Alberta Advantage Immigration Program: invitation first, then application.

Overview: what the AAIP is

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) is Alberta's provincial nominee program. Alberta selects people who can fill labour shortages, support rural communities or start businesses, and nominates them for permanent residence. A nomination is not permanent residence: the nominee then applies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which checks admissibility and makes the final decision.

Before creating an EOI, Alberta's online Eligibility Explorer (launched June 17, 2026) can help identify which streams may fit. It is a screening tool only; the official stream pages decide eligibility.

Choose the right worker stream

The most common mistake is choosing a stream by job title. Start with where the candidate lives and works now, the type of work permit, and the job offer.

Minimum requirements of the worker streams

The EOI score only ranks candidates. These rules decide whether an application can succeed at all. Alberta generally requires them both when the application is submitted and when it is assessed.

Alberta Opportunity Stream

• Status and work permit: valid temporary resident status that authorizes work, at submission and at assessment. Maintained status (formerly called implied status) and restoration status are not accepted. Accepted permits include LMIA-based work permits, certain LMIA-exempt permits, a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from an Alberta public post-secondary institution and certain IRCC open work permits under temporary public policies.
• Occupation: most occupations in TEER 0 to 5 are eligible, but Alberta publishes a list of ineligible occupations (for example certain teachers, real estate agents, home support workers and taxi drivers). PGWP holders' occupations must relate to their Alberta field of study.
• Work experience: at least 12 months of full-time work (30 hours a week or more) in the current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months, or at least 24 months in Canada and/or abroad within the last 30 months. Eligible Alberta PGWP holders need at least 6 months in Alberta within the last 18 months.
• Language: CLB/NCLC 5 in each ability for TEER 0 to 3; CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4 and 5; CLB/NCLC 7 for NOC 33102 (nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates). Results must be less than two years old. Accepted tests are CELPIP General, IELTS General Training, PTE Core, TEF Canada and TCF Canada.
• Education: at least the equivalent of Canadian high school, with an educational credential assessment (ECA) for foreign education unless an exception applies. PGWP holders must hold a qualifying credential from an Alberta publicly funded institution.
• Licensing and job offer: any licence or certificate the occupation requires in Alberta (compulsory trades need an Alberta trade certificate), and a full-time Alberta job offer in the current occupation.

Rural Renewal Stream

• Endorsement: an Endorsement of Candidate letter from the community's economic development organization. It is valid for one year from issue and must be valid at submission and at assessment.
• Occupation by location (TEER model in force since January 1, 2026): candidates living in Alberta with a valid work permit may use TEER 0 to 5 offers; candidates elsewhere in Canada (with a valid work permit) and candidates outside Canada are limited to TEER 0 to 3. Candidates inside Canada must hold a valid work permit.
• Work experience: at least 12 months of paid full-time work in an eligible occupation within the 18 months before applying, at a TEER level matching the offer. Holders of a PGWP who completed a two-year program in their designated community are exempt.
• Language and education: CLB/NCLC 5 for TEER 0 to 3, CLB/NCLC 4 for TEER 4 and 5; at least Canadian high-school equivalency.
• Settlement funds: required for candidates outside Canada or in Canada but not working. For one person, the amount ranges from $8,922 to $11,093 depending on the community's population.

Tourism and Hospitality Stream

• Employer: current employment and the job offer must be with one eligible tourism or hospitality employer that has valid Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) coverage and belongs to an eligible sector association (or qualifies for the stated exemption).
• Work permit: a valid work permit based on a positive LMIA in an eligible occupation, or one issued under IRCC's special measures for people affected by wildfires. Maintained status does not count.
• Experience: at least 6 consecutive months, or 780 hours, of paid full-time work in an eligible occupation with the same employer that gives the job offer.
• Occupations: a closed list, including cooks (63200), chefs (62200), food service supervisors (62020), restaurant and accommodation managers (60030, 60031), hotel front desk clerks (64314), servers and kitchen helpers (65200, 65201) and cleaning occupations (65310, 65311, 65312).
• Language and education: CLB/NCLC 4 in each ability and at least Canadian high-school equivalency.

The Alberta Express Entry Stream and its pathways

Every candidate needs an active federal Express Entry profile, eligibility under one of the three federal programs, a CRS score of at least 300, a primary occupation that fits an Alberta pathway or priority, and a genuine intention to live and work in Alberta. A CRS of 300 is a minimum, not an invitation score. Profiles expiring within five months are less likely to be invited.

The Worker Expression of Interest and its 100 points

Every worker-stream candidate first submits one Worker EOI (WEOI) in the AAIP portal. To submit, the candidate must meet at least one worker stream and have at least CLB/NCLC 4 in all four abilities. Alberta ranks the pool on a 100-point grid, but each draw may also use other information in the EOI, such as occupation, sector, wage and hours, work permit or Express Entry details.

Estimate your score with the AAIP Worker EOI calculator. The result is an estimate based on the published grid; Alberta verifies every claim after an invitation.

Rules of the Worker EOI

• A person may have only one Worker EOI, and cannot create one while holding an Entrepreneur EOI or a draft or active AAIP application.
• The $135 fee must be paid within 24 hours of submitting, or the EOI is cancelled. For EOIs created on or after April 7, 2026, the EOI is valid for one year from the date the fee was paid.
• Since May 26, 2026, an EOI can be edited while it is in "Submitted" status. It is not eligible for selection while being edited, and editing does not extend its validity.
• Since March 11, 2026, candidates with an Alberta job offer must enter wage and hours information; EOIs without it will not be considered in draws.
• Alberta may invite a candidate to a stream other than the one they preferred. The candidate must still meet every requirement of the stream they are invited to.

Job offer and employer requirements

For streams that rely on a job offer, the employer can make an application ineligible on its own. Fees are not refunded when employer requirements are not met.

Entrepreneur streams

Entrepreneur candidates must be able to prove their net worth, the source of their funds and their business experience, and must be ready to live in Alberta and manage the business day to day.

The Rural, Graduate and Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur streams start with a $200 Entrepreneur EOI. Alberta's fee schedule does not list an EOI for the Farm Stream, so follow the Farm Stream's own application instructions. Alberta allocated 60 nominations to all entrepreneur streams in 2026; on October 7, 2026, 24 remained and 214 applications were in process.

2026 allocation and recent draws

IRCC gave Alberta 200 more nominations on August 10, 2026, raising its 2026 allocation to 6,603. Alberta's figures as of October 7, 2026:

Latest Worker EOI draws

These are Alberta Worker EOI scores, not federal CRS scores. Each draw may use extra selection factors, so a past minimum score is not a cut-off for the next draw. See all provinces on the draws page.

From EOI to permanent residence

1. Confirm a real stream matchCheck the stream, work permit, occupation, employer, language, education and experience rules, at submission and at assessment.
2. Prepare the evidence firstLanguage results, ECA, employment records, licences and employer documents; Rural Renewal candidates also need the community endorsement.
3. Submit the Worker EOI and pay $135Pay within 24 hours. Keep the EOI accurate while it is in the pool, including wage and hours if you have an Alberta job offer.
4. Respond to the invitation within 15 daysSelect "Create Application" to save a draft (this accepts the invitation), or decline to return to the pool. If you do nothing, the EOI goes back to the pool.
5. Submit the full application within 30 daysAfter creating the draft, complete and submit it with all documents within 30 days, and pay the $1,500 fee within 24 hours of submitting.
6. Apply to IRCC after nominationExpress Entry nominees accept the nomination in their profile; other nominees apply to IRCC outside Express Entry before the nomination expires.

Updates to an application under the four worker streams must be uploaded through the "Update Employment Information" tab in the AAIP portal; email requests are not accepted.

AAIP fees (in force since April 7, 2026)

The worker application fee is non-refundable. IRCC's permanent residence fees are separate: for applications received since April 30, 2026, $1,590 for the principal applicant (processing fee plus right of permanent residence fee), $1,590 for a spouse or partner and $270 per dependent child, plus biometrics.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Rules that catch applicants out

• One application at a time. A person can have only one AAIP application in process across all streams and pathways. Withdrawing one to switch does not refund its fee, and a new fee and full processing times apply. Once a draft application exists, leaving the process means cancelling the draft and the EOI and paying a new EOI fee to re-enter.
• Submitting is not an entitlement. Alberta treats an application as an expression of interest and does not guarantee processing order or a nomination. It may change or close streams without notice and may decline applicants it believes will not become economically established in Alberta.
• The application counts only once it shows "Submitted". The $1,500 fee must be paid within 24 hours of submitting; an application showing "Payment Pending" has not been accepted, and unpaid applications are cancelled.
• Keep your details current. Use "Create New Request" in the portal to update contact, employment, family or representative details, or to withdraw. A withdrawn application cannot be reactivated. If your Express Entry profile expires before a decision, you may need to submit a new or updated profile that meets AAIP requirements.
• Misrepresentation. Incorrect or fraudulent information can lead to a declined application and a ban from applying for a period of time.
• Reconsideration is narrow. It is available for declined applications and nomination withdrawals, must be filed within 30 calendar days of the decision letter, must show a mistake in how program criteria were applied, and is reviewed only on the information on file at the time. It cannot add new documents or ask for exemptions. The fee is $250.
• Beware of fake messages. Genuine AAIP emails come from an @gov.ab.ca address. Alberta advises completing the application yourself to prevent unauthorized changes; if you use a representative, the application includes a Use of Representative form to sign.

Common mistakes

• Relying on maintained status for the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The stream requires a valid work permit at submission and at assessment.
• Treating CRS 300 or a past draw score as a guarantee. Both are only reference points; Alberta selects by pathway, sector and allocation.
• Forgetting the wage and hours fields. An EOI with an Alberta job offer but no wage and hours information is not considered in draws.
• Using an ineligible employer or job. Too little revenue or staff, a home-based workplace, part-time hours or self-employment can sink the file, and the fee is lost.
• Letting the Rural Renewal endorsement expire. It is valid for one year and must still be valid when Alberta assesses the file.
• Missing the 15-day and 30-day windows. The invitation and application deadlines are short and linked; prepare documents before entering the pool.
• Claiming points you cannot prove. Every EOI claim must match the documents submitted after the invitation.

After nomination

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Alberta: Alberta Advantage Immigration Program
• Alberta: AAIP updates
• Alberta: AAIP processing information, allocation and draws
• Alberta: How to apply to AAIP worker streams
• Alberta: Alberta Opportunity Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Alberta Express Entry Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Dedicated Health Care Pathway
• Alberta: Rural Renewal Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Tourism and Hospitality Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Job offer and employer requirements
• Alberta: Worker EOI points grid (PDF)
• Alberta: AAIP fee schedule (PDF)
• Alberta: Rural Entrepreneur Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Graduate Entrepreneur Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream eligibility
• Alberta: Farm Stream eligibility
• IRCC: How the Provincial Nominee Program works
• IRCC: Permanent residence fees increasing (April 30, 2026)

This page is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy as of the date above. It is not legal advice for your situation. Programs, forms and fees change often; check the official sources before you apply.