Alberta issued 1,051 invitations to apply for provincial nomination across four separate draws on May 22, 2025, targeting health-care workers, technology professionals, and candidates willing to settle in rural communities. The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) conducted the draws under its Express Entry and Dedicated Healthcare Pathway streams, according to the official release on alberta.ca.
The province has increasingly used targeted draws to address specific labour shortages, a shift from the broader general draws it conducted earlier in 2024. Alberta's focus on health-care and technology workers reflects ongoing gaps in these sectors, while the rural-community pathway aims to distribute economic immigration beyond Calgary and Edmonton.
The largest draw invited 500 candidates through the Express Entry stream with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 305. A second Express Entry draw issued 300 invitations to candidates in health-care occupations, requiring a CRS score of 310. The Dedicated Healthcare Pathway, which operates outside Express Entry, invited 200 candidates with no minimum CRS threshold specified. A fourth draw targeted 51 candidates committed to working and living in rural Alberta communities, also with no published score cutoff.
"Alberta continues to welcome skilled workers who can contribute to our growing economy," the announcement notes.
The draws affect several applicant groups. Express Entry candidates in the Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, or Federal Skilled Trades programs who meet Alberta's occupation and score requirements now have a pathway to provincial nomination, which adds 600 points to their CRS score. Health-care workers in nursing, diagnostic imaging, laboratory technology, and allied health professions qualify under both the Express Entry health-care draw and the Dedicated Healthcare Pathway. Technology professionals in software development, data analysis, and IT infrastructure roles remain eligible under the general Express Entry stream. Candidates willing to accept employment in rural Alberta—defined as communities outside Calgary and Edmonton census metropolitan areas—can apply through the rural-community stream regardless of occupation, provided they have a valid job offer from an employer in those regions.
Invited candidates must submit a complete AAIP application within the deadline specified in their invitation letter, typically 30 days from the draw date. Applicants should log into their AAIP online portal to confirm their invitation status, review the document checklist, and upload required materials including proof of work experience, educational credentials, language test results, and a job offer letter if applicable. Those who receive a provincial nomination certificate must then update their Express Entry profile or submit a paper-based permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada within six months of the nomination date.
Source: Alberta AAIP draws — published 2026-05-25.
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