FOR NEWCOMERS ON THIS BOARD
If you are a holder of an H1B (H1B1, H1C or E3) visa - you may be eligible to qualify for Canadian Permanent Residency through the Strategic Recruitment Stream pilot program recently introduced by the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).
Initially, we ask applicants to apply for pre-assessment to see if they qualify for the Strategic Recruitment Stream. For more information regarding the H1B Strategic Recruitment Stream (H1B SRS), please visit http://www.alberta-canada.com/immigration/campaigns/h1b.html
In order to proceed with a pre-assessment application, we require:
Completed H1B AINP Strategic Recruitment Stream Form http://www.alberta-canada.com/immigration/media/h1b_004.pdf
A photocopy of your passport – kindly only send a copy of the Photo and your personal information pages, of your current passport
A photocopy of your current H1B visa or current Notice of Action that lists your H1B visa.
Proof of your qualification for H1B (eg. education degree/diploma, license, certification, etc) please note, at this time 1 or 2 documents will suffice, we do not require transcripts
Proof of your current employment (a copy of your most recent pay stub)
Job description (a brief list/explanation of job duties) and to which Regional Occupations Under Pressure List in Alberta it applies (please consult the list for occupations and National Occupation Classification (NOC) number http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/oup/abouplist.shtml)
You can fax these documents attn: Gingie to 1-780-644-3329 or if you do not have a problem sending it over the internet, you can email us scanned copies of your documents to immigration.info@gov.ab.ca (Please only send the documents once – either by fax or by email)
* Kindly note: You should receive a confirmation email, that we have received the documents, within one week. If you have not heard from us within a week of sending your documents, you can resend the documents.
We look forward to receiving your documents, and if you have any further questions, feel free to email me, or contact the hotline number 1-780-427-6419
For more information regarding the AINP program, please visit http://www.albertacanada.com/immigration/immigrate/ainp.html
If you are not eligible for the H1B Strategic Recruitment stream, you may consider coming to work as a Temporary Foreign Worker, and then being nominated for permanent residence through your Alberta Employer. I have included some general information below about finding a job and getting a temporary work permit. The Alberta-Canada Jobs website list jobs posting from employers willing to hiring foreign nationals and/or temporary foreign workers.
Although we are not able to advise of all possible Alberta employers, please find below general information on working in Alberta and sources of information through which you may be able to find a job with an Alberta employer. Please note, the type of job you are offered will affect the process you must follow to obtain a work permit. The general process to obtain a work permit is outlined below.
The first step is for you to obtain a job offer from an employer that wishes to hire you as temporary foreign worker.
Alberta Employment and Immigration does not match prospective workers with job opportunities. Temporary foreign workers must find Canadian employment opportunities independently.
For assistance in finding employment in Alberta you may wish to consult the following websites.
Alberta-Canada Jobs (Employers specifically looking for foreign workers)
http://www.alberta-canada.com/jobs
Alberta First
http://www.albertafirst.com/opportunities/employment.asp
Job Banks for Alberta
http://alis.gov.ab.ca/employment/jp/jobbanksab.asp
National Job Bank of Canada
http://jobbank.gc.ca/Intro_en.asp
Employment websites
http://www.monster.ca/
http://www.workopolis.com/index.html
http://www.jobsincanada.com/
http://www.albertajobs.com/
Alberta Newspaper Listing:
This page includes the career section of the newspapers from Calgary , Edmonton , Fort Saskatchewan , Grand Prairie , Lethbridge , Medicine Hat , and Red Deer . http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/employment/jp/abnewspaper.asp
IT related websites
http://canada.computerwork.com/jobsearch/browseall.cfm
http://www.thingamajob.com/Browse-Jobs/
http://www.eetimescareers.com/jobsearch/AB/Technology/
http://www.beyond.com/jobsearch/AB/Technology/
http://www.techcareers.com/jobsearch/VA/Alberta/Technology/
http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=104&Id=1&Se=2&Sv=Recent&Lo=442
The employer who offers you employment must satisfy Service Canada that there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available to fill the position which you have been offered. If Service Canada is satisfied that there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available to fill the position, the position receives Service Canada’s approval and they will issue a positive labour market opinion (LMO) to the employer.
After you have a job offer from an Alberta employer, the employer should forward you a copy of the Service Canada LMO and the employment contract and inform you to apply for a work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). In most situations, a temporary foreign worker must apply for a work permit from outside of Canada . Applications for work permits can be made at a visa office at a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate. For more information, go to CIC’s website at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/apply-where.asp
Temporary foreign workers from some countries must also obtain a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) before traveling to Canada . Applications for TRV’s must also be made at a visa office at a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate. A list of countries whose citizens require TRV’s can be found at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp
Temporary foreign workers are responsible for proving they are qualified to meet the job requirements. They must also meet CIC’s requirements regarding admission to Canada including health and security checks. In some cases an immigration medical examination is required before coming to Canada . More information on immigration medical requirements can be found at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/medical/dcl.asp
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/medical/medexams-temp.asp
The decision to issue a work permit is in the discretion of the CIC visa officer reviewing your application.