Alberta Issues 722 AAIP Invitations Across Three September Draws | ImmigraCan

Alberta issued 722 invitations across three Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (*AAIP*, the province's nominee program) draws held on September 1, 3 and 9, 2026, with results published together in a single update on September 10. The Alberta Opportunity Stream carried most of the round — 575 invitations at a minimum score of 56, down from 58 in the August 14 draw — while the province's two occupation-specific pathways added 96 invitations for tech workers and 51 for health care workers.

The September Draws in Numbers

• Draws held: September 1, September 3 and September 9, 2026 (results published together on September 10)
• Total invitations issued: 722
• Alberta Opportunity Stream (September 1): 575 invitations, minimum score 56 — down from 58 in the August 14 round
• Accelerated Tech Pathway: 96 invitations to tech workers
• Dedicated Health Care Pathway: 51 invitations to health care workers
• 2026 nomination allocation: 6,603 (IRCC added 200 nominations to Alberta's original allocation this year)
• Year-to-date, as of September 11: 4,864 nomination certificates issued, leaving 1,739 for the rest of 2026

Why the Alberta Opportunity Stream Score Eased to 56

The Alberta Opportunity Stream (*AOS*) is the AAIP's main pathway for foreign workers already employed in the province on a valid work permit, with a qualifying job offer from an Alberta employer. Candidates submit a Worker Expression of Interest (*WEOI*) profile, which the province ranks on its own points grid — language ability, work experience, education and the job offer itself — separate from, and not comparable to, the federal CRS (*Comprehensive Ranking System*) used in Express Entry.

A minimum score of 56 to be invited on September 1 is two points below the 58 the province set on August 14. A lower cutoff generally means more candidates in the pool cleared the bar, or that Alberta prioritized a larger invitation round that month — the AOS accounted for 575 of the 722 total invitations, by far the largest single stream. Candidates need a WEOI score at or above the cutoff *before* a draw runs; an invitation does not retroactively adjust anyone's score.

Tech and Health Care Still Move Faster

Alberta runs two occupation-specific tracks alongside the AOS: the Accelerated Tech Pathway, for workers in designated technology occupations, and the Dedicated Health Care Pathway, for workers in health occupations the province has flagged as priorities. Together these added 173 invitations to the September rounds — 96 to tech workers, 51 to health care workers, with the remainder split across other targeted invitations that made up the 722 total. Both pathways are part of Alberta's stated 2026 sector priorities, which also include construction, aviation, agriculture, manufacturing and communities designated under the Rural Renewal Stream. Candidates who qualify under one of these tracks are typically invited faster and at more accessible scores than the general AOS pool, since the province is actively working through a shorter list of priority occupations rather than ranking the entire worker stream together.

How the AAIP Expression of Interest System Works

Alberta does not invite candidates on a first-come, first-served basis. Workers first submit a Worker Expression of Interest profile — since April 7, 2026, this requires a CAD $135 fee — and the province scores each profile against its internal grid. Alberta then runs periodic draws targeting specific streams, inviting the highest-ranked profiles in each one. There is no fixed public schedule; the frequency and mix of streams selected in any given month depend on Alberta's labour market needs and how much of its annual nomination allocation remains.

What This Means If You're in the Pool

1. If you have a WEOI under the Alberta Opportunity Stream, compare your score against 56 — the cutoff for this round, not the higher 58 that applied in August.
2. If you work in tech or health care in Alberta, check whether your occupation qualifies for the Accelerated Tech Pathway or the Dedicated Health Care Pathway — both moved faster than the general stream this round. ImmigraCan's free eligibility quiz calculates your CRS score and flags which federal and provincial programs you currently qualify for; it does not guarantee any outcome, since the final decision always rests with IRCC and the province.
3. Compare Alberta against other active PNP routes running the same month, including Manitoba's record-setting graduate draw on September 10. ImmigraCan's programs catalog lines up Alberta, BC, Manitoba and Ontario streams side by side.
4. With only 1,739 nominations left in Alberta's 2026 allocation, candidates close to the cutoff should not wait on a future round to submit documentation once invited — the province could exhaust its allocation before December if the current pace holds.

One thing I've learned from validating my own credential (an electrician's 309A license) in Ontario: provincial nominee programs reward candidates who treat the paperwork and the score as two separate tracks running at the same time, not a sequence. Alberta's WEOI system rewards the same discipline — a strong score gets you invited, but a complete, verifiable file is what turns that invitation into an actual nomination.

What to Watch Next

With three draws compressed into a single September update and the AOS cutoff easing for the second month in a row, the number worth tracking next is whether Alberta keeps inviting at this pace through the fall or slows down to stretch its remaining 1,739 nominations across the rest of 2026.

*Data for this update comes from Alberta's official AAIP updates page, also reported by CIC News. This content is informational and does not replace legal or immigration advice — ImmigraCan is not affiliated with the Government of Canada or the Government of Alberta. For your specific case, consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a specialized lawyer.*