Annual nomination allocation increases by 3.1%
In an AAIP update published on August 10, the Government of Alberta said the federal government had added 200 nomination spaces for the province in 2026, increasing the annual regular allocation to 6,603, a rise of approximately 3.1%.
The province said the expanded nomination capacity would strengthen Alberta's ability to support regional labour market needs and advance key provincial priorities.
The additional allocation does not mean the AAIP will immediately issue 200 invitations, nor does it mean that 200 people have already obtained permanent resident status. After receiving a provincial nomination, an applicant must still submit an application for permanent residence to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which makes the final decision.
Allocations increase for six categories and decrease for two
The 200 additional spaces were not simply divided evenly across the program. According to the AAIP's latest allocation data, allocations across six streams and pathways increased by a combined 256 spaces, while the Law Enforcement Pathway and Entrepreneur Streams lost a combined 56 spaces, producing a net increase of 200.
| Stream or pathway | New allocation | Previous allocation | Change | Nominations issued (as of July 30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS) | 3,562 | 3,425 | +137 | 2,085 |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1,057 | 1,000 | +57 | 613 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 156 | 150 | +6 | 129 |
| Dedicated Health Care Pathways (EE and non-EE) | 518 | 500 | +18 | 220 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Accelerated Tech Pathway | 619 | 600 | +19 | 388 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Law Enforcement Pathway | 12 | 38 | −26 | Fewer than 10 |
| Alberta Express Entry – Priority sector draws and initiatives | 619 | 600 | +19 | 420 |
| Entrepreneur Streams | 60 | 90 | −30 | 30 |
| Total | 6,603 | 6,403 | +200 | 3,892 |
The Alberta Opportunity Stream received the largest increase, gaining 137 spaces for a new allocation of 3,562, or approximately 53.9% of the regular annual allocation. The Rural Renewal Stream gained 57 spaces, reflecting the province's continued emphasis on the labour needs of regional communities.
By comparison, the Law Enforcement Pathway allocation fell from 38 to 12, while the Entrepreneur Streams allocation declined from 90 to 60.
AAIP has used 58.9% of its regular allocation
As of July 30, the AAIP had issued 3,892 regular provincial nominations, representing approximately 58.9% of its 6,603 spaces for the year. The remaining 2,711 spaces account for approximately 41.1%.
In addition to the regular allocation, the AAIP issued 62 nominations through supplemental federal spaces, including:
- 50 for practice-ready physicians;
- 12 for Francophone candidates.
These applications continue to be processed through existing AAIP streams and pathways but do not count against the regular annual allocation of 6,603.
In 2025, Alberta's base allocation likewise ultimately reached 6,603. According to the provincial government's official performance record, the AAIP issued 6,741 nominations that year, exceeding the base allocation because of a small Express Entry administrative overage provided by the federal government. It is not yet known whether a similar arrangement will be made in 2026.
WEOI pool contains 36,948 profiles
As of July 30, the AAIP's Worker Expression of Interest pool contained 36,948 profiles. The Alberta Opportunity Stream accounted for 23,056, or approximately 62.4% of the total, far more than any other category.
| Stream or pathway | Number of WEOI profiles | Share of pool |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 23,056 | 62.4% |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 1,850 | 5.0% |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 3,558 | 9.6% |
| Dedicated Health Care Pathways | 1,332 | 3.6% |
| Accelerated Tech Pathway | 2,136 | 5.8% |
| Law Enforcement Pathway | 53 | 0.1% |
| Priority sector draws and initiatives | 4,963 | 13.4% |
| Total | 36,948 | 100% |
The current number of WEOI profiles is approximately 13.6 times the 2,711 regular nomination spaces remaining, showing that demand significantly exceeds annual capacity. This ratio, however, should not be interpreted as a candidate's probability of receiving an invitation.
The AAIP does not issue invitations based solely on WEOI scores from highest to lowest. Provincial labour needs, priority sectors, application inventory and available nomination spaces can all affect selection results. Candidates may also be invited to apply to an eligible pathway different from the one they initially identified.
Under the AAIP application rules, a WEOI profile is valid for only 12 months from the date of submission, and entry into the pool does not guarantee an invitation. After a profile expires, the candidate must submit a new WEOI.
Health care, technology and rural communities remain priorities
Alberta's main areas of focus for 2026 include health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation and agriculture, as well as the labour needs of designated communities under the Rural Renewal Stream.
These sectors do not constitute an exhaustive list of eligible occupations, and applicants working in other industries may still be considered. The AAIP also has no fixed draw schedule and may further redistribute allocations among streams in response to labour market conditions and provincial priorities.
Although the Alberta Opportunity Stream has the largest WEOI inventory and received the largest allocation increase in this adjustment, the provincial government has not published a specific formula for distributing nomination spaces. The size of the candidate pool therefore cannot be considered the sole factor behind allocation changes.
AAIP allocation and federal PNP admissions target are not directly comparable
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets an overall target of 380,000 permanent resident admissions for 2026, including a Provincial Nominee Program admissions target of 91,500.
The federal PNP target measures the number of permanent residents expected to be admitted, including principal applicants and accompanying family members. The AAIP's allocation of 6,603 refers to the number of nomination certificates the province may issue. Because these figures use different measures, they cannot be compared directly.
Although this increase brings Alberta's 2026 allocation back to 6,603, it remains 3,147 spaces below the 9,750 allocated in 2024, a decrease of approximately 32.3%.
