From Study Permit to Permanent Residence in Alberta — Your 2026 Option

Before building any PR plan around a post-graduation work permit, confirm you actually qualify for one. Eligibility now depends on your credential level:

•  University degree graduates: eligible regardless of field. Language requirement: CLB 7.

•  College diploma graduates: must have studied in an eligible field (CIP code). Language requirement: CLB 5.

Get your program’s CIP code from your institution’s registrar and cross-check it against the IRCC eligible fields list before assuming you qualify.

Full PGWP eligibility guide 

Route 1 — AAIP Alberta Opportunity Stream

This is the most commonly used pathway for graduates who are already working in Alberta with an employer.

What you need: a permanent, full-time job offer from an Alberta employer, at least 6 or 12 months of work experience in that occupation depending on the specific stream, a NOC TEER 0–3 occupation, and minimum CLB 4 language.

Timeline from EOI to PR: roughly 12–20 months depending on your stream and draw timing.

Route 2 — Express Entry, Canadian Experience Class

This route does not require a job offer or provincial nomination. It requires 1 year (1,560 hours) of skilled Canadian work experience in the last 3 years, language scores of CLB 7 for NOC TEER 0–1 occupations or CLB 5 for TEER 2–3, and an active Express Entry profile.

One important correction from older information you may have read: as of March 25, 2025, job offers no longer add points to your CRS score. Your score is based on age, education, language, and Canadian work experience.

If your occupation falls into a 2026 priority category — healthcare, trades, STEM, French language proficiency — you may be eligible for a category-based draw at a lower cut-off score than the general pool.

Route 3 — AAIP Accelerated Tech

For graduates working in technology occupations at Alberta tech companies. Requires an active Express Entry profile, a job offer from an Alberta tech employer, and a position in one of 38 eligible tech NOCs. No minimum CRS score required from Alberta. Processing is faster than standard AAIP streams.