Semi-skilled Worker Category
Semi-Skilled Worker Category criteria include but are not limited to:
Alberta employer criteria
As an Alberta employer in the Semi-Skilled Worker Category, you must:
- Be incorporated or registered as a business in Alberta by or under an act of the legislature of a province or the Parliament of Canada and operating as a business that has an established production capability, plant or place of business in Alberta
- Be operating in one of the five (5) eligible industries under the AINP Semi-Skilled Worker Category listed below
- Provide a job offer for permanent, full-time employment to the candidate that:
- is in an eligible semi-skilled occupation
- meets Alberta's employment and wage standards
- does not conflict with existing collective bargaining agreements.
The AINP will not approve an application if there is a labour dispute in progress that may directly or indirectly involve the employer or the candidate.
- Have a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) Confirmation for the candidate and meet all the conditions of the LMIA.
- Submit to the AINP a candidate who meets all job requirements and AINP criteria.
- Provide a plan outlining your approach to accommodation, settlement, and retention for the candidate
- Complete a Settlement and Retention Plan (PDF)
- Meet all additional criteria required for your industry:
- food and beverage processing
- hotel and lodging
- manufacturing
- long-haul trucking industry
- foodservice industry (pilot project)
Note:
For the occupation of Front Desk Agent/Clerk (NOC 6525) only: if the Candidate is working with the Alberta Employer on a Post-Graduation Work Permit, an LMIA is not required.
Eligible industries and occupations
Industry: Food and Beverage Processing
Eligible occupations:
- Food and Beverage Production Worker (NOC 9617)
- Bakery Production Worker (NOC 9617)
- Food and Beverage Processing Equipment Cleaner (NOC 9617)
- Industrial Butchers and Meat Cutters (NOC 9462)
- Poultry Production Workers (NOC 9462)
Industry: Hotel and Lodging
Eligible occupations:
- Food and Beverage Servers (NOC 6513)
- Room Attendants (NOC 6731)
- Front Desk Agent/Clerk (NOC 6525)
Industry: Manufacturing
Eligible occupations:
- Shippers and Receivers (NOC 1521)
- Production Logisticvs Co-ordinators (NOC 1523)
- Purchasing and Inventory Control Workers (NOC 1524)
- Heavy Equipment Operator (Except Crane) (NOC 7521)
- Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Related Workers and Services Operators (NOC 8412)
- Machine Operators, Mineral and Metal Processing (NOC 9411)
- Foundry Workers (NOC 9412)
- Concrete, Clay and Stone Forming Operators (NOC 9414)
- Inspectors and Testers, Mineral and Metal Processing (NOC 9415)
- Metalworking and Forging Machine Operators (NOC 9416)
- Machining Tool Operators (NOC 9417)
- Chemical Plant Machine Operators (NOC 9421)
- Plastics Processing Machine Operators (NOC 9422)
- Rebber Processing Machine Operators and Related Workers (NOC 9423)
- Sawmill Machine Operators (NOC 9431)
- Pulp Mill Machine Operators (NOC 9432)
- Papermaking and Finishing Machine Operators (NOC 9433)
- Other Wood Processing Machine Operators (NOC 9434)
- Paper Converting Machine Operators (NOC 9435)
- Lumber Graders and Other Wood Processing Inspectors and Graders (NOC 9436)
- Woodworking Machine Operators (NOC 9437)
- Process Control and Machine Operators, Food, Beverage and Associated Products Processing (NOC 9461)
- Aircraft Assemblers and Aircraft Assembly Inspectors (NOC 9521)
- Electronics Assemblers, Fabricators, Inspectors and Testers (NOC 9523)
- Assemblers and Inspectors, Electrical Appliance, Apparatus and Equipment Manufacturing (NOC 9524)
- Assemblers, Fabricators and Inspectors, Industrial Electrical Motors and Transformers (NOC 9525)
- Mechanical Assemblers and Inspectors (NOC 9526)
- Machine Operators and Inspectors, Electrical Apparatus Manufacturing (NOC 9527)
- Manuafactured Housing Production Workers (NOC 9533)
- Prefabricated Housing Assemblers (NOC 9533)
- Furniture Finishers and Refinishers (NOC 9534)
- Plastic Products Assemblers, Finishers and inspectors (NOC 9535)
- Industrial Painters, Coaters and Metal Finishing Process Operators (NOC 9536)
Industry: Trucking
Eligible occupations:
- Long-Haul Truck Driver (NOC 7511)
Industry: Foodservices (pilot project)
Eligible occupations:
- Food and Beverage Servers (NOC 6513)
- Food Counter Attendants (NOC 6711)
- Kitchen Helpers (NOC 6711)
Candidate criteria
As a candidate in the Semi-Skilled Worker Category, you must:
- Be currently working in Alberta on a work permit for an eligible AINP Semi-Skilled Occupation (see list above)
- Show that you have completed a minimum of high school education
- In the Foodservices Industry (pilot project), your high school education must be equivalent to Alberta standards.
- Submit one of the following test results, showing that you meet minimum language standards. Your test result cannot be more than two (2) years old at the time you submit your AINP application. If you do not have test results or your test results are more than two (2) years old, go to the Language Test Centre section of the AINP website for up-to-date information on testing availability:
- A Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test taken on or before March 31, 2014, with minimum scores of:
- Listening: 2H
- Reading: 2H
- Writing: 2H
- Speaking: 2H
- A Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) General Test taken on or after April 1, 2014, with minimum scores of:
- Listening: 4
- Reading: 4
- Writing: 4
- Speaking: 4
- An International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Test with
- minimum scores of:
- Listening: 4.5
- Reading: 3.5
- Writing: 4
- Speaking: 4
- A Test d'Évaluation de Français (TEF) with minimum scores of:
- Listening: 145
- Reading: 121
- Writing: 181
- Speaking: 181
- Meet additional criteria required for your industry:
- Food and Beverage Processing
- Hotel and Lodging
- Manufacturing
- Long-Haul Trucking Industry
- Foodservice Industry (pilot project)
Meeting the criteria listed above does not guarantee a nomination or permanent residence.
Industry-specific criteria – food and beverage processing
As an Alberta Employer in the food and beverage processing industry, you must also:
- Operate an agricultural-based industrial food processing plant. In collaboration with the AINP's partner ministry, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AAF), this program has been established to assist with labour challenges in industrial food processing plants. Retail establishments are not considered part of the food processing sector for which this category was created and are not considered eligible employers under this AINP category.
- Have satisfactory recruitment strategies, employment policies and practices, retention and settlement in order to qualify for allocations.
As a Candidate in the food and beverage processing industry, you must also:
- Complete an interview with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AAF) staff and be able to satisfy AAF regarding your suitability for the AINP.
- Have a total of three years of full-time work experience in your home country prior to arriving in Canada in a physically demanding job similar to that found in the food and beverage processing industry.
- Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of three months before applying to the AINP.
Industry-specific criteria – hotel and lodging
As an Alberta Employer in the hotel and lodging industry, you must also:
- Be a member in good standing with the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and adopt the association's practices with respect to hiring and employing temporary foreign workers.
- Be aware that you are eligible for a maximum number of allocations per calendar year for Food and Beverage Servers and Room Attendants based on the total number of rooms at a property. Allocations can be for Food and Beverage Servers and Room Attendants or a combination of both. Allocations are as follows:
- 1 - 50 rooms = 2 allocations/calendar year
- 51 - 100 rooms = 4 allocations/calendar year
- 101 - 150 rooms = 6 allocations/calendar year
- 151 - 200 rooms = 8 allocations/calendar year
- 201- 250 rooms = 10 allocations/calendar year
- 251 - 350 rooms = 12 allocations/calendar year
- 351 - 400 rooms = 14 allocations/calendar year
- 401 - 450 rooms = 16 allocations/calendar year
- 451 rooms or more = 18 allocations/calendar year
- Be aware that you are only eligible for one allocation per property, per calendar year for the occupation of Front Desk Agent/Clerk.
- Have satisfactory recruitment strategies and conditions, employment policies and practices, retention and settlement in order to qualify for allocations.
Candidates must:
- Have a total of three (3) years of work experience in a job directly related to the hotel and lodging industry (abroad and/or in Canada).
- Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP.
Industry-specific criteria – manufacturing industry
As an Alberta Employer in the manufacturing industry, you must also:
- Have satisfactory recruitment strategies and conditions, employment policies and practices, retention and settlement in order to qualify for allocations.
As a Candidate in the manufacturing industry, you must also:
- Have a minimum of two years of work experience in a job similar to your employer's type of business;
- At least one year out of the two years must consist of work experience obtained in Canada.
- Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP.
Industry-specific criteria – long-haul trucking industry
Definition of long-haul and short-haul truck drivers
Long-haul: Drivers depart for destinations thousands of kilometres away from home. They cross inter-provincial boundaries and travel over international routes across North America. Drivers are away from home for several days per week or weeks at a time. A long-haul driver is one who operates a tractor-trailer combination vehicle and hauls commercial goods over long distances.
Long-haul truck drivers are eligible under the AINP.
Short-haul: Drivers typically leave home or the terminal in the morning and travel to destinations within a half day's or one day's drive; they make numerous stops to pick up and deliver goods over a relatively short distance.
Short-haul truck drivers are not eligible under the AINP.
As an Alberta Employer in the long-haul trucking industry, you must also:
- Have satisfactory recruitment strategies and conditions, employment policies and practices, retention and settlement in order to qualify for allocations.
- Allocations will also be based on:
- the number of temporary foreign workers approved under a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
- size of company, and
- total number of long-haul drivers employed by the company and past performance (retention rates)
- 10-15 per cent of the total number of long-haul drivers employed by the company
- Companies will not receive an allocation larger than the number of foreign drivers for which the company has received an LMIA.
- A review of the retention rate of the company with previous allocations will be conducted. Companies with retention rates of less than 50 per cent may not receive a full yearly allocation. These companies will have to demonstrate improved recruitment and hiring practices.
- Provide information regarding recruitment activity and supporting documentation that demonstrates that the foreign trained driver is aware of the scope of their employment, which includes:
- duration of long-haul trips taken
- mileage
- normal amount of days away from home
- anticipated annual salary.
- Show the Candidate has received in-Alberta training.
- If you provide the training, details of the training program must be provided, including training content, hours of training provided in a classroom and supervised road training, testing methodology, and results.
- If the training is provided by a third party, a copy of the program syllabus must be provided including hours of classroom and supervised road training, testing methodology and results.
- The in-Alberta training and supervision must certify familiarity with traffic laws, documentation requirements (record of loads, vehicle maintenance log books, mileage, etc.) and areas of specialization (hazardous goods, mountains, winter driving conditions, running in major metropolitan areas, etc).
- Show that Candidates have prior driving training and related experience in a professional capacity.
As a Candidate in the long-haul trucking industry, you must also:
- Be working for your Alberta employer as a long-haul truck driver (refer to definition above).
- Show you have a valid Alberta Class 1 driver's license and are eligible to meet provincial regulations.
- Provide a copy of your foreign driver's license which indicates C+E certification (if from Europe).
- Both parts of the license must be provided. If the driver's license is not in English, it must be translated by a certified translator.
- Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of six months before applying to the AINP.
- Have driven in a professional capacity before coming to Canada and provide sufficient credible documentation to demonstrate your previous driving related training (hazardous goods, etc.) and work experience.
- You must provide reference letters on company letterhead, dated, and signed with the title or position of the individual from the company who is providing the reference. E-mail letters are acceptable if they are sent from the e-mail account of the company that is providing the references (not hotmail, gmail or yahoo accounts). The letter must state the occupation of the employee, either HGV/LGV driver, and/or describe the work they performed which clearly indicates the equipment that was driven (articulated, semi, reefer, tanker, etc.).
Industry-specific criteria – foodservices industry (pilot project)
The AINP is continuing the pilot project evaluation process. In order to support the foodservices industry to meet its labour needs, the AINP will continue to accept applications for the three eligible occupations until the evaluation process has been completed.
Once the evaluation is concluded, the AINP will make a decision on the continuation of the Pilot. Employers and Candidates should visit the AINP website on a regular basis for updates on the status of this Pilot.
At this time, applications are currently being accepted and will be assessed against the criteria below.
As an Alberta Employer in the foodservices industry, you must also:
- Be aware that you are eligible for only one allocation per restaurant location for one (1) of the three selected occupations (listed above) under this pilot project.
- Sign an Employer Compliance Declaration Form (PDF) and attach it to your application, answering each question about the status of your business with the following legislative authorities:
- Employment Standards Code
- Public Health Act
- Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Workers' Compensation Act
- Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act.
You must be in compliance with all legislation. All your answers must be truthful, correct and complete. Failure to completely disclose your current status with any of the applicable legislative authorities will result in the refusal of current and future applications submitted to the AINP on the basis of non-disclosure. The AINP reserves the right to declare you as an employer ineligible to apply under the program for up to 5 years from date of application received for non-disclosure.
- You are obligated to uphold provincial standards for both workplace health and safety, and offer your candidate(s), for as long as your candidate(s) is/are employed, a sustainable and reliable work environment.
- The AINP supports all legislation regarding a safe and healthy work environment, and will not approve an employer who does not adequately demonstrate compliance in meeting the AINP criteria and applicable requirements, criteria and/or standards under that legislation.
- Show that accommodations for the Candidate are available at a cost that does not exceed 33 per cent of the Candidate's gross salary.
As a Candidate in the foodservices industry, you must also:
- Have a total of three (3) years of work experience in a job directly related to food and beverage services (abroad and/or in Canada).
- Be employed in Alberta for a minimum of nine (9) months before applying to the AINP.
