Alberta PNP Update: How the AAIP Performed in the First Half of 2026

56 AAIP Draws in Six Months

In the first half of 2026, AAIP held 56 draws across its worker streams.

The Alberta Opportunity Stream generated the most activity by volume. Over eight rounds, the stream issued 6,032 ITAs to candidates already living and working in Alberta. That figure alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of all ITAs issued across the program in the first half of the year. It also accounts for almost the entire nomination allocation available to the province, which suggests that not everyone getting an ITA under this stream should expect a provincial nomination this year.

The Rural Renewal Stream also ran eight draws, issuing 874 ITAs. The Dedicated Health Care Pathways, which run separate Express Entry and non-Express Entry versions, held 11 draws and issued 620 ITAs combined. The Accelerated Tech Pathway, which covers technology occupations including those supporting Alberta’s growing data centre sector, issued 1,026 ITAs across seven draws.

The Express Entry stream’s Priority Sector pathway issued approximately 822 ITAs across 16 draws, with manufacturing and construction leading draw frequency:

• Manufacturing: 263 ITAs across five draws
• Construction and skilled trades: 259 ITAs across four draws
• Health care: 150 ITAs across three draws
• Agriculture: approximately 115 ITAs across three draws
• Aviation and skilled trades: 35 ITAs in one draw, held in June

The Tourism and Hospitality Stream issued 227 ITAs across three draws, in February, April, and June. The Law Enforcement Pathway ran three draws, though each remained under 10 invitations.

Alberta Nomination Allocation Used by June 2026

The province of Alberta has a total 2026 nomination allocation of 6,403. In the first half of 2026, Alberta issued 3,261 nominations. Of these, 62 were under the federal physician and Francophone initiative and do not count toward the 6,403 allocation. Overall, the province has used up just under 50 percent of the total nomination room.

1,238 of these nomination spaces are reserved for Express Entry streams, while the rest are for PNP streams delivered directly by the province, outside of the Express Entry system.

Alberta Express Entry Stream Nominations

Cumulatively, Alberta has set aside 1,238 nomination spaces for Express Entry streams in 2026. These are split almost evenly between the Accelerated Tech Pathway and Priority Sector draws.

Between January and June 2026, Alberta conducted seven rounds of invitations for the Accelerated Tech Pathway and issued 316 nominations. Just under half the nomination spaces remain available for the year for these pathways.

Priority sector draws in the first half of 2026 focused on manufacturing, agriculture, health care, and construction and skilled trades, and aviation. Alberta issued 326 nominations under the Express Entry Stream for Priority Sectors, filling 54.3 percent of the nomination spaces.

In addition, there have been three rounds of invitations for the Law Enforcement Pathway. The total number of nominations issued under this pathway remained under 10 in the first half of the year.

Alberta Non-Express Entry Stream Nominations

The majority of Alberta’s PNP nomination allocation is reserved for programs delivered outside the Express Entry system. In fact, the province has allocated 5,165 nomination spaces — 80.6 percent of its 2026 allocation — to non-Express Entry PNP streams.

These spaces are divided between five different streams: Alberta Opportunity Stream, Rural Renewal Stream, Tourism and Hospitality Stream, Dedicated Health Care Pathways, and Entrepreneur Streams.

Overall, the province has used up 49.4 percent of its nomination allocation room for non-Express Entry streams.

The Alberta Opportunity Stream has seen the most activity so far this year, with 1,692 nominations being issued across eight rounds. This stream also has the largest allocation room — over 53 percent of Alberta’s total allocation for the year. That said, the first half of the year also saw over 6,000 ITAs go out to candidates in the Alberta Opportunity Stream. The ITAs exceed the nomination spaces for the this by 70 percent, which means that not everyone who has received an ITA under this stream will get a nomination this year.

The Rural Renewal Stream remained a priority as well, with 563 nominations issued so far. Although there were only three rounds of invitations for the dedicated Tourism and Hospitality Stream, nearly 79 percent of the nomination space was used in the first half of 2026.

Activity has been slower for health care pathways and entrepreneur streams. The Dedicated Health Care Pathways have used just under a third of their 2026 allocation, with 342 spaces remaining. The Entrepreneur Streams have used just over a fifth, with 70 spaces still available.

Other AAIP Updates in the First Half of 2026

Three changes to how candidates interact with the Expression of Interest system came into effect between February and May 2026.

Starting February 25, AAIP began collecting wage and hours of work information from candidates who have an Alberta job offer. In April 2026, AAIP introduced a new $135 fee to submit an EOI.

In May, AAIP added two new options for candidates already in the pool. You can now edit your EOI after submission, and you can reject an ITA and return to the pool if you are not interested in a particular stream. Note that editing your EOI does not reset or extend its 12-month validity period.

What to Watch in the Second Half of 2026

With about half of Alberta’s nomination allocation still available, most streams have room to remain active through the rest of the year. Priority sectors, including health care, construction, and manufacturing, have driven draw activity consistently through the first half of 2026 and we expect them to continue doing so in the months ahead.

The Tourism and Hospitality Stream was particularly active and only has 32 spaces left. This stream may not see significant draw activity before year’s end. The Dedicated Health Care Pathways and Entrepreneur Streams still have substantial room, with both sitting below a third of their allocation used at the midpoint.

If you are in Alberta’s EOI pool, or planning to submit an expression of interest, the program still has capacity left for 2026. EOIs remain valid in the pool for 12 months. If you do receive an ITA, you get 30 days to submit a completed application. Processing times vary by stream and range between 2 to 9 months. This means if you’re hoping to get a provincial nomination in 2027, now is a good time to start the process.