What is Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway?
In a simple words, The Accelerated Tech Pathway under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) offers a fast-tracked nomination process for Express Entry candidates.
The Accelerated Tech Pathway program speeds up the application process for international workers who are either employed by or have received job offers from tech companies in Alberta, targeting specific eligible tech roles.
Specific Requirements for Accelerated Tech Pathway
Accelerated Tech Pathway starts from by completing a form which you can fill (if you meet all the requirements) and submit to AAIP.
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) will carefully assess the details provided in your form.
They will evaluate whether you meet the minimum requirements and the criteria for receiving an invitation to apply.
If you satisfy these requirements, the AAIP will send you an email containing a link to submit your application.
Accelerated Tech Pathway has some of their own requirements as below:
- You are working full-time in Alberta under an employment contract or have a full-time job offer from an employer based in Alberta (minimum 30 hours per week) which is signed by you and your employer and occupation must be in the list of eligible Accelerated Tech Pathway occupations.
- Job offer must be from an Alberta based employer whose primary business activities belong to the Alberta tech industry, as defined by the AAIP list of eligible North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes has a base wage or salary that meets provincial minimum wage, and meets or exceeds the requirements set out in your Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or if you are LMIA exempt or do not have an LMIA, meets or exceeds the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta.
- You have valid immigration status (work permit or implied status), if you are working in Alberta for your Alberta employer at the time of AAIP application.
- The primary occupation in your Express Entry profile is the same occupation as your current Alberta employment or job offer.
Who is not eligible for Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway?
If you are working or your job offer is for part-time, casual or seasonal employees, regardless of their working hours:
If your Express Entry profile is set to expire within the next 3 months, the likelihood of being asked to submit an application may decrease. To maintain eligibility for consideration under the Accelerated Tech Pathway, it is advisable to keep your Express Entry profile up to date.
Alberta Express Entry Eligibility Requirements
You must meet all the requirements to be eligible to apply under Alberta express entry.
| Alberta Express Entry Requirements | |
| Express Entry Profile Required | Yes |
| Job Offer Required | No |
| Any Connection to Alberta Required | No |
| Investment Requirement | No |
| Language Proficiency Requirement | CLB Level 7 |
| Level of Education Requirement | Same as Express Entry |
Must read: Alberta Express Entry Stream Eligibility.
| NOTE: Please remember that, for a general ‘Alberta express entry’ process, you don’t require a job offer, but for ‘Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway’ you must have a ‘Job Offer’. |
Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway: Job Offer Requirements
- It should be for one of 38 specific jobs that are really needed, or with a tech company in Alberta.
- Both you and the company in Alberta need to sign it.
- It talks about your job details like what you’ll do, how long for, and how much you’ll get paid.
Job Details
- The job is full-time and goes on without breaks, lasting at least a year.
- The pay is as much or more than the least amount Alberta says you need to be paid.
- If you don’t need an LMIA (a kind of permission), your pay should still be as much or more than what others in your job get paid in Alberta.
Tech Job Requirements:
- Be already working in one of the 38 tech roles that Alberta really needs right now, or
- Have a job lined up with a tech company in Alberta that’s recognized as part of a key tech sector.
Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway: Eligible NOC Codes
Here is the eligible occupations (NOC codes) list, including TEER category:
| NOC Code | TEER Category | Occupation (Class) |
| 11202 | 1 | Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations |
| 12101 | 2 | Human resources and recruitment officers |
| 20010 | 0 | Engineering managers |
| 20011 | 0 | Architecture and science managers |
| 20012 | 0 | Computer and information systems managers |
| 21210 | 0 | Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries |
| 21211 | 1 | Data scientists |
| 21220 | 1 | Cybersecurity specialists |
| 21221 | 1 | Business systems specialists |
| 21222 | 1 | Information systems specialists |
| 21233 | 1 | Web designers |
| 21223 | 1 | Database analysts and data administrators |
| 21231 | 1 | Software engineers and designers |
| 21230 | 1 | Computer systems developers and programmers |
| 21232 | 1 | Software developers and programmers |
| 21234 | 1 | Web developers and programmers |
| 21300 | 1 | Civil engineers |
| 21301 | 1 | Mechanical engineers |
| 21310 | 1 | Electrical and electronics engineers |
| 21311 | 1 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) |
| 22110 | 2 | Biological technologists and technicians |
| 22212 | 2 | Drafting technologists and technicians |
| 22220 | 2 | Computer network and web technicians |
| 22221 | 2 | User support technicians |
| 22222 | 2 | Information systems testing technicians |
| 22301 | 2 | Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians |
| 22302 | 2 | Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians |
| 22310 | 2 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
| 32120 | 2 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 32129 | 2 | Other medical technologists and technicians |
| 33101 | 3 | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations |
| 41402 | 1 | Business development officers and market researchers and analysts |
| 50011 | 0 | Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts |
| 51120 | 1 | Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations |
| 52120 | 2 | Graphic designers and illustrators |
| 60010 | 0 | Corporate sales managers |
| 72200 | 2 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 72201 | 2 | Electricians (except industrial and power system) |
| 72205 | 2 | Telecommunications equipment installation and cable television service technicians |
How to apply for Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway Stream?
Here’s the step by step process to apply for Alberta accelerated tech pathway stream (AATP)
#1: To apply for Accelerated Tech Pathway stream, you will need to submit a form first which AAIP will evaluate. You can access the form here.
The AAIP will review the information in the form and determine if you meet the minimum eligibility criteria.
If you meet minimum criteria, the AAIP will then send an email inviting you to apply.
#2: Receive a request from the AAIP to apply
Incase you’re selected to apply for the AATP stream you applied, the AAIP will send you an email with a link to the AAIP portal. Which will lead you to terms and conditions step, as mentioned next.
#3: Terms and conditions
On the 3rd step, you’ll be given a terms and conditions which you will have to agree upon to proceed to the next step.
#4: Review the Assessment Criteria
Double check and ensure that you tick every box on the assessment checklist when you apply and when you’re reviewing it. If any criteria are missed, sadly, your application won’t make it through.
When filling out your application, include proof that shows you’re up to the mark according to the assessment criteria.
NOTE: Please, take a moment to thoroughly go through all the basic eligibility and specific pathway requirements we’ve listed above.
#5: Submit Your Application Online and Pay the Fee
The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AAIP) exclusively accepts online applications for the Alberta Express Entry Stream
NOTE: Please be aware that, applications sent via mail (post), email, or fax won’t be considered.
To ensure your online application is processed by the AAIP, follow these two essential steps:
- A. Complete and Submit the Online Application: Fill out the application form online, providing accurate and complete information, upload necessary and requested documents.
When you are ready, you can submit the application online. A file number will be provided to you in the portal.
- B. Pay the Application Fee: After submitting, portal will ask you to Make the necessary payment as specified in the application guidelines. An application fee of $500 which applies to all online applications.
Remember, Each AAIP application requires a separate application fee and the fee will not be refunded.
You will need to pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your complete application.
If you failed to pay your fee within 24 hours of submitting your application, your application will be cancelled.
How to fill Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway application (EOI) form?
This is a simple 6 steps process, to fill out Alberta accelerated tech pathway EOI application form.
First, goto the official site to apply and fill the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway Form
Step 1: General Information
The very first step will be, your general information, here are the details:
- Candidate Family Name
- Candidate Given Name
- Phone number
- A valid email address
Step 2: Enter your ‘Express Entry profile number and CRS score
- Express Entry profile number
- Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking (CRS) Score
If you don’t have an EE profile, you can follow my guide to create your express entry profile by following the simple steps.
You can calculate your CRS score and enter in the second box.
Step 3: Select NOC Code of your Express Entry Profile
- Select the primary NOC Code
If you don’t know your right NOC code, make sure you find your correct NOC code here.
Step 4: About your Alberta job or Alberta job offer
Q. Are you currently working in Alberta full-time or do you have a job offer to work full-time in Alberta?
Select ‘YES’, I am assuming you’ve already got a job offer or a full-time job in Alberta
- Next would be the same step, Select the NOC code for your current Alberta job/job offer, now fill this carefully and match your job duties and then select your NOC code from the drop down forms list.
- After that mention your ‘company name’ of Alberta employer who is offering you job or if you are currently working with that company.
Step 5: Select your 4-digit NAIC Code
On this step, you will be asked to enter the 4-digit NAICS code for your Alberta employer.
- Select the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code for your Alberta employer.
- If you are unsure about this code, please ask your Alberta employer to know the NAICS code.
Step 6: Submission
Final step will be confirmation, just read the instructions and proceed further.
- Review all the details mentioned on the last 6th step
- Check box: By submitting this online form, I confirm all above.
- Click on the check box: I’m not a robot.
- and finally, hit ‘Submit’ button.
What are the Alberta job offer or current employment contract requirements?
As mentioned above, this stream requires job offer, lets discuss further.
The job offer and current employment contract requirements apply to all Alberta Express Entry Stream Pathways, including the Accelerated tech pathway.
For the Alberta Express Entry Stream, the job offer, or contract must meet the following criteria:
Apart from the above, the job offer’s assessment also includes the evolution of the length of time the business was established and the number of employees on the company’s payroll, including the job offer, being evaluated.
Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway: FAQs
Q. How can I apply for the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway?
If you’re in the Express Entry pool and meet Alberta’s criteria, which includes having tech experience or a job offer in one of 38 in-demand tech jobs, you might be in luck for faster processing. To qualify, just make sure your Express Entry details line up with the job you’ve got (or are offered) in Alberta.
Q. What happens after getting nominated through the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway?
Once you get that thumbs-up nomination through the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway, you’ll receive a letter that supports your application for a temporary work permit. That’s not all, you’ll also be invited to apply for permanent residence in Canada, making your Mapple Dream alive, and your dream of living in Canada one step closer to reality.
Q. Are there any specific job offer requirements for the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway?
Yes, definitely! Your job offer should be for a role that’s really in demand in Alberta and your NOC should be in the eligible NOC codes list (which I’ve mentioned above). The offer needs to be for a full-time position that lasts at least a year, and the salary should meet the minimum wage in Alberta which is $15/hr (as of March 2024).
Q. How long does it take to process an application through the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway?
According to the official Alberta government website, the estimated average processing time for the Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway is approximately 5 months from the moment a complete application is submitted until a final decision is made. AAIP is currently assessing applications received before October 18, 2023.
