Alberta Tourism and Hospitality – Overview
The Alberta Tourism and Hospitality (ATH) stream is one of Alberta’s PNP streams that requires the candidate to hold a job offer from an employer in Alberta to be eligible.
When receiving a nomination under the ATH, candidates can then apply for Permanent Residence to the federal government of Canada.
This stream is not aligned with Express Entry, which means that candidates cannot take advantage of the 6-month average processing times of Express Entry. Processing times of Provincial Nominee Programs (not aligned with Express Entry) are usually longer and take at least 1 year.
The ATH does require a valid job offer as its main eligibility requirement, and candidates do not need to provide proof of funds. There are other requirements that must be fulfilled regarding the candidate, the employer, and the job offer.
Alberta Tourism and Hospitality – Eligibility Requirements
There are 7 main categories of eligibility requirements that we will summarize below. You can apply to the Alberta Tourism and Hospitality (ATH) stream if you, your employer, and your job offer satisfy to all the requirements below. Again, there is no settlement funds required for this stream.
Language
You must demonstrate you have a minimum Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) test score of 4 either in French or in English for each of the 4 language abilities.
Education
You need to have completed a minimum of high school education, equivalent to Alberta standards.
You must provide a copy of an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for your highest level of education, unless (i) you have a Canadian degree, diploma or certificate from a recognized Canadian post-secondary, technical college or secondary institution, or (ii) you have a valid Alberta Qualification Certificate or a trade certificate recognized by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT).
Job offer
To apply for the ATH, you must have a valid job offer from an approved Tourism and Hospitality employer. You must be working full-time for the employer in Alberta.
To be eligible to the ATH, the job offer must be signed by you and your Alberta employer and must offer the following conditions :
- Continuous, paid work.
- Full-time work (minimum of 30 hours/week).
- Employment for at least 12 months.
- Work in your current occupation.
- Wages and benefits that meet provincial minimum wage and:
- meet or exceed the requirements set out in your Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or
- if you are LMIA exempt, meet or exceed the lowest starting wage for your occupation across all industries in Alberta.
The following job offer conditions and individuals are not eligible to the ATH:
- Part-time, casual or seasonal employment, regardless of working hours.
- Independent contractors, business owners or temporary agency workers, including individuals listed as Directors, Shareholders or Agents of the Alberta employer on the Corporate Registry System (CORES).
- Employees who work in Alberta in a place of employment that is not zoned for commercial or industrial operations, such as a home-based business.
- Employees who do not work on premises in Alberta, such as those who work in a “virtual” location or serve the employer by telecommuting from a location outside Alberta.
Work experience
You must have been working full-time (30 hours per week minimum) with an approved Tourism and Hospitality employer, in one of the eligible occupations, for a minimum of six consecutive months (or minimum of 780 hours).
To be considered valid, the work experience:
- must have been for the same employer as your current Alberta job offer
- must have been paid
- must have been authorized by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and with valid temporary resident status if completed in Alberta or Canada
Eligible Occupations
Below is the list of eligible occupations that apply to ATH candidates:
- NOC 54100 – Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport, and fitness
- NOC 60030 – Restaurant and food services managers
- NOC 60031 – Accommodation service managers
- NOC 62020 – Food service supervisors
- NOC 62200 – Chefs
- NOC 63200 – Cooks
- NOC 64300 – Maîtres d’hôtel and hosts/hostesses
- NOC 64301 – Bartenders
- NOC 64314 – Hotel front desk clerks
- NOC 64320 – Tour and travel guides
- NOC 64322 – Outdoor sport and recreational guides
- NOC 65200 – Food and beverage servers
- NOC 65201 – Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations
- NOC 65210 – Support occupations in accommodation, travel, and facilities set-up services
- NOC 65310 – Light duty cleaners
- NOC 65311 – Specialized cleaners
- NOC 65312 – Janitors, caretakers, and heavy-duty cleaners
- NOC 65320 – Dry cleaning, laundry, and related occupations
Approved Tourism and Hospitality Employer
Requirements for an approved Tourism and Hospitality employers are the following:
- The employer has valid Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) coverage or is exempt from needing coverage.
- The employer’s primary business activities belongs to an eligible industry:
- Museums/Art Galleries (WCB code 80701)
- Zoos/Game Farms (WCB code 80703)
- Bowling Alleys/Billiard Parlours (WCB code 85300)
- Golf Clubs/Ranges (WCB code 85900)
- Ski Resorts/Gondolas (WCB code 85904)
- Casinos/Dance Halls (WCB code 85916)
- Arenas/Stadiums (WCB code 85919)
- Travel Agency/Motor Association (WCB code 85925)
- Restaurants/Catering (WCB code 87501)
- Hotels/Convention Centres (WCB code 87503)
- Sports and Recreation (WCB code 87600)
- Property Management/Hostels (WCB code 89702)
- Private Clubs (WCB code 87508)
- Operation of a Curling Rink (Multiple WCB codes)
- Operation of an Ice Skating Rink (Multiple WCB codes)
- Operation of a Cricket Field (Multiple WCB codes)
- Operation of a Convention Bureau (Multiple WCB codes)
- Operation of an Information Bureau (Multiple WCB codes)
- Promotions, sports and entertainment (Multiple WCB codes)
- Professional sports (Multiple WCB codes)
- The employer is a member of an eligible sector association (or if they cannot be a member of any of the eligible sector associations, be listed as an Experience Provider with Travel Alberta):
- Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA)
- Alberta Bed and Breakfast Association (ABBA)
- Restaurants Canada
- Indigenous Tourism Alberta
- Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO)
- Canada West Ski Areas Association (CWSAA)
- Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG)
- Alberta Golf Association
- Convention Centres Canada (CCC)
- Tourism Industry Association of Alberta (TIAA)
- Alberta Hospitality Association
- Tourism HR Canada
- Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)
Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) Points Grid
Candidates must submit a Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) if they are interested in receiving an invitation to the Alberta Tourism and Hospitality (ATH) stream.
Based on your EOI, you are given a score out of 100 points, that depends on two factors. Receiving an invitation to apply will depend on your score and specific profiles Alberta is looking for.
| Factors | Sub-factors | Maximum Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Human Capital Factors
(69 points) |
(i) Education | 22 |
| (ii) Language | 13 | |
| (iii) Work Experience | 21 | |
| (iv) Age | 5 | |
| (v) Family Connection in Alberta | 8 | |
| 2. Economic Factors
(31 points) |
(i) Alberta Job Offer | 31 |
| Total | 100 |
1. Human Capital Factors
1.(i). Education
You can earn a maximum of 22 points with your highest educational credential.
| 1.(i). Education (Max 22 points) | Points |
|---|---|
| Highest Level of Education Completed (Max 12 points) | 12 |
| – Doctoral Degree | 12 |
| – Master’s Degree | 10 |
| – Bachelor’s Degree | 7 |
| – Trades Certificate/Diploma | 7 |
| – Diploma/Certificate | 4 |
| – Secondary (High) school or less | 0 |
| Location of Highest Level of Education Completed in Canada (Max 10 points) | 10 |
| – Completed in Alberta | 10 |
| – Completed in another Canadian province or territory | 6 |
1.(ii). Language
You can earn up to 13 points depending on your language proficiency in French or English. You need to pass an approved language test, and your scores can be translated to Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB).
Points are awarded according to the lowest CLB score obtained in each of the four competencies: listening, speaking, reading and writing. If proficient in both English and French, points will be awarded to the higher points between the two scores.
| 1.(ii). Language (Max 13 points) | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Language Proficiency (Max 10 points) | English | French |
| – CLB6 or higher | 10 | 8 |
| – CLB5 | 8 | 5 |
| – CLB4 | 5 | 3 |
| – CLB3 or lower | 0 | 0 |
| Additional Points (Max 3 points) | ||
| – Language proficiency level of CLB4 in both French and English | 3 | |
1.(iii). Work Experience
You can earn up to 21 points if you have enough work experience in Canada and/or outside Canada.
| 1.(iii). Work Experience (Max 21 points) | Points |
|---|---|
| Total Work Experience (Max 11 points) | 11 |
| – 12 months of work experience or more | 11 |
| – 6 to 11 months of work experience | 7 |
| – Less than 6 months of work experience | 3 |
| Work Experience in Canada (Max 10 points) | 10 |
| – 6 months or more work experience in Alberta | 10 |
| – 6 months or more work experience in another Canadian province or territory | 6 |
1.(iv). Age
You can earn up to 5 points depending on your age.
| 1.(iv). Age (Max 5 points) | Points |
|---|---|
| 18-20 years old | 3 |
| 21-34 years old | 5 |
| 35-49 years old | 4 |
| 50 years and older | 3 |
1.(iv). Family Connection in Alberta
You can earn up to 8 points if you have Canadian or permanent resident family members residing in Alberta.
| 1.(v). Family Connection in Alberta (Max 8 points) | Points |
|---|---|
| You or your spouse/partner have a relative, permanent resident or Canadian citizen, residing in Alberta. The relative can be a (i) parent, (ii) grandparent, (iii) child of a parent (sibling), (iv) child of a grandparent (uncle or aunt), or (v) grandchild of a parent (nephew or niece). Points are not awarded for family connections for your in-laws. | 8 |
2. Economic Factors
2.(i). Alberta Job Offer
You can earn up to 31 points if you have a job offer from an employer in Alberta, based on the following criteria.
| 2.(i). Alberta Job Offer (Max 31 points) | Points |
|---|---|
| Job offer for permanent full-time employment in Alberta | 10 |
| Job offer to work in select Alberta rural communities or sector (Max 6 points) | 6 |
| – Endorsement letter from a designated community in the Rural Renewal Stream | 6 |
| – Job offer for the tourism and hospitality sector from an employer who is a member of a required sector association under the Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 6 |
| – Job offer in a law enforcement occupation from an employer who is a member of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) | 6 |
| Alberta job offer location (Max 5 points) | 5 |
| – Calgary Census Metropolitan area | 0 |
| – Edmonton Census Metropolitan area | 0 |
| – Rural Renewal Stream designated community | 5 |
| – Other Alberta community | 5 |
| Job offer in a regulated occupation in Alberta and candidate meets regulatory requirements to practice the occupation in Alberta | 10 |
Alberta Tourism and Hospitality – Application Process
For a better understanding of the process, below is a list of the steps involved in obtaining Permanent Residence through the Alberta Tourism and Hospitality (ATH) stream. Candidates must:
- Qualify for the minimum ATH stream eligibility requirements and submit a Worker Expression of Interest in the AAIP portal.
- Obtain an invitation to apply directly in the AAIP portal.
- Apply to the ATH stream by submitting their application through their AAIP portal (filling in forms and uploading required documents).
- Apply for permanent residence to the federal government (IRCC) within 6 months of receiving the nomination (after AAIP processes their application). Candidates need to apply online to IRCC, and include the nomination documentation received from the AAIP.
Alberta Tourism and Hospitality – Application Fees
Alberta Tourism and Hospitality – Processing Times
As of January 13, 2026
Alberta Tourism and Hospitality stream
- Number of applications in the queue : 73
- The AAIP is assessing applications received before : January 10, 2025
- Number of allocations issued in 2026 to date: 10
- Number of total nominations for 2026 (total allocation): 150
