Alberta kickstarts 2026 by issuing over 1,100 invitations across four draws
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has published details of its latest provincial immigration draws, held between January 26 and February 2, 2026.
Over this period, Alberta issued 1,169 invitations across its:
- Dedicated Health Care Pathways (Express Entry and non-Express Entry);
- The Alberta Express Entry Stream’s Accelerated Tech Pathway; and
- The Alberta Opportunity Stream.
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Summary of draws (January 26–February 2)
Alberta’s most recent draw results show four rounds of invitations having occurred in a single week.
The largest draw in this date range was Alberta’s February 2 selection through the Alberta Opportunity Stream, which accounted for 78% of invitations issued on its own.
| Draw date | Stream / pathway | Number of invitations issued | Cut-off score |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2, 2026 | Alberta Opportunity Stream | 915 | 57 |
| January 29, 2026 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 148 | 63 |
| January 27, 2026 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway – non-Express Entry | 43 | 45 |
| January 26, 2026 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry | 63 | 61 |
Notably, the lowest cut-off score over this period appeared in the non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care draw on January 27, with a minimum score of 45.
2026 priorities and selection approach
As of its most recent update, Alberta says AAIP draws and nominations in 2026 will prioritize occupations tied to health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, as well as communities designated under the Rural Renewal Stream.
The province has noted, however, that it may issue invitations outside of these designated priorities.
The province also emphasizes that draws are not scheduled and that the published minimum score is not the only factor considered for selection—others may include:
- Work experience in a priority occupation;
- Working as a licensed physician in Alberta; or
- Being a francophone newcomer looking to immigrate to the province.
Provincial nomination figures
Alberta reports a 2026 nomination allocation of 6,403, with 405 nominations issued and 5,964 spaces remaining as of February 5, 2026.
So far, the majority of nominations issued have been through the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
Alberta also notes that up to 10,000 federal immigration spaces are available across all Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) for practice-ready physicians and Francophones meeting federal criteria—and AAIP nominations issued under that initiative in 2026 won’t count toward Alberta’s 6,403 allocation.
AAIP stream-level snapshot
The AAIP’s processing information also includes stream allocations, issued nominations, remaining spaces, and the size of each EOI pool.
As of February 5, here are the figures provided by Alberta for each stream/pathway:
| Stream / pathway | 2026 nomination allocation | Nominations issued (2026) | Spaces remaining | EOIs in selection pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 3,425 | 255 | 3,170 | 28,412 |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1,000 | Less than 10 | N/A | 3,185 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 150 | 29 | 121 | 4,928 |
| Dedicated Health Care Pathways (EE + non-EE) | 500 | 34 | 466 | 1,406 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 600 | 34 | 566 | 2,653 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway | 38 | Less than 10 | N/A | 91 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Priority sector draws/initiatives | 600 | 48 | 518 | 4,371 |
| Total EOI pool (all worker streams) | 45,276 |
As of the time of this writing, there are 1,006 applications awaiting processing in Alberta’s inventory.
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