Popular Alberta Worker Streams to Become More Competitive As Quotas Fill Up

Key Takeaways:

• Starting September 30th, 2024 applicants under four popular worker streams will need to submit a Worker Expression of Interest to be considered for the stream.
• Applicants who submit an Expression of interest will receive a rank out of 100 against the Alberta Worker Expression of Interest (EOI) Points Grid.
• AAIP will conduct draws from the worker pool, selecting applicants based on ranking and labour market needs. 
• Draws from the pool are expected to commence mid to late October 2024.
• Alberta has issued 7,463 nominations out of its 9,750 allocation with 4,974 applications still in process.
• Due to the volume of in-process applications, draws covering the worker streams will likely be small for the remainder of the year.

Which Streams Will Be Subject To The Worker EOI?

As of September 30th, 2024, applicants looking to apply under one of four streams under the AAIP must submit an EOI to the province.

These streams include:

• Alberta Express Entry Stream
• Alberta Opportunity Stream
• Rural Renewal Stream
• Tourism and Hospitality Stream

Under these streams, applicants could previously apply directly for provincial nomination rather than entering a pool to be ranked against other applicants. The move to an Expression of Interest system suggests that the demand for these programs outweighs the available spots, allowing the province to be more selective in who they accept. 

How Frequently Will The AAIP Hold Draws?

Before the release of the new Worker EOI system, the AAIP conducted monthly application acceptance periods whereby streams were only available for a limited time each month. With the introduction of the Worker EOI, these monthly application acceptance dates will be abandoned as this new system will allow the AAIP to periodically select applicants’ from the EOI pool. 

Although the AAIP has not committed to a timeline of draws, it has confirmed that the first draw for the worker streams will take place mid to late October 2024.

How Many Invitations Will Be Issued with Each Draw?

It is impossible to say with certainty how many invitations will be issued during the AAIP worker draws.  However, we can look at past stream demands to get an idea of which streams may see the most invites given a factor in issuing invites will be available quotas and application levels. 

Nominations Issued Against Quota and Applications in Process. 

To date, the majority of worker streams have seen high interest in nominations when compared to the annual quota allocated for each stream. Add to this, most of these streams have a huge backlog of applications to get through. This table summarises the data available per stream.

In light of this, we expect smaller draws for the Express Entry, Opportunity and Rural Renewal streams and more activity for the Tourism and Hospitality Stream. 

How Will Applicants be Ranked Once in the Worker Expression of Interest Pool?

Once applicants have submitted a Worker EOI, they will receive a ranking score out of 100, according to the Worker EOI Points Grid.

Points are awarded as follows:

A full breakdown of the ranking scores can be found on the AAIP official website.

How Will Applicants Be Selected From the Worker Pool?

The AAIP will select and invite candidates from the worker pool, inviting them to apply for provincial nominations. Applicants will be selected from the pool based on their EOI score rankings along and provincial labour market needs. 

What Should You Do To Prepare For The New EOI System? 

If you are hoping to apply to one of the four streams using the Worker EOI, you should carefully review your eligibility for the stream as well as the ranking factors that will make up your ranking score. 

Knowing your ranking score will allow you to identify areas of improvement that can be worked on to ensure you get the highest ranking score available to you.

In addition to this, you should also review other AAIP EOI’s you have in the system and assess which you are more likely to be successful with. This is because the AAIP only allows applicants to have one EOI at any given time. 

If you have a draft application in progress under any of the four streams, you won’t be able to submit an EOI. Make sure to clean up your Alberta online account to get ready for the Worker EOI opening.

If you are interested in exploring other Provincial Nominee Programs, be sure to use our PNP stream finder to find suitable streams.