Alberta Advantage Immigration Program Issues 165 Invitations in Recent Draws Across Four Streams
According to recent data published on the official website of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), between April 11 and 22, 2025, the AAIP actively conducted several targeted draws aimed at selecting international talent to meet the province's labour market needs. These draws collectively covered four main immigration streams under the AAIP, issuing a total of 165 invitations to eligible candidates to apply for provincial nomination.
Specific details of this series of draws are as follows:
| Draw Date | Worker Stream / Pathway | Minimum Score of Invited Candidates | Number of Invitations Issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 22, 2025 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 71 | 22 |
| April 17, 2025 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Law Enforcement Pathway | 49 | 2 |
| April 15, 2025 | Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 73 | 33 |
| April 11, 2025 | Alberta Opportunity Stream | 77 | 108 |
Several points among these draws are particularly noteworthy:
- Firstly, April 15, 2025, marked Alberta's first immigration selection through the Tourism and Hospitality stream in 2025.
- Secondly, these two draws for the Accelerated Tech Pathway and Law Enforcement Pathway were also the second selections for these two streams conducted in 2025.
- Furthermore, the draw on April 11, 2025, for the Alberta Opportunity Stream was the first "general" draw for this stream in 2025. Previous draws under the Alberta Opportunity Stream had focused primarily on professionals in the aviation and construction sectors.
The AAIP official website also provides transparent information regarding the current processing status of each stream, including the remaining nomination spaces for 2025, the current number of Expressions of Interest (EOIs) in the selection pool, and the number of applications still to be processed. Data summarized as of the time of writing is as follows:
| Stream / Pathway | Nomination Spaces Remaining (2025) | Expressions of Interest (EOIs) in Selection Pool | Applications to be Processed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 1,529 | 35,479 | 1,501 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 182 | 5,508 | 321 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 89 | 3,007 | 81 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway | Not applicable (Total 2025 allocation is 20 nominations) | 97 | > 10 |
It is important to specifically explain to readers that within the context of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), "Invitation" and "Nomination" represent two distinct stages. Typically:
- Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI): Candidates first create an EOI profile, indicating their interest in immigrating to the province through a specific Provincial Nominee Program stream.
- Receiving an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Provincial Nomination: If the EOI meets the province's selection criteria and is chosen, the candidate will receive an invitation from the province to apply for provincial nomination.
- Submitting the Provincial Nomination Application: The candidate must submit a complete provincial nomination application package to the provincial government for processing.
- Obtaining Provincial Nomination: If the complete provincial nomination application is approved, the foreign national will formally receive the province's nomination.
- Applying for Permanent Residence (PR)
- Basic PNP Streams: After obtaining provincial nomination, the applicant can directly submit a permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
- Enhanced PNP Streams (aligned with Express Entry): After obtaining provincial nomination, the applicant's Express Entry profile will receive an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points. This significantly boosts their ranking in the Express Entry pool, making them more likely to receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for PR in subsequent Express Entry draws. Upon receiving the ITA, the applicant can submit a complete PR application.
Alberta's recent series of draws once again highlights the province's strategy to actively attract and retain international talent that meets its economic development needs through its provincial immigration programs, particularly addressing labour shortages in key sectors such as technology, hospitality services, and law enforcement. Prospective immigration applicants should closely follow the requirements for AAIP streams and draw updates, and refer to the EOI pool and pending application data to assess their application opportunities.
Canada holds second monthly CEC draw, CRS score drops to lowest level since July
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted another Express Entry draw on November 26, 2025, inviting 1,000 Canadian Experience Class (CEC) candidates to apply for permanent residence. This round set a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 531—the lowest CEC cut-off since July—and ended a five-draw streak where the CRS threshold was locked at 533 or 534. To date, IRCC has issued a total of 88,476 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Express Entry system in 2025.
11/28/2025
Canada Announces 2026 Study Permit Target: Total Allocation Reduced to 408,000, Down 7% from 2025
On November 25, the Government of Canada officially released its 2026 study permit allocation and distribution plan for international students. According to newly published data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the total number of study permits to be issued in 2026 will be capped at 408,000. This continues the federal government’s trend of tightening temporary resident levels, representing a 7% decrease from the 2025 cap of 437,000 and a 16% decrease compared to 485,000 in 2024. The new plan outlines detailed allocation rules by student category, confirms exemptions from Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL) for master’s and PhD students, and distributes PAL-required application volumes and anticipated approvals across provinces based on population share.
11/27/2025
Manitoba invites more in-Canada and overseas skilled workers to apply for provincial nomination
On November 21, the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) issued 35 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) to skilled workers both inside and outside Canada. This round of selections continued to prioritize candidates identified through Strategic Recruitment Initiatives (SRIs), including Employer Services, Francophone Community, Regional Communities, and the Temporary Public Policy. The program also reminded applicants to ensure all key information—such as language test numbers and invitation numbers—is correctly entered to avoid affecting their eligibility.
11/26/2025
Prince Edward Island Holds Largest Provincial Nominee Draw of the Year, Focusing on In-Province Workers and International Graduates
The Prince Edward Island Provincial Nominee Program (PEI PNP) recently conducted its largest immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations to apply for provincial nomination to nearly 200 candidates through the "Labour & Express Entry" category. This draw primarily targeted candidates already working in the province, while giving priority consideration to applicants with French language proficiency and international graduates from specific institutions. This move reflects the province's strategic intent to attract skilled talent capable of directly contributing to the local economy.
11/25/2025
British Columbia Expands Entrepreneur Immigration Invitations, Marking Largest Draw of 2025
On November 18, British Columbia held its largest entrepreneur immigration draw of the year, issuing invitations through both the Base and Regional streams of its Entrepreneur Immigration Program. Minimum scores and invitation numbers varied by stream, reflecting the province’s continued 2025 strategy of prioritizing candidates with high economic impact.
11/24/2025
Alberta Issues 1,125 Provincial Nominee Invitations in Mid-November, Maintaining High-Frequency Draws Across Key Streams
In mid-November 2025, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued a total of 1,125 provincial nominee invitations across two rounds, targeting candidates in the Healthcare Priority sector under Express Entry as well as the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The November 14 draw invited 80 healthcare candidates with a minimum score of 52, while the November 10 draw issued 1,045 invitations under the Opportunity Stream—a notably large round this year. With Alberta receiving over 1,500 additional nominations in September, bringing its 2025 total to 6,403, the province continues to strengthen efforts to retain local workers and attract healthcare professionals.
11/22/2025
Canada’s Conservatives Push for Major Amendments to Border and Immigration Bill C-12
On November 20, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner, a member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Conservative Party will introduce a wide-ranging package of amendments to the federal government’s border security and immigration legislation, Bill C-12. She argued that Canada’s immigration system is under intense pressure and must undergo structural reform as soon as possible. The proposed amendments will focus on modernizing asylum procedures, strengthening border enforcement and security screening, adjusting criminality and removal thresholds, and increasing transparency across federal immigration bodies. The initiative comes amid rising asylum numbers, sustained growth in temporary residents, mounting pressure on housing and social services, and heightened scrutiny of immigration-related security reports—highlighting how immigration has become a heated issue in Canada and globally.
11/21/2025
Alberta Announces Sweeping Changes to AAIP Rural Renewal Stream: Community Quotas and New Work Permit Rules to Take Effect in 2026
The Government of Alberta has officially announced significant updates to the Rural Renewal Stream (RRS) under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), marking one of the most substantial overhauls since the program's inception. Scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, these changes are a response to a surge in community endorsements that have far exceeded the province’s federal nomination allocations. To realign the program with provincial economic priorities and manage labor market pressures, Alberta will implement four core changes: establishing annual endorsement allocation limits for designated communities, setting a one-year validity period for candidate endorsement letters, introducing a TEER-based occupation assessment model, and enforcing a mandatory requirement for all in-Canada applicants to hold a valid work permit at both the time of application and assessment.
11/20/2025
Ontario Suspends Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream and Returns All Applications
The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) has suspended its Express Entry Skilled Trades Stream effective November 14, 2025, following a major program review that identified systemic misrepresentation and potential fraud. As part of the suspension, all in-progress applications will be returned with full refunds. The province states that the program’s current structure must be redesigned to ensure limited nomination spots benefit genuine candidates addressing Ontario’s skilled trades shortages. Affected applicants may submit a new Expression of Interest under another OINP stream if eligible.
11/19/2025
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 330 ITAs in latest draw, marking the largest round since July
On November 12, 2025, Newfoundland and Labrador issued a total of 330 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), marking the largest draw since July. With 220 invitations going to NLPNP candidates, the province continues to rely heavily on its provincial nomination channels. As the province reaches its 13th draw of the year and prepares for expanded federal PNP admission targets in 2026, nomination allocations may increase further.
11/18/2025
# Can spouse of international students work in Canada?# How is the CRS Score Calculated?# What is Express Entry?# How to become a licensed immigration consultant in Canada?# Why Need a Professional, Licensed Immigration Consultant for Immigrating to Canada?# How to verify if my immigration consultant is licensed?# Difference between licensed and unlicensed immigration consultants?# Is it mandatory to be licensed to practice immigration consulting in Canada?