Immigration can play a vital role in building the skills of Alberta’s workforce. But recent cuts to immigration outlined by the federal government in the 2025-27 Immigration Levels Plan came at the expense of the provinces’ role in immigration through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). As a result, Alberta is likely to see a significant decrease in its role in immigration.
While the need to dial back immigration levels is clear, we believe this specific decision should be reversed—and we make the case for that in our previous report. That said, Alberta must make the most of the power that it has: to select those who bring the greatest value to the provincial economy and put all newcomers in a position to succeed. That is the purpose of this report: to showcase how the province can be a leader in delivering greater prosperity through immigration in a way that benefits all Albertans.
To do this, we see two big opportunities for Alberta
Enhancing the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program
The AAIP has proven successful but must evolve to maximize its impact.
Key recommendations include:
- Setting clearer objectives and refining selection criteria to focus on improving economic outcomes.
- Increasing the weight of economic factors such as earning potential in the points system.
- Reducing biases against those in non-regulated professions and removing criteria with limited economic relevance.
- Simplifying the range of niche programs to improve navigation for newcomers and administration for government.
Accelerating Foreign Credential Recognition
Newcomers often face complex credential recognition processes, hindering their ability to contribute fully to the workforce. Key recommendations include:
- Coordinating with the federal government to provide important pre-arrival information for those planning to settle in Alberta.
- Removing regulatory bodies’ ability to require Canadian experience or redundant language testing for internationally trained individuals.
- Amending the Fair Registration Practices Act to include maximum timelines for regulatory bodies to provide a final assessment and a mediation pathway, if needed.
- Launching an International Credentials Comparison Initiative to evaluate credentials from the top ten source countries of newcomers to Alberta against provincial requirements.
