.

“Along with priority application processing, tech professionals will also receive a letter of support from the Government of Alberta if they require a work permit,” he added.

Speaking on this, Doug Schweitzer, the province’s Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation, said that “Alberta’s technology sector continues to see record growth and a corresponding demand for highly skilled professionals. This accelerated immigration pathway will help attract the best and the brightest talent from across the globe to Alberta to meet this growing demand. It will also ensure Alberta continues to be a top destination for tech investment, which helps diversify our economy.”