Alberta continued an active month of provincial immigration selections in October 2026, conducting seven Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) draws through October 20.
The draws targeted candidates across several of Alberta’s immigration priorities, including:
- Alberta Opportunity Stream;
- aviation;
- health care;
- tourism and hospitality;
- law enforcement; and
- broader priority sectors.
Across the six draws for which Alberta published an exact number, the province issued 706 invitations to apply.
Alberta also conducted a Law Enforcement Pathway draw in which fewer than 10 invitations were issued, meaning the exact October total cannot be calculated from the province’s published figures.
The largest draw took place on October 20, when Alberta invited 386 candidates through the Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (General).
October 2026 AAIP Draw Results
Here are the AAIP draws published by Alberta for October 2026 through October 20:
| Draw Date | Stream / Pathway | Minimum Score | Invitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2 | Alberta Opportunity Stream | 54 | 123 |
| October 7 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (Aviation) | 56 | 22 |
| October 9 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (Health care) | 60 | 97 |
| October 13 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry | 57 | 53 |
| October 14 | Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 73 | 25 |
| October 16 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Law Enforcement Pathway | 49 | Fewer than 10 |
| October 20 | Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (General) | 60 | 386 |
These results show that Alberta is continuing to use targeted selections rather than relying on one broad immigration stream.
October 20: 386 Invitations in Priority Sectors
The largest October draw occurred on October 20, 2026.
Alberta invited:
386 candidates
through the:
Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (General)
The minimum AAIP score was:
60 points
This was a substantial increase from the previous Priority Sectors (General) draw on September 29.
That September draw invited:
200 candidates
with a minimum score of:
64 points
Therefore, between the September 29 and October 20 general priority-sector draws:
Invitations increased: 200 → 386
while the:
Minimum score decreased: 64 → 60
This made the October 20 round particularly significant for candidates working in occupations aligned with Alberta’s priority sectors.
What Are Alberta’s Priority Sectors in 2026?
Alberta has identified several areas as priorities for AAIP worker-stream selections in 2026.
They include:
Health care
Technology
Construction
Manufacturing
Aviation
Agriculture
as well as:
communities participating in the Rural Renewal Stream.
However, Alberta specifically notes that this is not necessarily an exhaustive list.
The province can conduct draws according to labour-market needs and other immigration priorities.
This means applicants should not assume that every future draw will target the same occupations or sectors.
October 9: Health Care Priority-Sector Draw
Health care received significant attention in October.
On October 9, Alberta conducted an:
Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (Health care)
draw.
The province invited:
97 candidates
with a minimum AAIP score of:
60
This draw was specifically part of Alberta’s Express Entry priority-sector selections.
However, it should not be confused with the Dedicated Health Care Pathway draw held four days later.
October 13: Dedicated Health Care Pathway Draw
On October 13, Alberta conducted another health-care-focused selection.
This time, the draw was under the:
Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry
Alberta invited:
53 candidates
with a minimum score of:
57
The October 9 and October 13 draws therefore targeted health care through two different AAIP selection mechanisms.
Combined, they issued:
150 invitations
to health-care-focused candidates.
This reinforces health care’s position as one of Alberta’s major immigration priorities in 2026.
October 14: Tourism and Hospitality Stream
Alberta also conducted a draw under its:
Tourism and Hospitality Stream
on October 14.
The province invited:
25 candidates
with a minimum score of:
73
This was the highest minimum score among Alberta’s published October draws through October 20.
The Tourism and Hospitality Stream is designed for eligible temporary foreign workers already working full-time in Alberta’s tourism and hospitality sector with an eligible employer and occupation.
Candidates must meet the stream’s specific eligibility requirements.
Receiving a sufficiently high Worker EOI score alone does not establish eligibility for the stream.
October 16: Law Enforcement Pathway
On October 16, Alberta conducted a targeted selection under the:
Alberta Express Entry Stream – Law Enforcement Pathway
The minimum score was:
49
Alberta reported that:
fewer than 10 candidates
received invitations.
Because the province does not publish an exact number when the result is below 10, the precise number of invitations cannot be determined from the published data.
The Law Enforcement Pathway is highly targeted and is designed to address specific recruitment needs within Alberta’s law-enforcement sector.
October 7: Aviation Priority-Sector Draw
Earlier in the month, on October 7, Alberta targeted another priority industry:
Aviation
The Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (Aviation) draw invited:
22 candidates
with a minimum score of:
56
Aviation is specifically identified as one of Alberta’s priority sectors for 2026.
October 2: Alberta Opportunity Stream
October began with a relatively large draw through the:
Alberta Opportunity Stream
On October 2, Alberta invited:
123 candidates
with a minimum score of:
54
The Alberta Opportunity Stream is particularly relevant to eligible temporary foreign workers who are already working full-time in Alberta and meet the stream’s occupation, work permit, language, education, work experience and job-offer requirements.
It is not an Express Entry-aligned stream.
Therefore, candidates should distinguish between the Alberta Opportunity Stream and Alberta’s Express Entry pathways when considering the implications of an invitation.
More Than 700 Invitations Issued in October
Adding the published results gives:
October 2: 123
October 7: 22
October 9: 97
October 13: 53
October 14: 25
October 16: fewer than 10
October 20: 386
The six draws with exact figures total:
706 invitations
plus the additional fewer than 10 invitations issued through the Law Enforcement Pathway.
Therefore, it is more accurate to say:
Alberta issued more than 700 invitations in its October draws through October 20
rather than claiming a precise total.
Important: These Are NOT CRS Scores
Candidates should pay close attention to the minimum scores reported for these AAIP draws.
For example:
October 20 – minimum score 60
does NOT mean:
Express Entry CRS 60.
These are scores under Alberta’s Worker Expression of Interest system.
The AAIP Worker EOI points grid has a maximum of 100 points.
This is separate from the federal Comprehensive Ranking System used in Express Entry.
An Express Entry candidate involved in an Alberta Express Entry pathway may therefore have:
a federal CRS score
and
an AAIP Worker EOI score.
They are not interchangeable.
How Does Alberta’s Worker EOI System Work?
Candidates who want to be considered for AAIP worker-stream selections generally submit a Worker Expression of Interest (WEOI).
The profile is scored and placed into Alberta’s Worker Stream pool.
The maximum WEOI score is:
100 points
There is no minimum score required simply to submit a Worker EOI.
However, submitting an EOI does not guarantee an invitation.
Alberta conducts selections from the pool based on factors that can include:
- Worker EOI score;
- provincial labour-market needs;
- priority sectors and occupations;
- available nomination spaces; and
- application volumes.
As of April 7, 2026, Alberta also charges a $135 fee to submit a Worker EOI.
A Worker EOI normally remains valid for 12 months.
A High AAIP Score Does Not Guarantee an Invitation
This is another important feature of Alberta’s system.
AAIP explicitly states that the Worker EOI score is not the only factor used to select candidates.
This helps explain why comparing your score with a previous draw’s minimum score does not necessarily tell you whether you will be invited in the next round.
For example:
You have an AAIP EOI score of 65.
A previous draw had a minimum score of 60.
That does NOT necessarily mean:
“I will receive an invitation in the next draw.”
Alberta may target:
- a different sector;
- a different occupation;
- a particular pathway;
- specific labour-market needs; or
- other provincial priorities.
Therefore:
Score matters—but sector, occupation, pathway and provincial priorities also matter.
Alberta Has 6,603 Nomination Spaces for 2026
Alberta’s 2026 provincial nomination allocation stands at:
6,603 nominations
According to Alberta’s October 21 processing update, the province had issued:
5,831 nominations
leaving:
772 nomination spaces
under its regular 2026 allocation.
Alberta also reported:
856 applications to be processed.
This indicates that the province had already used a substantial majority of its regular annual nomination allocation by late October.
Additional Federal Spaces for Physicians and Francophones
There is another important development in 2026.
The federal government has made up to 10,000 additional immigration spaces available across provincial nominee programs for provinces and territories to nominate qualifying:
practice-ready physicians
and
Francophones.
For Alberta, qualifying nominations issued through these additional federal spaces do not count against Alberta’s regular 6,603 nomination allocation.
As of Alberta’s October 21 update, the province reported:
50 physician nominations
and
12 Francophone nominations
through these additional federal spaces.
For Francophones, Alberta states that candidates can work in any AAIP-eligible NOC but must meet at least CLB/NCLC 5 in French in all four language abilities to qualify for the federal additional-space initiative.
This could create additional opportunities for eligible French-speaking candidates beyond Alberta’s regular allocation.
How Competitive Is the AAIP Pool?
Competition remains substantial.
According to Alberta’s October 21 data, there were:
33,291 Worker Expressions of Interest
across the selection pools.
Some of the largest pools included:
Alberta Opportunity Stream – 21,150
Alberta Express Entry – Priority sectors and other initiatives – 4,566
Tourism and Hospitality Stream – 2,991
Accelerated Tech Pathway – 1,945
Rural Renewal Stream – 1,527
Dedicated Health Care Pathways – 1,069
This is another reason why simply meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee selection.
What Do the October Draws Tell Us About Alberta’s Strategy?
October’s results reveal several important trends.
1. Alberta continues to favour targeted immigration
Rather than conducting only broad selections, Alberta repeatedly targeted specific sectors and pathways.
2. Health care remains a major priority
Two separate health-care selections were conducted within four days, resulting in 150 invitations.
3. Alberta is using Express Entry heavily
Five of the seven October draws through October 20 were connected to the Alberta Express Entry Stream or an Express Entry version of a pathway.
4. General priority-sector selection remains important
The October 20 draw was particularly large, with 386 invitations and a minimum score of 60.
5. EOI score is only part of the selection process
Alberta continues to emphasize labour-market priorities rather than simply inviting candidates from highest to lowest score across one general pool.
What Should AAIP Candidates Do Now?
If you are hoping to receive an AAIP invitation, first determine which Alberta stream or pathway realistically matches your circumstances.
Then review:
Your Worker EOI score
Make sure all information is accurate and reflects your current circumstances.
Your occupation
Determine whether your occupation aligns with Alberta’s current labour-market priorities.
Your sector
Health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation and agriculture remain among Alberta’s stated priorities for 2026.
Your Alberta employment
Many AAIP pathways depend heavily on an eligible Alberta job offer or current employment.
Your Express Entry profile
If you are pursuing an Alberta Express Entry pathway, ensure that your federal Express Entry profile remains valid and accurate.
Your work permit expiry date
Do not assume that being in the AAIP pool protects your temporary resident status or work authorization.
An AAIP Worker EOI is not a work permit.
Does an AAIP Invitation Guarantee Permanent Residence?
No.
An invitation allows the candidate to submit an application to the AAIP.
The province must still assess whether the applicant satisfies the requirements of the stream or pathway.
If Alberta approves the application, the candidate receives a provincial nomination.
For an Express Entry-aligned nomination, accepting the provincial nomination generally adds 600 CRS points to the candidate’s federal Express Entry profile, substantially increasing the likelihood of receiving a federal Invitation to Apply for permanent residence.
But the process still involves separate stages:
Worker EOI
↓
AAIP invitation
↓
AAIP application
↓
Provincial nomination
↓
Federal permanent residence process
An AAIP invitation itself is not permanent residence.
Bottom Line
Alberta remained active in provincial immigration selection in October 2026.
Through October 20, the province conducted seven AAIP draws, issuing:
706 invitations with exact published counts + fewer than 10 additional Law Enforcement invitations.
The draws targeted:
Alberta Opportunity Stream + Aviation + Health Care + Dedicated Health Care + Tourism and Hospitality + Law Enforcement + General Priority Sectors.
The largest draw occurred on October 20, when Alberta invited:
386 candidates
through the Alberta Express Entry Stream – Priority Sectors (General), with a minimum AAIP score of:
60 points.
The broader message from October is clear:
Alberta is not selecting candidates based on score alone.
The province continues to use the AAIP strategically to address specific labour-market priorities.
For candidates, this means the strongest strategy is not simply:
“How can I increase my score?”
It is also:
“Does my occupation, sector, employment and immigration profile align with what Alberta is currently prioritizing?”
With only 772 regular nomination spaces remaining as of Alberta’s October 21 update, candidates should closely monitor upcoming AAIP selections and make sure their Worker EOI, Express Entry profile and temporary immigration status remain accurate and valid.
