Maple News reports that the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) issued 275 invitations to Express Entry candidates in its most recent draw held on September 30. Candidates with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300 were eligible for a provincial nomination, offering them a valuable boost toward Canadian permanent residency.
This marks the fourth Alberta Express Entry draw in September, with every round requiring a minimum CRS score of 300. Over the month, the province extended a total of 1,610 invitations to skilled workers eager to settle in Alberta.
Since resuming its draws in January 2021, Alberta has invited 5,617 Express Entry candidates, following a temporary pause in late 2020. The province has been allocated a quota of 6,250 nomination certificates for 2021, showing that Alberta is nearing its limit for the year.
The Alberta Express Entry Stream is a component of Canada’s enhanced Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). It allows the provincial government to select candidates from the federal Express Entry pool who show strong potential to integrate into Alberta’s labor market and contribute to its economic development.
Express Entry is the federal application system that manages immigration under three key programs: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program, and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. Candidates are ranked using the Comprehensive Ranking System, which calculates points based on factors like age, work experience, education, and language proficiency.
While it is possible to immigrate through Express Entry alone, those with lower CRS scores may enhance their chances by securing a provincial nomination. A nomination adds 600 points to a candidate’s CRS score, effectively guaranteeing an invitation to apply for permanent residence in a federal Express Entry draw. For the lowest-scoring candidates in Alberta’s September 30 draw, this would bring their scores to 900.
According to Maple News, this latest draw reinforces Alberta’s continued commitment to attracting skilled professionals who can support the province’s economic recovery and growth goals in key sectors such as agriculture, technology, and healthcare.