The government of Alberta has announced that applicants to the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) who have been affected by the recent wildfires in the Fort McMurray area will be given an additional year to maintain eligibility while their application is in the queue awaiting processing.

Applicants are urged to contact the AINP to update their information.

In a notice posted on its website, the government of Alberta stated:

If you have an application currently in the queue waiting to be assessed and you are unemployed due to the wildfire, your application will be put on hold up to a maximum of one year from the date of evacuation to give you time to maintain your eligibility. Once you inform us that you have found new or alternate employment in an occupation eligible under the AINP, your application will be returned to its original spot in the queue for processing. Keep in mind that your new employer must also meet eligibility criteria.

If you have already received a nomination, your nomination will be maintained and you will be given an opportunity to find new or alternate employment (in an occupation eligible under the AINP and the new employer must also meet eligibility criteria). Be sure to keep the AINP informed of your employment status. If you are actively looking for employment, your nomination will be maintained.

Last week, large wildfires in Northern Alberta became out of control, forcing more than 80,000 residents to flee the Fort McMurray. Unseasonably high temperatures, high winds, and dry conditions meant that the fire spread quickly, engulfing many homes and businesses in the process.

Over recent years, many immigrants to Canada, as well as a large number of temporary foreign workers, moved to Fort McMurray, attracted by a booming economy in the oil sands of Northern Alberta, which has some of the largest oil deposits in the world. Many of these foreign workers have applied for permanent resident status through the AINP.

The AINP may be contacted by email at immigration.info@gov.ab.ca or by phone:

Monday to Friday: 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time
Hours of operation have changed to be available starting at 8:15 a.m. and will continue until further notice

Toll-free: 1-877-427-6419 from anywhere in Alberta
Telephone: 780-427-6419 from outside Alberta

For wildfire related information, call 310-4455.

Learn more about the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP).