Alberta Continues Processing Immigration Applications Albeit With Temporary Measures

Coronavirus has brought the entire world to a standstill. The only saving grace has been the digital platform and internet that has allowed official procedures to continues. Alberta too has continued with its work of processing immigration applications. However, its Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) will now follow some temporary measures, sort of precautions introduced in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

All the copies required for AINP including documents and papers and signatures on the forms will be accepted online. The verification of the signatures and related documents can be confirmed with an email or a phone call.

Conditions For Submitting Incomplete Application

For submitting an incomplete application the applicant must fulfill the following requirements:

• Must fulfill all the criteria for selection listed for AINP stream
• Must have applied after April 29
• Provide a written explanation for the reason behind the incomplete application
• Provide enough proof to establish that the documents lacking have been requested to the concerned authorities and has not been made available due to COVID-19 crisis
• Should include results of language test or proof of having applied for the test on or before October 29,2020, if applying for Alberta Opportunity Stream
• Should include an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) and a valid result of language test if applying for the Alberta Express Entry Stream

Those who have submitted Alberta immigration applications on or before April 29 and are unable to provide the required documents should

• Write an explanation regarding why they cannot provide the documents
• Provide evidence that they have already requested for the documents but since the issuing authorities are closed due to COVID-19 they are unable to submit them

Incomplete applications will be kept on hold for 60 calendar days from their date of submission. The Alberta administration will decide after 45 days whether to continue keeping the submission on hold or hold it for another 60 calendar days. In this way, an application can be put on hold for six months maximum at the discretion of the authorities.

Alberta Express Entry Stream

The process for Alberta Express Entry Stream will continue as usual that is followed for selecting nominations and draws. But the major change this time around is that only the applicants who are currently working and living in Alberta will be nominated.  Requisites for getting nomination include:

• Applicant must be working in Alberta, work from home is also allowed
• He must carry an authorized work permit that allows him to work in his existing job
• He must have a full-time paid job which meets the basic criteria’s like provincial minimum wage that exceeds Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• The applicant must work in an eligible occupation. Ineligible occupations are high-wage and low-wage jobs listed by the province of Alberta authorities and are a part of the Alberta Opportunity Stream Ineligible Occupations list.
•  The authorities will keep the applications of candidates who were in the full-time jobs before the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and now cannot meet the official licensure requirements due to regulated occupation on hold for around 60 calendar days.

Alberta immigration applications of candidates with no history of recent employment in Alberta will not be processed.

Who Can Apply For Alberta Opportunity Stream?  

Candidates who can apply for Alberta Opportunity Stream include:

• Those who are forced to work from home because of the new social distancing rules by the government
• Candidates performing only a few job duties at present and who will return to their normal duties after the pandemic

The application of the candidates who have changed their current job status due to pandemic will be kept on hold for around 60 calendar days so that they can fulfill the criteria. Candidates who currently have a job in an eligible occupation, are jobless, are Post-Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) holders working in an occupation different from their study area, or are working in an entirely different occupation will be included in this list.

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Sangati Jogwar

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