Thursday, February 6, 2025

Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream (Eligibility, Who can apply)

On 1st March, 2024, Alberta launched its new PNP program Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream under Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). This program is designed to fill the gap between the rising demand for Alberta tourism and the lack of workers in the hospitality sector.

Eligibility Requirements

Employer Requirements

Employer requirements are one of the key factors while calculating your eligibility requirements:

When you apply for Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream, it’s important that your employer’s main business fits into certain categories recognized by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) of Alberta. This helps ensure that your application is eligible.

At the time you submit your application and when it’s being assessed, your employer’s primary business activities need to fall into one of these recognized categories.

Valid coverage from WCB will ensure employer is eligible to offer PNP under this stream.

Eligible WCB industries WCB industry code Sample activities
Museums/Art Galleries 80701 Art Galleries, Art Museums, Interpretive Centres, Museums
Zoos/Game Farms 80703 Game Farms, Zoos
Bowling Alleys/Billiard Parlours 85300 Billiard Parlours, Bowling Alleys, Pool Halls
Golf Clubs/Ranges 85900 Operation of Driving Ranges, Golf Courses
Ski Resorts/Gondolas 85904 Operation of Chairlifts, Gondolas, Ski Instruction, Ski Resorts
Casinos/Dance Halls 85916 Casino Halls, Dance Halls
Arenas/Stadiums 85919 Arenas, Stadiums, Race Tracks
Travel Agency/Motor Association 85925 Operation of Wildlife and Wilderness Associations, Tour Guides, Tourist Promotion, Park Associations
Restaurants/Catering 87501 Operation of Coffee Shops, Drive-In Restaurants, Restaurants, Take-Out Services, Bartending Services
Hotels/Convention Centres 87503 Operation of Bed and Breakfast, Cabins and Motels, Convention Centres
Sports and Recreation 87600 Operation of Amusement Parks and Rec Resorts, Hot Air Ballooning, Boats, Pleasure and Water Tours, Campsites
Property Management/Hostels 89702 Operation of Hostels, Bingo Halls, Airports
Private Clubs 87508 Private Clubs, Sporting Clubs, Fitness Clubs and Gun Clubs
Operation of a Curling Rink Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes
Operation of an Ice Skating Rink Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes
Operation of a Cricket Field Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes
Operation of a Convention Bureau Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes
Operation of an Information Bureau Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes
Promotions, sports and entertainment Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes
Professional sports Multiple Activity is identified within multiple WCB industries/codes

Sector Association and Travel Alberta membership requirements

When you apply under the Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream, your employer needs to be a member of an approved sector association, listed in table below.

If your employer meets the criteria to join one of these associations, they must become a member. If they qualify but decide not to join, for any reason, your application will be rejected.

If your employer doesn’t qualify for membership in any of these associations, they must be listed as an Experience Provider on the Travel Alberta website.

Sector Sector association
Accommodations Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA)
Accommodations Alberta Bed and Breakfast Association (ABBA)
Food and Beverage Restaurants Canada
Indigenous Tourism Indigenous Tourism Alberta
Recreation and Entertainment Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO)
Recreation and Entertainment Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA)
Recreation and Entertainment Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG)
Recreation and Entertainment Alberta Golf Association
Meetings, Conventions, and Incentive Tourism Convention Centres Canada (CCC)
Tourism and Hospitality Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA)
Tourism and Hospitality Alberta Hospitality Association
Tourism and Hospitality Tourism HR Canada
Tourism and Hospitality Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)

Applicant Requirements

Eligible Occupations

Your Occupation must be in this eligible occupation list:

NOC code (2021) Occupation NOC TEER category
54100 Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport, and fitness* 4
60030 Restaurant and food services managers 0
60031 Accommodation service managers 0
62020 Food service supervisors 2
62200 Chefs 2
63200 Cooks 3
64300 Maîtres d’hôtel and hosts/hostesses 4
64301 Bartenders 4
64314 Hotel front desk clerks 4
64320 Tour and travel guides 4
64322 Outdoor sport and recreational guides 4
65200 Food and beverage servers 5
65201 Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations* 5
65210 Support occupations in accommodation, travel, and facilities set-up services 5
65310 Light duty cleaners* 5
65311 Specialized cleaners* 5
65312 Janitors, caretakers, and heavy-duty cleaners* 5
65320 Dry cleaning, laundry, and related occupations* 5

Employment requirements

  1. You must live and work in Alberta in a job that’s approved for Tourism and Hospitality.
  2. You need a valid work permit based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for an approved job. Just having maintained status isn’t enough.

Work Experience Requirements

When you apply and when your application is reviewed:

  • You need to have been working full-time (at least 30 hours per week) with a Tourism and Hospitality employer approved for this program.
  • You must have worked in one of the eligible jobs for at least 6 months continuously (or a minimum of 780 hours) before you apply.

Make sure your work experience must be:

  • be with the same employer who’s offering you the job in Alberta.
  • Must have been paid.
  • Must have been authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and you should have had valid temporary resident status if you worked in Alberta or Canada.

Job Offer Requirements

  • Your Job offer must be genuine full-time and for at least 12 months of period.
  • This job offer must be for an eligible job and with the same employer you’ve been working with for the required 6 consecutive months (or 780 hours).
  • Your job offer or contract should be signed by a legitimate and established Alberta employer.
  • The job offer must be a minimum 30 hours per week.

Ineligible Applicants Based on Job Offer

You cannot apply or be nominated if you:

  • Work part-time, casually, or seasonally, regardless of the number of hours you have worked.
  • Are an independent contractor, business owner, or temporary agency worker, including if you’re listed as a director or shareholder of the Alberta employer.
  • Work for a business not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, like a home-based business.
  • Work remotely from outside Alberta.

Make you meet the job responsibilities and requirements, and if you’re under the ineligible list then make sure to meet your eligibility before you apply.

Language Requirements

Must be able to have at least CRS level 4 in either English or French.

Educations Requirements

You need to have at least completed high school education equivalent to Canadian standards.

You must submit an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) from a designated organization by IRCC for your highest level of education.

How to Apply under Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream

  1. Ensure you meet all eligibility criteria for the Tourism and Hospitality Stream.
  2. Complete your application online and pay the $500 fee.
  3. AAIP Portal Usage: Use the online portal for your application. You’re responsible for managing your account. Use a basic Alberta.ca Account to access the portal.
  4. Document Submission: The portal will guide you on which documents to upload. Pay attention to file size and type restrictions. Fillable PDF forms may require Adobe Reader.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this new Alberta Stream easy to apply?

Yes, this stream may be easy to apply but the only thing is you must have an LMIA-based work permit, which could be hard to get.

Why Alberta is giving the tourism industry its own immigration stream?

Since the rising demand in Alberta tourism, there are fewer workers to fill this gap, so the province has decided to attract more workers under this stream.

What is the process time for the Alberta Tourism and Hospitality Stream?

Since the stream has just started there’s no official processing time by the government of Alberta but it is estimated that it could be somewhere around 2 months to 4 months based on the application.

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