Alberta launches a new PNP stream on 1 March for the tourism and hospitality sectors. This new stream will focus on interested individuals who have already been working for these sectors for at least 6 months and meet the criteria to establish themselves in Alberta permanently.
The new stream will work under the Alberta Advantage Immigration PNP program. The provincial government through this immigration program helps its economic growth by choosing candidates for the shortage occupations. It also issued 9,750 nominations through AAIP last year. The quota however has not been announced for 2024 yet. Whereas all provinces have been allocated a quota of 110,000 for the 2024 immigration plan year.
To apply for this new stream, the candidates must show that they have a full-time work offer from an employer from the Tourism and Hospitality sector. This means seasonal jobs do not qualify under this new stream.
The government of Alberta through this new PNP stream wants to retain workers in small areas of the province. This will also help fulfill the shortage of workers in these specific sectors.
Muhammad Yaseen, Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism said about this new stream:
“The future of Alberta’s visitor economy depends on a thriving tourism and hospitality sector being able to meet the increasing demands of visitor traffic throughout the province. We’ve listened to stakeholders as they’ve shared concerns about the persistent labor shortages within their industry, and this new stream is a direct response to those challenges.”
Darren Reeder, president and chief executive officer, of the Tourism Industry Association of Alberta also talked about it and said:
“Alberta’s tourism and hospitality sector is a significant employer and contributor to the province’s economic well-being. With the government’s commitment to more than double the value of Alberta’s visitor economy, the new Tourism Hospitality Stream of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program is a foundational element to ensuring the province develops a year-round tourism labor force that assists with the development of new tourism products and services that global travelers are seeking.”