Alberta has earmarked $10 million to entice skilled labour from outside the province. The newly released 2024-25 provincial budget announces a one-time $5,000 refundable tax credit for workers in designated occupations who relocate to the province this year.

More details are promised in the coming weeks, but the credit is expected to be available for incoming workers who arrive in Alberta as early as this April. To qualify, recipients must file taxes in Alberta, have fulltime employment in a specified occupation and live in the province for at least 12 months.

“We heard from industry that more skilled workers are needed, and we agree,” Finance Minister Nate Horner said as he tabled the budget.

Dubbed an “attraction bonus,” the tax credit is aligned with the Alberta Calling campaign, which promotes the province to prospective migrants. Horner reported that approximately 195,000 new residents arrived in the 12 months between October 2022 and 2023, representing the province’s largest annual growth spurt since the 1980s.