Alberta’s Opportunity Stream and Rural Renewal Stream nominees might qualify for a letter of support to obtain a maximum 2-year open work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) under the new “Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Work Permits for Prospective Provincial Nominee Program Candidates.” This policy applies to individuals who:
- Were awaiting a decision on their application as of August 26, 2024, and held a valid work permit set to expire between May 7 and December 31, 2024, at the time of their application.
- Had their application denied between May 7 and August 26, 2024, solely due to their work permit expiring in 2024.
Participation in this initiative is not open for direct application. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) will assess nominees to determine eligibility. Applicants must show they are likely to meet the stream’s minimum requirements and have a valid job offer in Alberta.
Those whose work permits have expired must also prove they have maintained their status during processing or qualify for restoration of their temporary resident status.
Eligible applicants will be contacted directly by the AAIP, and notifications will be sent based on the expiry date of the work permit declared during the application. Those receiving the letter of support will be granted an open work permit for up to 2 years. This extension allows them to continue working while maintaining their eligibility for nomination. The final assessment of their eligibility for nomination will not occur before 2025.
The policy aims to streamline final decisions for applications with work permits expiring between January 1, 2024, and May 6, 2024, as well as those with permits expiring in early 2025. The AAIP will prioritize processing these cases within the remaining allocation for the 2024 calendar year.
