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Alberta Kickstarts 2026 With Over 1,100 Immigration Invitations in a Single Week

By Vikrant Singh, February 09, 2025

Alberta has started 2026 with a clear message: the province is open for skilled talent. In the final week of January and the first days of February, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued 1,169 invitations across four targeted draws, signalling an aggressive and well-defined immigration strategy for the year ahead.


Four draws, one decisive week

Between January 26 and February 2, 2026, Alberta conducted four invitation rounds spanning health care, technology, and worker-focused pathways. The scale and pace stood out—four draws in just seven days—highlighting Alberta’s intent to move quickly in a competitive global talent market.


The headline moment came on February 2, when the Alberta Opportunity Stream alone issued 915 invitations, accounting for nearly 78% of all invitations released during this period.


Draw summary (January 26 – February 2, 2026):

  • February 2, 2026 – Alberta Opportunity Stream: 915 invitations, cut-off 57

  • January 29, 2026 – Express Entry (Accelerated Tech Pathway): 148 invitations, cut-off 63

  • January 27, 2026 – Dedicated Health Care Pathway (non-Express Entry): 43 invitations, cut-off 45

  • January 26, 2026 – Dedicated Health Care Pathway (Express Entry): 63 invitations, cut-off 61

Notably, the lowest cut-off score of 45 appeared in the non-Express Entry health care draw—an encouraging signal for applicants working in Alberta’s essential health sectors.

What Alberta is prioritizing in 2026

Alberta has been transparent about its 2026 selection focus. AAIP draws this year are prioritizing occupations tied to:

  • Health care

  • Technology

  • Construction and manufacturing

  • Aviation and agriculture

  • Rural communities under the Rural Renewal Stream


That said, the province has also emphasized flexibility. Invitations may still be issued outside these priority categories, and cut-off scores are only one part of the selection equation.

Other factors Alberta may weigh include:

  • Work experience in a priority occupation

  • Practising as a licensed physician in Alberta

  • Francophone language ability


Crucially, Alberta reiterates that draws are unscheduled, making timing and readiness more important than ever for candidates in the pool.

Nomination numbers: plenty of room left

For 2026, Alberta has a nomination allocation of 6,403. As of February 5, 2026, the province has issued:

  • 405 nominations, with

  • 5,964 nomination spaces still available


The Alberta Opportunity Stream has led the way so far, accounting for the majority of issued nominations.

In a significant bonus for certain candidates, Alberta confirmed that up to 10,000 federal PNP spaces are available nationwide for practice-ready physicians and Francophones. Any AAIP nominations issued under this federal initiative do not count toward Alberta’s 6,403 allocation, effectively expanding opportunities in these categories.

AAIP stream snapshot: where demand is building

Alberta’s latest processing update paints a clear picture of where interest is strongest:

  • Alberta Opportunity Stream: 28,412 EOIs competing for 3,170 remaining spaces

  • Rural Renewal Stream: 3,185 EOIs, with nominations only just beginning

  • Tourism & Hospitality Stream: Nearly 5,000 EOIs for 121 remaining spots

  • Dedicated Health Care Pathways: Just 1,406 EOIs for 466 remaining spaces

  • Accelerated Tech Pathway: 2,653 EOIs with 566 spaces still open

Across all worker streams, the total EOI pool now stands at 45,276, while 1,006 applications are currently awaiting processing.

The takeaway

Alberta’s opening draws of 2026 send a strong signal: the province is moving fast, targeting specific skills, and leaving substantial room for future selections. For candidates aligned with Alberta’s priority sectors—or already working in the province—the year has started with momentum and opportunity.

For everyone else, one thing is clear: in Alberta’s immigration system, preparation, relevance, and timing matter more than ever.

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