What happened in the recent Alberta draws?

This update is part of the Express Entry draws hub, with the Express Entry guide. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, AAIP, issued 476 invitations to apply for provincial nomination in four selection rounds from September 24 to October 7. These invitations targeted workers in priority occupations, job offer holders in rural Alberta, and Alberta Opportunity Stream candidates. The recent AAIP draws included two firsts for 2026: its first priority sector draw exclusively for aviation candidates and its first general priority sector draw.

Who did Alberta invite and with what scores?

Alberta invited candidates from the Alberta Express Entry Stream Priority Sectors Aviation, Alberta Opportunity Stream, Alberta Express Entry Stream Priority Sectors General, and Rural Renewal Stream. On October 7, 22 invitations went to Alberta Express Entry Stream Priority Sectors Aviation candidates with a minimum score of 56. On October 2, 123 invitations were issued to Alberta Opportunity Stream candidates with a minimum score of 54. September 29 saw 200 invitations for Alberta Express Entry Stream Priority Sectors General candidates with a minimum score of 64. On September 24, 131 invitations were issued to Rural Renewal Stream candidates with a minimum score of 51.

What do these invitations mean for candidates?

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. Provincial nominees residing in Canada may qualify for a bridging open work permit once their permanent residence application has been submitted. Alberta Opportunity Stream and Rural Renewal Stream nominees may qualify for earlier access to bridging open work permits under a temporary federal measure that took effect on June 9, 2026. An in Canada work permit holder who applies for a bridging open work permit prior to the expiry of their existing permit can gain authorization to work through maintained status until they receive a decision.

How many nominations has Alberta issued this year?

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 October 7. Alberta has issued a total of 5,541 provincial nominations this year as of October 7, accounting for approximately 84 percent of its annual allocation of 6,603. Separate from its 2026 Provincial Nominee Program allocation, Alberta has also used supplementary nomination spaces to nominate 50 practice ready physicians and 12 francophone candidates.