Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP)

The AAIP is Alberta's provincial nominee program, run by the governments of Alberta and Canada. It nominates people who have skills to fill job shortages or who plan to buy or start a business in Alberta, and who can provide for their families. Nominees then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which makes the final decision on permanent residence.

Nominations allocated to Alberta for 2026

6,603

Maximum Worker EOI score

100

Minimum CRS score for the Alberta Express Entry Stream

300

Nomination certificate validity to apply to IRCC

6 months

Since September 30, 2024, you can apply to a worker stream only if AAIP invites you from the Worker EOI pool. In 2026, AAIP prioritizes draws and nominations for health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture and communities designated under the Rural Renewal Stream. Physicians and French speakers nominated in 2026 who meet federal criteria may also use a separate federal pool of up to 10,000 spaces shared by all provinces, and these do not count toward Alberta's 6,603.

Alberta Opportunity Stream: for temporary foreign workers already working full-time in Alberta. You need a valid work permit based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an accepted exemption, or a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after studying at an Alberta publicly funded institution. Maintained status does not count. You need a full-time job offer in your current occupation and, unless you hold a PGWP, at least a Canadian high school education (with an educational credential assessment for foreign studies). PGWP holders need 6 months of Alberta experience in the last 18 months, in an occupation related to their Alberta studies.

Alberta Express Entry Stream: you need an active Express Entry profile, must meet the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Canadian Experience Class or Federal Skilled Trades Program, need a CRS score of at least 300 and must intend to live in Alberta. Since September 30, 2024, AAIP invites candidates for this stream from its own Worker EOI pool, not directly from the federal pool, so you need both a Worker EOI and an Express Entry profile with the same primary occupation. Invitations come through these pathways:

• Dedicated Health Care PathwayAn Alberta health sector job offer and proof you can practise as a physician, registered or licensed practical nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, clinical social worker or psychologist. A non-Express Entry option exists only for those who do not qualify for the Express Entry option.
• Accelerated Tech PathwayFull-time work or a job offer in an eligible tech occupation with an Alberta employer in the tech industry.
• Law Enforcement PathwayA job offer from a member of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police in an eligible police occupation.
• Priority sector drawsAn occupation in a priority sector. 2026 draws covered construction, agriculture, aviation, manufacturing and health care.

Rural Renewal Stream: a designated rural community recruits you or you are selected from the EOI pool, and the community issues an Endorsement of Candidate letter, valid for one year. You need a full-time job offer in that community, 12 months of full-time experience in the last 18 months (TEER rules apply), at least high school, and settlement funds if you live outside Canada or are not working. Since January 1, 2026, communities have endorsement limits and people in Canada need a valid work permit.

Tourism and Hospitality Stream: you must be working in Alberta on an LMIA-based work permit for an approved employer in an eligible industry that belongs to a listed sector association, in occupations such as cooks, chefs, food service supervisors, front desk clerks, food and beverage servers or cleaners.

Next, read our business immigration pages if you are comparing entrepreneur programs, and the Express Entry pages if your plan relies on the Alberta Express Entry Stream.

Each stream has its own criteria, but most worker stream applicants share these requirements, assessed when you apply and again when AAIP assesses your file.

• LanguageAt least CLB 4 (English) or NCLC 4 (French) in all four abilities to submit a Worker EOI, from CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada or TCF Canada, less than 2 years old. Some streams need more.
• EducationAt least a high school education equal to Canadian standards. Foreign credentials need an educational credential assessment.
• LicensingAny licence or certification your occupation requires in Alberta, including a trade certificate for compulsory trades and Level 2 or 3 certification for early childhood educators.
• Job offerFull-time (at least 30 hours a week), continuous, paid work for 12 months or more, at a wage that meets your LMIA or the lowest starting wage for your occupation in Alberta.
• Not eligiblePart-time, casual or seasonal workers, independent contractors, business owners, temporary agency workers, home-based or remote jobs.
• StatusNo refugee claim, appeal or removal process, no active AAIP nomination, and no current misrepresentation ban.

Your Alberta employer must be incorporated or registered, have operated in Alberta for at least 2 complete fiscal years, and show a genuine need for the position. An employer with at least $400,000 in gross annual revenue and 3 full-time employees in Alberta has no cap. Smaller employers can support 1 nominee after 2 years of operation, 2 after 3 years, and 1 more for each extra year.

The Worker EOI is scored out of 100 points: 69 for human capital (education, language, work experience, age and family in Alberta) and 31 for economic factors (an Alberta job offer, its location and a regulated occupation). There is no minimum score to submit. The EOI also records your work permit, Express Entry profile, NOC code, your employer's industry code, and your wage and hours, which AAIP uses to target draws.

As of October 21, 2026, AAIP's processing information page said draws are not regularly scheduled and are done as needed for sector needs and provincial priorities. It listed 2026 draws by stream, pathway and sector with minimum scores from 45 to 73, and said the score is not the only selection factor and that AAIP does not disclose recent draw parameters.

If you are invited, you have 15 days to start an application and then 30 days to complete it and pay the fee. If you do nothing within 15 days, your EOI returns to the pool. An Express Entry nomination adds 600 CRS points once you accept it in your IRCC profile, but you still need an IRCC invitation.

1. 1

   1. Check your stream

   Confirm that you meet at least one worker stream's criteria, using AAIP's Eligibility Explorer and the stream pages. For the Express Entry stream, create your federal profile first.

2. 2

   2. Submit a Worker EOI and pay $135

   Complete the form in one sitting in the AAIP portal and pay within 24 hours. You can have only one EOI and no active AAIP application. You can edit it, but editing does not extend its 12-month validity.

3. 3

   3. Accept an invitation

   Review the stream criteria and the document checklist. Start the application within 15 days or decline to return to the pool.

4. 4

   4. Apply and pay $1,500

   Complete the application within 30 days and pay within 24 hours of submitting. Upload all documents. Missing documents slow processing, and fees are not refunded.

5. 5

   5. Receive a decision

   If approved, you receive a nomination certificate in the portal. If declined, you can ask for reconsideration within 30 days if AAIP made an error.

6. 6

   6. Apply to IRCC within 6 months

   Express Entry nominees have 30 days to accept the nomination in their IRCC profile, then wait for an IRCC invitation. Others apply online outside Express Entry. Keep your work permit valid.

Entrepreneurs submit an Entrepreneur EOI and may be asked to submit a Business Application. If approved, they sign a Business Performance Agreement, and AAIP monitors the business before nomination.

AAIP fees are not refunded once an application is submitted. IRCC's fees for the permanent residence stage are separate: $1,590 for the principal applicant and for a spouse or partner (including the right of permanent residence fee), $270 per dependent child, and biometrics of $85 per person or $170 per family.

AAIP does not publish a single processing time. On October 21, 2026, it was assessing Alberta Opportunity Stream applications received on or before July 16, 2026, and Rural Renewal applications received on or before September 4, 2026. IRCC's times for the federal stage are shown below, live from IRCC's processing times tool.

A request for reconsideration is based only on the information already on file. You cannot add new documents or ask for humanitarian consideration. At the federal stage, misrepresentation can lead to 5 years of inadmissibility under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

1. September 30, 2024

   Worker EOI system replaces monthly intake

   Worker streams move to invitations from the Worker EOI pool. On August 7, 2024, AAIP had cancelled its remaining 2024 monthly application dates.

2. March 17, 2025

   Family connection and occupation in demand selections end

   Alberta Express Entry no longer invites under this pathway. Family connections still earn EOI points.

3. January 1, 2026

   Rural Renewal Stream changes

   Community endorsement limits, one-year endorsement letters, a TEER-based endorsement model and a valid work permit for people in Canada.

4. April 7, 2026

   Worker EOI fee introduced

   A $135 fee applies to each new Worker EOI.

Alberta also chose not to take part in the federal temporary public policy that helped prospective provincial nominee candidates get work permits in 2025.

Apply to IRCC for permanent residence before your nomination certificate expires, 6 months after it is issued (AAIP can reissue an expired certificate for a fee). A nomination does not extend your work permit, so apply to extend it before it expires; AAIP can issue a letter of support for a work permit application. Keep AAIP informed of changes to your job, family or contact details through the portal.