Alberta Opportunity Stream

The Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS), part of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), allows temporary foreign workers already employed in Alberta to apply for permanent residence. Applicants must meet requirements related to work permits, occupation, education, and language proficiency. 

At SEP Immigration, we handle the process from start to finish, making sure applications are accurate and up to date with Alberta’s rules.

Eligibility Requirements of Alberta Opportunity Stream

To qualify for the Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS), applicants must meet the following conditions at both the time of application and assessment:

• Status and Work Permit
  • Hold a valid temporary resident status in Canada.
  • Have a valid work permit that is:
    • Based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or
    • LMIA-exempt under a recognized category (e.g., trade agreements, intra-company transferees, Mobilité Francophone, certain public policies), or
    • A Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) issued after completing studies at a publicly funded Alberta institution.
• Job Offer and Employment
  • Be working full-time in Alberta in the occupation listed on your work permit.
  • Have a valid job offer/contract from an eligible Alberta employer.
  • The job must be continuous and paid; part-time, casual, seasonal, contract, or home-based roles are not accepted.
• Occupation
  • Most National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER 0–5 jobs are eligible.
  • Certain occupations are excluded from Alberta’s ineligible list.
• Work Experience
  • Standard applicants: At least 12 months of full-time Alberta experience in the last 18 months, or 24 months in Canada/abroad in the last 30 months.
  • PGWP holders: At least 6 months of full-time Alberta experience in an occupation related to their field of study.
• Education
  • Minimum of a Canadian high school equivalent.
  • If studies were completed abroad, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is required.
  • For PGWP holders: the credential must come from a publicly funded Alberta institution. Some post-diploma/post-baccalaureate certificates also require the job to match previous foreign education.
• Language Proficiency
  • TEER 0–3 jobs: CLB/NCLC 5 in each skill.
  • TEER 4–5 jobs: CLB/NCLC 4 in each skill.
  • NOC 33102 (nurse aides/orderlies/patient service associates): CLB/NCLC 7.
  • Test results must be less than two years old (CELPIP-G, IELTS-G, PTE Core, TEF Canada, TCF Canada accepted).
• Fees
  • Application fee: CAD 1,500 (as of April 1, 2025).

Work Permit Requirements

To apply under the Alberta Opportunity Stream, applicants must show they are legally allowed to work in Alberta at the time of application and when the file is assessed. Not all permits are accepted, so knowing which ones qualify is critical.

Accepted work permits include:

• LMIA-based permits tied to a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
• LMIA-exempt permits issued under IRCC rules, such as:
  • International trade agreements (e.g., CUSMA).
  • Intra-company transferees.
  • Mobilité Francophone.
  • Specific public policy measures (e.g., Hong Kong open work permit, Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel).
• Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP): Must come from completing a program at a publicly funded Alberta institution. The job in Alberta must be related to the graduate’s field of study. For certain one-year post-diploma or post-baccalaureate programs begun on or after April 1, 2019, the work must also connect to previous foreign education.

Permits that are not eligible include maintained/implied status, restoration permits, and open work permits not listed by Alberta.

Education Requirements

Alberta uses education standards to confirm that applicants can succeed in the labour market. Credentials are checked against Canadian levels, and proof is required.

Key points:

• The minimum is a Canadian high school equivalent.
• If the highest credential was earned outside Canada, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is needed. Alberta accepts ECAs only from designated IRCC organizations.
• PGWP holders must show:
  • A credential from a publicly funded Alberta institution.
  • A program that lasted at least one year of full-time study.
  • Employment in Alberta directly related to that credential.
  • For some short post-diploma or post-bacc programs begun after April 2019, the Alberta job must also match the person’s earlier foreign studies.
• Trade and professional certifications from Alberta licensing bodies are also recognized as meeting education requirements.
  
  

Occupation Requirements

Applicants must be employed in occupations that are considered eligible by the province. Alberta uses the federal NOC 2021 classification, which organizes jobs by Training, Education, Experience, and Responsibilities (TEER).

Requirements:

• Jobs must fall under TEER 0–5 unless specifically listed as ineligible by Alberta.
• The applicant’s current occupation must match the job offer submitted with the application.
• Occupations on Alberta’s ineligible list cannot be used to apply. This list is updated as labour market conditions change.
• If the occupation is regulated in Alberta (such as electricians, nurses, or engineers), the applicant must hold a valid licensing or registration from the appropriate authority before applying.

Language Proficiency

Applicants must demonstrate official language skills in either English or French. The minimum level depends on the occupation’s TEER category.

• TEER 0–3 occupations: Minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) level 5 in each skill (listening, reading, writing, speaking).
• TEER 4–5 occupations: Minimum CLB/NCLC 4 in each skill.
• Exception – NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates): Minimum CLB/NCLC 7 in each skill.

Accepted language tests include:

• CELPIP–General (not CELPIP–LS).
• IELTS General Training (not IELTS Academic).
• PTE Core (accepted for AOS applications submitted on or after April 1, 2025).
• TEF Canada.
• TCF Canada.

Language test results must be less than two years old at the time of submission. Scores from different tests cannot be combined to meet the minimum. Applicants must meet the minimum in all four skills on a single test report.

Ineligible Occupations

If your current occupation appears on this list, you are not eligible to apply under the Alberta Opportunity Stream.

• TEER 0: Legislators; school principals; managers in social, community, or correctional services; fire chiefs; escort agency or massage parlour managers.
• TEER 1: Judges; school teachers (elementary or secondary); authors, writers (non-technical); musicians; singers.
• TEER 2: Justices of the peace; early childhood educators without proper Alberta certification (specifically, those certified only as Level 1).
• TEER 3: Teacher assistants; other instructors; actors, comedians, visual artists, artisans; athletes; real estate agents; dental laboratory assistants (depending on the role).
• TEER 4: Home-based child‑care providers; home support workers and related roles; casino staff; other similar personal service roles.
• TEER 5: Performers; other sales-related occupations; amusement or recreation attendants; taxi/limousine drivers; harvesting, marine harvesting, trapping/hunting, mine, landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers.

High-wage and Low-wage Occupations (for PGWP holders)

For applicants holding a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), Alberta requires that your current job not fall within roles categorized as high-wage or low-wage occupations under the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) framework. These designations reflect whether roles are in demand and are evaluated using hourly wage thresholds in Alberta.

As of June 27, 2025, the median wage threshold in Alberta is CAD 36.00 per hour—this defines whether an occupation is considered high-wage or low-wage:

• High-wage occupations: those that pay at or above the CAD 36.00 per hour threshold.
• Low-wage occupations: those that pay below that threshold.

These thresholds are used by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in LMIA assessments.