Alberta has confirmed that it used 100 percent of its 2025 nomination quota under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) following two final draws released on 21 December. The province, which had received 10 per cent more spaces than at the start of 2024, issued nominations across both Express Entry-linked and Occupation-in-Demand streams, focusing on health care, construction and technology occupations.
The year-end statistics show Alberta’s strategy of smaller, more frequent invitation rounds: 42 draws produced roughly 9,000 nominations with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 303 for targeted candidates who had Alberta job offers. By contrast, the largest draw in April issued 500 invitations at a CRS of 382.
![Alberta Exhausts 2025 Provincial Nominee Allocation under Alberta Advantage Immigration Program]()
For employers, the exhausted quota signals that new provincial nominations will not be available until federal authorities release the 2026 allocation—expected in February. Companies still hoping to recruit foreign talent should consider federal work-permit options (e.g., Global Talent Stream) or plan to file AAIP Expressions of Interest early in 2026. Candidates already in the AAIP pool remain eligible for selection should additional spaces be granted retroactively.
Immigration lawyers note that Alberta’s full uptake underscores persistent labour shortages despite the federal government’s plan to slow overall immigration growth. Provinces that do not meet their allocations could see their unused spaces redistributed, so stakeholders should watch for inter-provincial re-allocation announcements in Q1 2026.
The year-end statistics show Alberta’s strategy of smaller, more frequent invitation rounds: 42 draws produced roughly 9,000 nominations with Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores as low as 303 for targeted candidates who had Alberta job offers. By contrast, the largest draw in April issued 500 invitations at a CRS of 382.
For employers, the exhausted quota signals that new provincial nominations will not be available until federal authorities release the 2026 allocation—expected in February. Companies still hoping to recruit foreign talent should consider federal work-permit options (e.g., Global Talent Stream) or plan to file AAIP Expressions of Interest early in 2026. Candidates already in the AAIP pool remain eligible for selection should additional spaces be granted retroactively.
Immigration lawyers note that Alberta’s full uptake underscores persistent labour shortages despite the federal government’s plan to slow overall immigration growth. Provinces that do not meet their allocations could see their unused spaces redistributed, so stakeholders should watch for inter-provincial re-allocation announcements in Q1 2026.
Source: ImmigCanada
