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The Canadian province of Alberta has developed a new immigration program to recruit technology employees in response to unprecedented development in the technology sector and the resulting need for qualified labor.

Alberta’s Minister of Labour and Immigration Tyler Shandro introduced the Accelerated Tech Pathway program on January 13. However, in December, the province began accepting applications for this new program.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream of the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP), one of Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs, is the new pathway (PNPs).

To be eligible, IT professionals must have an Express Entry profile with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score of 300, meet the requirements for the Alberta Express Entry Stream, and have a job offer in an in-demand tech occupation. 

Candidates who feel they match the aforementioned qualifications should fill out an online form with details about their Express Entry profile and their employment in Alberta or their job offer with an Alberta technology business to apply to this program.

After determining their eligibility, the AINP sends them an email inviting them to submit a complete application for a provincial nomination. Completed applications are placed in a pool of those who are eligible to be processed. Applicants who receive a nomination can next apply for permanent residency in Canada.

The goal of the initiative, according to Alberta, is to give precedence to applications from highly competent technology workers who want to live and work in the province.

The program is aimed at Canadian and international technology professionals.

“The faster we can fill these jobs with skilled and qualified workers, the stronger our overall recovery will be – and that helps all Albertans, no matter where they live or what they do. With our low taxes, amazing quality of life and reasonable cost of living, Alberta is already becoming a magnet for people seeking opportunity. We’re taking action to make Alberta even more attractive for tech workers,” Shandro said in a press release. 

According to the Alberta Enterprise Corporation, Alberta has over 3,000 technological enterprises. According to the 2021 Alberta Technology Deal Flow Study, Alberta’s technology sector has risen 233% since 2012, with the proportion of enterprises with 25 or more people increasing by 12 percentage points to 25% between 2018 and 2020. At the same time, according to the same report, technology companies are having difficulty finding personnel, particularly for sales and technical positions.

Eligible Occupations for the Accelerated Tech Pathway

• 0013 Senior managers – financial, communications and other business services
• 0112 Human resources managers
• 0131 Telecommunication carriers manager
• 0211 Engineering managers
• 0212 Architecture and science managers
• 0213 Computer and information systems managers
• 0512 Managers – publishing, motion pictures, broadcasting and performing arts
• 0601 Corporate sales managers
• 1123 Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations
• 1121 Human resources professionals
• 1223 Human resources and recruitment officers
• 2131 Civil engineers
• 2132 Mechanical engineers
• 2133 Electrical and electronics engineers
• 2147 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
• 2161 Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries
• 2171 Information systems analysts and consultants
• 2172 Database analysts and data administrators
• 2173 Software engineers and designers
• 2174 Computer programmers and interactive media developers
• 2175 Web designers and developers
• 2221 Biological technologists and technicians
• 2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
• 2233 Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
• 2241 Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians
• 2253 Drafting technologists and technicians
• 2281 Computer network technicians
• 2282 User support technicians
• 2283 Information systems testing technicians
• 3211 Medical laboratory technologists
• 3212 Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants
• 3219 Other medical technologists and technicians (except dental health)
• 4163 Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
• 5131 Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
• 5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
• 7241 Electricians (except industrial and power system)
• 7242 Industrial electricians
• 7246 Telecommunications installation and repair workers

Source: canadavisa.com