Foreigners interested in becoming police officers will soon be able to immigrate to Alberta and become permanent residents.
Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program has introduced a new pathway to permanent residency for foreign nationals aspiring to work as police officers in the province.
This initiative aims to bolster Alberta’s law enforcement capabilities and address recruitment challenges.
“We are creating a new Alberta Advantage Immigration Program pathway for law enforcement to help Alberta’s police services address crime and meet their recruitment objectives for public protection,” states an update from June 25 on the program’s website.
The eligible occupations for this pathway include commissioned and non-commissioned police officers, police investigators, and other specialized law enforcement occupations.
Under this new program, invited applicants must have a job offer from a member of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police and meet all other Express Entry criteria. Eligible employers for law enforcement nominations must also be members of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police.
The Express Entry system ranks immigration applications from skilled workers by score. Alberta then nominates the most qualified candidates to apply for permanent residence with the federal government.
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program works in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to streamline the immigration process.
“Keeping Albertans safe is a top priority of this government, and we are committed to protecting the safety and security of Albertans by supporting Alberta police services’ international police officer recruitment,” reads Alberta’s update.
Although some specifics of the new pathway are yet to be disclosed, the province promises that further information will be available soon.
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program nominates workers with skills to fill job shortages for permanent residency in Alberta and those planning to buy or start a business. The provincial and federal governments run the program.
“If you are nominated through the program, you may apply for permanent residence status together with your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children,” reads the program’s website.
Canada’s population grew by 3.2% between 2023 and 2024, surpassed by growth in Alberta, which led the way at 4.41%. Alberta continued to lead the pack between the first and second quarter of 2024, seeing a population growth of 1.02%, almost double the country’s average.
The first quarter of 2024 marked the 11th straight quarter where Alberta saw net gains through interprovincial migration, gaining 12,500 more people than left the province. Canadians are migrating mostly from Ontario and British Columbia, relocating from some of the most expensive provinces to one of the most affordable.
Canada’s population surpassed 41 million just after Apr. 1, 2024, following annual population growth not seen in 66 years.
Alberta’s population continues to increase at rates not seen since the 1980s.
In the first quarter of 2024, Alberta welcomed 32,893 new residents through international migration. An additional 12,482 residents came through interprovincial migration. Alberta was the only province to see significant gains from interprovincial migration, according to the provincial government.
“This was the seventh quarter in a row that Alberta registered the highest net interprovincial gains,” reads Alberta’s website.
True North reached out to the Ministry of Immigration and the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police for comment but received no reply.