EDMONTON — The Alberta government is asking the federal government for more control over provincial immigration.

Premier Danielle Smith has written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to re-evaluate his government’s decision that places limits on the numbers for Alberta’s provincial nominee program in 2024.

She says Alberta has been informed it will receive less than 10,000 allotments but says it should be double that number given Alberta is a key driver of jobs and the national economy.

The program nominates people for permanent residence in Alberta if they have skills to fill job shortages or plan to start a business.

Smith says there are 57,000 Ukrainians who came to Alberta after the beginning of the Russian invasion and says the province would like to see more.

The federal Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel ended last summer but visa holders have until the end of the month to arrive in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press