Alberta issues 743 immigration invitations in June draws
Alberta invited 743 candidates to apply for provincial nomination between June 5 and June 15, 2026, through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). The invitations were distributed across seven selection rounds focused on key labour sectors.
The latest rounds targeted occupations in healthcare, manufacturing, and agriculture, reflecting the province’s current labour priorities. These draws form part of Alberta’s ongoing provincial immigration activity under its 2026 allocation.
The draws also bring the total number of AAIP selection rounds conducted this year to 50 as of mid-June.
- 743 invitations issued between June 5 and June 15, 2026
- Seven separate draws conducted under multiple AAIP streams
- Largest share issued through the Alberta Opportunity Stream
- Priority sectors included healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing
- Minimum scores ranged from 45 to 63 across draws
- Total invitations in 2026 reached 8,453 as of June 15
Breakdown of June 2026 AAIP draws
The seven draws held during this period covered multiple AAIP pathways, including streams aligned with Express Entry and those operating outside the federal system. Selection criteria and invitation volumes differed across each draw.
The June 5 draw under the Alberta Opportunity Stream accounted for the largest portion, issuing 462 invitations with a minimum score requirement of 50. This single round represented more than half of all invitations issued during the period.
Other draws targeted specific sectors under the Alberta Express Entry Stream’s priority pathways. Manufacturing candidates received 56 invitations on June 15 with a minimum score of 50, while agriculture candidates were invited on June 12 with a cutoff score of 52.
A healthcare-focused priority draw held on June 11 issued 50 invitations, requiring a minimum score of 63. Additional healthcare invitations were issued through dedicated pathways on June 8 and June 9, covering both Express Entry and non-Express Entry streams.
The Rural Renewal Stream also featured in this selection period, with 54 invitations issued on June 10 to candidates connected to participating rural communities.
Program streams and selection focus
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program operates multiple immigration pathways designed to address regional labour shortages and economic priorities. These include employer-driven streams and targeted selection streams linked to federal systems.
Among the pathways used during these draws were the Alberta Opportunity Stream, the Rural Renewal Stream, and the Alberta Express Entry Stream. Specific healthcare pathways, both aligned and not aligned with Express Entry, were also utilized.
The Alberta Express Entry Stream includes sector-based selection categories that prioritize occupations experiencing persistent labour demand. In the June draws, these priority categories were explicitly focused on healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.
Further details on Alberta’s draw activity can be found through the Alberta Draws (AAIP) index, which tracks selection rounds and invitation trends.
Alignment with 2026 provincial priorities
The June draws reflect Alberta’s stated focus areas for immigration selection in 2026. The province has identified healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, and rural community development as priority sectors for nomination.
Repeated draws targeting these sectors indicate continued emphasis on addressing workforce shortages in essential services and primary industries. The healthcare and agriculture priority draws conducted in mid-June were each the third of their kind this year.
Rural immigration initiatives have also remained a central component of Alberta’s approach, with the Rural Renewal Stream continuing to facilitate employer-supported immigration to smaller communities.
Annual nomination allocation and usage
Alberta received a total provincial nomination allocation of 6,403 spaces for 2026 from the federal government. This allocation determines how many candidates the province can nominate for permanent residence in a given year.
As of June 16, Alberta had already issued 2,869 nominations, leaving 3,534 spaces available for the remainder of the year. Nomination issuance occurs after candidates receive invitations and successfully complete the application process.
The Alberta Opportunity Stream had the largest allocation among all pathways, with 3,425 available nominations for 2026. By mid-June, 1,526 nominations had been issued under this stream, leaving 1,899 remaining.
The Rural Renewal Stream accounted for 1,000 spaces, of which 533 had been used. Dedicated healthcare pathways had an allocation of 500, with 131 nominations issued at that point in the year.
Other streams, including the Accelerated Tech Pathway and priority sector pathways under the Alberta Express Entry Stream, also continued to use portions of their allocated spaces.
Additional targeted nomination initiatives
Beyond its standard allocation, Alberta has used additional nomination capacity for specific groups identified as critical to the province’s workforce needs. These targeted initiatives include healthcare professionals and francophone candidates.
In 2026, the province allocated 50 nomination spaces to practice-ready physicians. An additional 12 nominations were assigned to French-speaking candidates under targeted immigration efforts.
These allocations operate separately from the main provincial quota and are intended to address specific demographic and occupational priorities established by federal and provincial agreements.
Application inventory and candidate pool
The AAIP maintains an inventory of candidates who have submitted Expressions of Interest, referred to as Worker Expressions of Interest (WEOIs). This pool is used to select candidates for invitation rounds across different streams.
As of June 16, the province reported 38,353 WEOIs in its system. The Alberta Opportunity Stream represented the majority of these submissions, accounting for approximately 63.1% of the total.
At the same time, 1,536 applications for provincial nomination were under processing. These applications had already been submitted following invitations issued in earlier rounds.
The size of the candidate pool and application inventory reflects ongoing demand for provincial nomination across Alberta’s economic immigration pathways.
Role of provincial nominee programs in Canada
Provincial nominee programs, including Alberta’s AAIP, form a key part of Canada’s economic immigration system. These programs allow provinces and territories to select candidates who meet specific regional labour market needs.
Many streams are aligned with the federal Express Entry system, while others operate independently. Enhanced nominations linked to Express Entry can add significant points to a candidate’s federal profile, while base nominations follow a separate admissions process.
Comparable programs operate across the country, including the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP), each with distinct criteria and selection methods tailored to local labour demands.
Ongoing selection activity in 2026
By June 15, Alberta had issued at least 8,453 invitations to apply for provincial nomination across all its draws in 2026. These invitations represent the first stage in the provincial immigration process.
Selection activity is expected to continue throughout the year as the province works toward utilizing its remaining nomination allocation. Future draws are anticipated to continue focusing on high-demand sectors and regional labour shortages.
The June 5 Alberta Opportunity Stream draw, which issued 462 invitations with a minimum score of 50, remains the largest single selection round within this mid-June series.
Further updates on provincial immigration activity, including draw results and program changes, are regularly reflected in official datasets and immigration reporting tools.