The government of Alberta province in Western Canada has amended some selection criteria in three immigration programs. The province's rationale for this is to address the shortage of labor in the health sector and encourage immigration to rural areas.

Through the Alberta Express Entry Stream program, provincial authorities can recommend to the federal government to grant permanent residence to immigration applicants, with the final decision remaining with the latter.

The United Conservative Party (UCP) government in Edmonton, led by Danielle Smith, also stated that this year, 30% of the spots in this program will be allocated to healthcare professionals. However, these individuals must prove that they have a job offer to practice their profession in the province.

About 1500 immigration file holders will benefit from this amendment in 2023.

Alberta authorities estimate that by 2030, 9,100 jobs in the health sector will need to be filled, due to growing demand and the retirement of thousands of employees in this sector in the coming years.

Additionally, beyond the aforementioned program, Alberta is also working on simplifying the selection criteria for its two programs related to immigration to rural areas.

Individuals applying for permanent residence through the Rural Entrepreneur Stream program for rural business contractors will need to prove that they have invested at least $100,000 in Canada to submit their application. This minimum was previously set at $200,000.

Additionally, rural communities will no longer need a letter from an immigration agency to benefit from the Rural Renewal Stream program.

The Premier of Alberta sees that "taking these steps is not only right and good but also a necessity."

Alberta authorities also announced the launch of a hotline that allows applicants for permanent residence through the "Alberta Advantage Immigration Program" (AAIP) to communicate directly with government officials.