Alberta issues 185 AAIP invitations in April draws
Alberta conducted multiple immigration selection rounds between April 15 and April 27, 2026, issuing a combined 185 invitations under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). The draws targeted candidates across four distinct provincial pathways, including healthcare, law enforcement, and tourism-related streams.
The latest rounds form part of the province’s broader 2026 immigration strategy, which prioritizes sector-specific labour shortages and rural workforce needs. The selections contribute to a growing number of invitations issued by Alberta so far this year.
- 185 invitations issued between April 15 and April 27, 2026
- Four AAIP pathways included healthcare, law enforcement, and tourism streams
- April 27 draw issued 98 invitations under Tourism and Hospitality Stream
- Total of 32 Alberta draws conducted in 2026 to date
- At least 5,218 invitations issued across AAIP streams this year
Breakdown of April 2026 AAIP draws
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program held four draws over the two-week period, each aligned with a specific stream or pathway. Invitation numbers and minimum selection scores varied depending on the category.
The largest round occurred on April 27 through the Tourism and Hospitality Stream, where 98 invitations were issued to candidates with a minimum score of 71. This stream accounted for more than half of all invitations granted during the period.
Earlier draws focused on healthcare professionals through two separate pathways. On April 15, 50 invitations were issued via the Alberta Express Entry Stream’s priority sector category, with a minimum score of 55.
Another healthcare-focused draw took place on April 16 under the non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care Pathway, resulting in 37 invitations with a lower minimum score threshold of 46.
A smaller draw under the Alberta Express Entry Law Enforcement Pathway occurred on April 23, issuing fewer than 10 invitations. The minimum score required for this selection was 58.
Alignment with Alberta’s 2026 immigration priorities
The April draws reflect Alberta’s stated focus for 2026, which includes targeted recruitment in critical sectors such as healthcare. Provincial authorities have highlighted healthcare occupations as a key priority for addressing ongoing labour shortages.
Both healthcare-related draws in mid-April align with this approach, reinforcing the province’s emphasis on attracting skilled workers in medical and related occupations.
Beyond healthcare, Alberta has identified additional priority sectors for immigration selection in 2026. These include technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, and rural workforce development.
The tourism and hospitality sector, which received the largest share of invitations in late April, has also been identified as experiencing workforce demand in certain regions of the province.
Overall AAIP activity in 2026
As of early May 2026, Alberta has conducted 32 draws under the AAIP. These rounds have resulted in at least 5,218 invitations issued across multiple streams and pathways.
The Alberta Opportunity Stream has accounted for the largest portion of invitations so far this year, with 3,025 issued through this pathway alone.
This stream remains a central component of Alberta’s Provincial Nominee Program, designed to address labour needs by selecting candidates already working in the province.
Provincial nomination allocation and usage
For 2026, the federal government allocated 6,403 nomination spaces to Alberta under the Provincial Nominee Program. These nominations allow the province to recommend candidates for permanent residence.
By April 29, Alberta had used 1,849 of its allocated nominations, leaving 4,554 spaces still available for the remainder of the year.
Provincial data also indicates that 1,469 nomination applications were in processing as of the same date. These figures reflect ongoing demand across multiple AAIP streams.
Nomination allocations are distributed across several pathways, with the Alberta Opportunity Stream receiving the largest share at 3,425 spaces in 2026.
The Rural Renewal Stream has been allocated 1,000 nominations, while the Accelerated Tech Pathway under Alberta Express Entry has 600 spaces assigned for the year.
Dedicated healthcare pathways, including both Express Entry and non-Express Entry categories, have a combined allocation of 500 nominations.
Stream-specific nomination usage
As of late April, 1,094 nominations had been issued through the Alberta Opportunity Stream, leaving 2,331 spots remaining. The Rural Renewal Stream had issued 298 nominations, with 702 still available.
The Tourism and Hospitality Stream, despite recent draw activity, had used 55 of its 150 allotted nominations. Meanwhile, healthcare pathways had issued 61 nominations from a pool of 500.
The Accelerated Tech Pathway recorded 194 nominations issued out of its 600 allocation, indicating continued activity in technology-related occupations.
Inventory of candidates and applications
Alberta maintains a large pool of candidates who have submitted Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for immigration through the AAIP. As of April 29, 2026, there were 41,763 worker EOIs in the system.
The majority of these submissions—approximately 63.8%—were associated with the Alberta Opportunity Stream. This highlights the stream’s central role in attracting applicants already connected to the provincial labour market.
Other streams also show active candidate pools, including 4,742 EOIs under Express Entry priority sector initiatives and 4,088 under the Tourism and Hospitality Stream.
The Accelerated Tech Pathway reported 2,554 EOIs, while the Rural Renewal Stream had 2,137 candidates in its pool.
Healthcare pathways accounted for 1,543 EOIs, reflecting ongoing interest in medical occupations targeted by the province.
Applications under review
In addition to EOIs, Alberta reported several pending applications awaiting processing across streams. The Alberta Opportunity Stream had 583 applications in progress, while the Rural Renewal Stream had 254.
The Accelerated Tech Pathway listed 128 applications under review, and the Tourism and Hospitality Stream had 13 applications pending.
Healthcare-related pathways recorded 21 applications in the processing queue, while Express Entry priority sector categories accounted for 205 pending files.
Additional nomination categories
Beyond standard AAIP allocations, Alberta has also utilized nomination spaces for specific groups. These include practice-ready physicians and French-speaking candidates selected under targeted federal measures.
So far in 2026, the province has issued 50 nominations to practice-ready physicians and 12 to francophone candidates.
These figures reflect targeted efforts to address healthcare system needs and support French-speaking communities within the province.
Context within Canada’s provincial immigration system
Alberta’s immigration activity forms part of Canada’s broader Provincial Nominee Program framework, which allows provinces to select immigrants based on regional labour market priorities.
Other provinces, including Manitoba through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, operate similar selection systems tailored to local economic demands.
Each province receives a fixed nomination allocation annually from the federal government, which it distributes across various streams and categories.
Ongoing AAIP selection activity
The April 2026 draws demonstrate continued use of targeted selection mechanisms within Alberta’s immigration system. The inclusion of multiple streams in a short period highlights the program’s sector-based approach.
With 4,554 nomination spaces still available as of April 29, further draws are expected throughout the year as Alberta continues to manage its allocation and address workforce demands.
Recent data shows that 98 invitations issued on April 27 through the Tourism and Hospitality Stream represented the largest single draw during the period, underscoring shifting priorities across sectors.