Alberta invites priority sector workers and rural job offer holders to apply for provincial nomination
Between Sept. 24–Oct. 7, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued 476 invitations to apply for provincial nomination, across four selection rounds.
Invitations were extended to workers in priority occupations (e.g. aviation), job offer holders in rural Alberta, and Alberta Opportunity Stream candidates.
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Candidates selected by the province may proceed with a nomination application, and if successful, can then apply to the federal government for Canadian permanent residence (PR).
Provincial nominees who reside in Canada may qualify for a bridging open work permit (BOWP) once their PR application has been submitted.
Alberta Opportunity Stream and Rural Renewal Stream nominees may qualify for earlier access to BOWPs under a temporary federal measure that took effect on June 9, 2026.
An in-Canada work permit holder who applies for a BOWP prior to the expiry of their existing permit can gain authorization to work through maintained status until they receive a decision.
Draw details
| Draw date | Stream/pathway | Invitations issued | Minimum score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 7 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (Aviation) | 22 | 56 |
| Oct. 2 | Alberta Opportunity Stream | 123 | 54 |
| Sept. 29 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (General) | 200 | 64 |
| Sept. 24 | Rural Renewal Stream | 131 | 51 |
The province's recent AAIP draws marked two firsts for 2026, including its first priority sector draw dedicated exclusively to aviation candidates and its first general priority sector draw.
Active worker expressions of interest (WEOIs) vs. Invitations issued
The table below details the size of the WEOI pool by stream and pathway, alongside the corresponding number of invitations issued in 2026, based on Oct. 7 figures.
| Stream/pathway | Workers with active profiles | Invitations issued |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 21,667 | 8,419 |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1,570 | 1,174 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 3,138 | 227 |
| Dedicated Health Care Pathways (EE + non-EE) | 1,179 | 895 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 1,964 | 1,466 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway | 48 | <50 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Priority sector draws/other initiatives | 4,912 | >1,378 |
The AAIP has held 84 selection rounds to date in 2026, inviting no fewer than 13,564 candidates to apply for provincial nomination as of Oct. 7.
Nominations issued
After a selected AAIP candidate has responded to the invitation and their application has been processed by the province, Alberta issues them a provincial nomination, provided their application is approved.
Several months may pass between the issuance of an invitation to apply and the granting of a provincial nomination.
According to the AAIP's Processing Information web page, Alberta has issued a total of 5,541 provincial nominations this year as of Oct. 7, accounting for approximately 84% of its annual allocation of 6,603.
A province’s allocation refers to the number of nomination spaces it has for the year, which is distinct from the number of invitations it may issue through provincial draws.
Separate from its 2026 PNP allocation, Alberta has also used supplementary nomination spaces to nominate 50 practice-ready physicians and 12 francophone candidates.
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