Maple News reports that Alberta conducted a new Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw on April 6, inviting 200 Express Entry candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP). The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score required for this round was 302, slightly higher than the two previous draws which had a cut-off of 301.
Candidates selected in this round were considered through the Alberta Express Entry Stream—an enhanced pathway aligned with Canada’s federal Express Entry immigration system. To be eligible, applicants must have held an active Express Entry profile. Express Entry itself is Canada’s online system for managing immigration applications under three federal high-skilled categories: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class.
Qualifying candidates are ranked in the Express Entry pool based on several factors such as age, education, skilled work experience, and language proficiency in English or French. Those receiving a nomination from a province are automatically granted an additional 600 CRS points, drastically increasing their chances of receiving an invitation to apply for permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
With this boost, candidates in the Alberta draw who met the minimum CRS score of 302 would now hold a total score of 902—virtually guaranteeing an invitation in an upcoming federal Express Entry draw.
The Alberta Express Entry Stream targets individuals who have strong ties to the province, such as employment or family connections, and those who can contribute to Alberta’s economic development and diversification priorities. At this time, the stream is focusing on candidates who are already residing and working within the province, a measure aligned with Alberta’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Applicants must also have prior work experience in an eligible occupation. While Alberta does not publish a list of targeted occupations, it does maintain a list of occupations deemed ineligible for this stream.
This latest draw reflects Alberta’s continued commitment to welcoming skilled immigrants who are aligned with its labor market needs, providing a valuable pathway to permanent residency for those who may not have high enough CRS scores to succeed in the federal draws alone.
Maple News will continue to monitor and report on PNP updates and how they shape Canadian immigration opportunities.