Alberta Invites Rural, Health and Tech Workers in Recent Draws

Alberta has stepped up its immigration efforts with a fresh round of draws over the past three weeks. Between February 26 and mid-March, the province invited more than 1,400 candidates to apply for permanent residence through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP).

Officials selected candidates through several streams, including the Alberta Opportunity Stream, Rural Renewal Stream, and pathways linked to health care and technology jobs. The draws show a clear focus on workers who can help fill key gaps in the labour market.

Strong focus on jobs in demand

The province placed strong attention on health care and technology roles during these draws. On March 16, Alberta held its first Express Entry draw of the year focused on health care as a priority sector. That round invited 50 candidates.

Earlier, on March 6, the Accelerated Tech Pathway brought in 139 candidates. Health care workers also received invitations through another pathway that does not use Express Entry.

Rural communities also received attention. The Rural Renewal Stream invited 349 candidates on March 13 and a smaller group earlier on February 26. These draws aim to bring workers to smaller towns that face ongoing labour shortages.

Alberta Opportunity Stream leads

The Alberta Opportunity Stream accounted for the largest share of invitations. On March 5 alone, the province issued 832 invitations through this stream. Overall, more than half of all invitations during this period came from this pathway.

So far in 2026, Alberta has held 18 draws and issued nearly 4,000 invitations. The province continues to rely heavily on this stream to meet its labour needs.

Thousands of spots still available

The federal government has given Alberta 6,403 nomination spaces for 2026. As of March 17, the province has already used 1,127 of those spots. That leaves over 5,200 spaces still open for the rest of the year.

The Alberta Opportunity Stream holds the largest share of these spaces, with more than half of all nominations set aside for it. Other streams, including those for tech workers and health care professionals, also have hundreds of spots remaining.

Large number of applicants waiting

Alberta continues to receive strong interest from workers around the world. As of mid-March, the province had more than 43,000 candidates in its selection pool. Most of them applied through the Alberta Opportunity Stream.

At the same time, over 1,200 applications remain under review across all streams. Officials continue to process these files as new draws take place.

Rural areas remain a priority

The province has made it clear that rural immigration remains a key goal for 2026. Communities outside major cities need workers in many fields, and the Rural Renewal Stream helps meet that demand.

Alberta also plans to focus on sectors such as construction, manufacturing, aviation, and agriculture in the months ahead. These efforts aim to support economic growth across the province.