Alberta greenlighted to nominate 200 additional workers for permanent residence this year
The federal government has granted the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) 200 additional nomination slots for 2026, allowing more workers to be selected for permanent residence this year.
The AAIP's total nomination allocation now stands at 6,603 for the year, up from 6,403, with stream-by-stream allocations adjusted to reflect the change.
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The Government of Alberta announced this increase on its AAIP – Updates webpage on August 10, 2026.
How will nominations be distributed moving forward?
Following the increase to Alberta’s 2026 allocation, certain streams saw their nomination allotments rise, while others received fewer spots as a result of the redistribution.
Reflecting its status as the most sought-after stream among foreign nationals hoping to settle in Alberta, the Alberta Opportunity Stream received the highest number of nominations following the boost.
On the other hand, fewer law enforcement professionals and entrepreneurs will now be selected for provincial nomination.
The table below provides a full stream-by-stream breakdown of how nominations will now be allocated under the AAIP for the remainder of the year:
| Stream/ pathway | New nomination allocation | Previous nomination allocation | Difference | Nominations already issued |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 3,562 | 3,425 | +137 | 2,085 |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1,057 | 1,000 | +57 | 613 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 156 | 150 | +6 | 129 |
| Dedicated Health Care Pathways (EE + non-EE) | 518 | 500 | +18 | 220 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 619 | 600 | +19 | 388 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway | 12 | 38 | -26 | <10 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Priority sector draws/initiatives | 619 | 600 | +19 | 420 |
| Entrepreneur streams | 60 | 90 | -30 | 30 |
The expanded capacity strengthens its “ability to support regional labour market needs and advance key provincial priorities,” the province explained in the August 10 news update.
How many nominations have already been issued?
As of July 30, Alberta has issued 3,892 nominations through the AAIP, and an additional 65 nominations to practice-ready physicians and francophones through federal initiatives separate from its provincial nominee program.
With the expanded allocation taken into account, Alberta reported having 2,711 nomination spaces remaining as of July's end.
It’s worth highlighting that in 2025, despite being allotted 6,603 nominations, the province issued a total of 6,750 nominations by year’s end, having cited a small Express Entry administrative overage provided by the federal government.
It remains to be seen whether something similar will unfold in 2026.
Earlier this year, the Government of Alberta announced that it would be prioritizing rural settlement and workers in occupations across the following sectors:
- Healthcare;
- Technology;
- Construction;
- Manufacturing;
- Aviation; and
- Agriculture.
As of the time of this writing, these continue to remain the province’s “primary focus areas” for the year—though as previously mentioned, this is not an exhaustive list, meaning workers in other sectors will continue to be considered.
Demand greatly outweighs available spaces
While the increase to the AAIP’s 2026 nomination allocation will allow more workers to settle in the province, demand continues to outweigh the number of spaces available under the program.
As of July 30, the AAIP reported having 36,948 Worker Expressions of Interest (WEOIs) in its inventory.
The majority of these—62.4%—were submitted under the Alberta Opportunity Stream:
| Stream/pathway | Number of WEOIs in the pool |
|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 23,056 |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1,850 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 3,558 |
| Dedicated Health Care Pathways (EE + non-EE) | 1,332 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 2,136 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway | 53 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Priority sector draws/initiatives | 4,963 |
Along with provincial labour needs, WEOI inventory levels likely also played a role in how Alberta distributed its additional nomination spaces. To illustrate: While the Alberta Opportunity Stream has more than 23,000 submissions, its Express Entry – Law Enforcement pathway has only about 50.
The federal government plans to welcome 380,000 new permanent residents in 2026 according to its 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan, with 91,500 admitted through PNPs—the AAIP being just one of these.
As such, many workers currently in the AAIP’s WEOI pool can reasonably expect to be considered for permanent residence in upcoming years, as the province can only issue 6,603 provincial nominations in 2026.
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