Alberta remains a top choice for immigrants due to its thriving economy and quality of life. However, the demand to immigrate to Alberta exceeds the province’s capacity, as determined by the federal government’s annual nomination limits.
For 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) allocated 9,750 nominations to Alberta Opportunity Stream. The maximum quantity of province nomination certificates that can be granted for this year is this.
Request for Increased Quotas
In March 2024, Premier Danielle Smith wrote a letter to Justin Trudeau requesting an increase in the provincial nomination quotas. However, it appears she has not yet received a positive response.
As of May, Alberta Opportunity Stream had already issued 4,337 nominations. The remaining nominations will be distributed strategically across different streams to maintain a balanced and effective allocation.
In order to successfully handle this demand, new standards for 2024 have been introduced by the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).
Resumption of Applications for Alberta Opportunity Stream
To optimize processing times and manage application volumes, the AAIP has announced that the province will resume accepting applications for the Alberta Opportunity Stream starting on June 11. This decision is part of a broader strategy to manage the high volume of applications and streamline the processing times for various immigration streams.
To further provide clarity on managing nomination targets and processing timeframes for 2024, the program has also released amended guidelines. These guidelines are designed to align with the annual PNP allocation set by the Canadian government, ensuring a fair and efficient distribution of nominations across different sectors and economic priorities. By implementing these changes, the AAIP aims to better balance the distribution of nominations throughout the year, addressing the needs of all economic sectors in the province.
Monthly Intake Limits Introduced
To streamline processing times and manage the volume of applications, the AAIP has introduced monthly intake limits for several streams. These limits are designed to help balance the distribution of nominations throughout the year and ensure that all sectors’ economic priorities are addressed. Applications will be accepted monthly, starting on the following dates: June 11, July 9, August 13, September 10, October 8, November 5, and December 10
The Alberta Opportunity Stream, Rural Renewal Stream, Accelerated Tech Pathway, and Tourism and Hospitality Stream will all benefit from this initiative. By organizing the remaining nominations for these streams evenly over the next seven months of 2024, the province aims to maintain a balanced approach to immigration intake.
Additionally, to manage the influx of applications effectively, Alberta Opportunity Stream will only be accepting a set number of applications each month for these streams. This measure not only ensures a manageable workload for immigration officials but also allows for thorough processing of each application received.
The monthly intake limits are as follows:
- Alberta Opportunity Stream: 430-444 applications
- Accelerated Tech Pathway: 30-50 applications
- Rural Renewal Stream: 145-160 applications
- Tourism and Hospitality Stream: 130-143 applications
While the application process has been updated, the eligibility criteria for each stream remain unchanged. This consistency allows prospective immigrants to continue preparing their applications based on the existing requirements without having to adjust to new criteria.
AAIP’s Economic Priorities
The AAIP aims to address labor market needs and support economic growth across different sectors by managing nominations through specific streams. Regular updates will be made to the dates for application acceptance, application objectives, and processing times. candidates and prospective candidates should check back frequently for the most recent information as these specifics are subject to change.
Detailed Nomination Breakdown
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has nominated 9,750 people from Alberta, as was previously announced.. As of May, Alberta had already issued 4,337 nominations. To guarantee an equitable and efficient distribution, the residual nominations will be dispersed in a calculated manner among the different streams. The programs with the most allocations left over for the remainder of the year are the Alberta Opportunity Stream, the Rural Renewal Stream, and the Express Entry Stream.The following are the nominations, broken down by stream:
| Stream / pathway | 2024 nominations issued | 2024 total estimated nominations allocated (subject to change) |
| Alberta Opportunity Stream | 2,245 | 5,393 |
| Express Entry Stream | 983 | 1,775 |
| Dedicated Healthcare Pathways | 228 | 320 |
| Accelerated Tech Pathway | 536 | 1,047 |
| Priority Sector Draws and other initiatives | 116 | 231 |
| Family Connection and Occupation in Demand | 103 | 177 |
| Rural Renewal Stream | 971 | 1,900 |
| Tourism and Hospitality Stream | 135 | 660 |
| Entrepreneurial Streams: Foreign Graduate, Graduate, Rural and Farm Streams combined | 3 | 22 |
| Grand Total | 4,337 | 9,750 |
The immigration pathways provided by the Alberta Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) are:
- Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
- Alberta Express Entry Stream
- Accelerated Tech Pathway for Express Entry
- Alberta Opportunity Stream (currently paused)
- Tourism and Hospitality Stream
- Religious Workers Eligibility Program
- Rural Renewal Stream
- Rural Entrepreneur Stream
- Foreign Graduate Entrepreneur Stream
Eligibility Criteria
Basic requirements for Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) eligibility are as follows:
- Meeting the requirements of one of the AINP streams.
- Having a valid temporary resident status in Canada.
- Having a qualifying job offer from an Alberta employer (for some streams).
- Demonstrating the intention and ability to live and work in Alberta.
- Meeting minimum language requirements (for some streams).
- Having sufficient settlement funds (for some streams).
- Meeting any additional criteria specific to the chosen stream.
Alberta Express Entry draws for 2024:
- May 1, 2024: 40 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. The lowest-ranked candidate that received a Notification of Interest letter has a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 305.
- April 17, 2024: 49 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 305.
- March 19, 2024: 41 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. The lowest-ranked candidate that received a Notification of Interest letter has a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 304.
- March 5, 2024: 34 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 303.
- February 20, 2024: 33 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 311.
- February 6, 2024: 44 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. The lowest-ranked candidate that received a Notification of Interest letter has a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 302.
- February 1, 2024: 80 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw the following parameters: Alberta job offer for construction, the priority sector. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 382.
- January 30, 2024: 22 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 312.
- January 16, 2024: 22 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 312.
- January 11, 2024: 44 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw the following parameters: Alberta job offer for the priority sector, which is agricultural. Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of lowest-ranked candidate who received a Notification of Interest letter: 312.
- January 2, 2024: 42 Notification of Interest letters sent. Draw parameters: Dedicated Healthcare Pathway with Alberta job offer. The lowest-ranked candidate that received a Notification of Interest letter has a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 309.
The AAIP’s new guidelines for 2024 reflect Alberta’s proactive approach to managing its immigration program. By introducing monthly intake limits and specific nomination targets, the province aims to address the high demand for immigration while supporting economic priorities across all sectors. Prospective immigrants should take note of these changes and plan their applications accordingly to ensure the best chance of success.
