Alberta invites candidates for provincial immigration
Alberta conducted three provincial immigration draws over the first two weeks of April.
A combined total of 81 candidates received Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in these draws, with health care professionals being targeted through three separate streams.
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Last week, the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) retroactively published immigration updates detailing three recent draws.
| Date of draw | Stream | Number of invitations issued | Cut-off score |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 1, 2025 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway (Express Entry) | 34 | 60 |
| April 4, 2025 | Alberta Express Entry – Priority Sectors (Health Care) | 19 | 71 |
| April 8, 2025 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway (non-Express Entry) | 28 | 53 |
The AAIP invited eligible foreign nationals through both the Express Entry and non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care pathways, as well as the Express Entry Priority Sectors pathway.
Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry
The first draw, occurring April 1, 2025, was through the Dedicated Health Care Pathway linked to the Express Entry system.
The AAIP sent out a total of 34 invitations to eligible health care professionals under this stream, with candidates needing a minimum score of 60 to have been chosen.
Alberta Express Entry – Priority Sectors
The second draw took place on April 4, 2025, and pulled from the Alberta Express Entry stream, focusing on one of the currently identified priority sectors: Health Care.
A total of 19 health care professionals with an Express Entry profile received invitations; a minimum score of 71 was required for consideration.
Dedicated Health Care Pathway – non-Express Entry
The AAIP’s third draw, having occurred on April 8, 2025, was through the non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care Pathway.
In this draw, 28 eligible candidates received invitations to apply for provincial nomination. The score of the lowest ranked candidate was 53.
Eligibility criteria
The table below features which health care professions are eligible under both the Express Entry and non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care Pathways, as well as the applicable regulatory organization responsible for determining proof of ability to practice in Alberta.
| Health care profession | Regulatory organization |
|---|---|
| Physician | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) |
| Registered Nurse | College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta (CLPNA) |
| Nurse Practitioner | College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) |
| Physician Assistant | College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) |
| Occupational Therapist | Alberta College of Occupational Therapists (ACOT) |
| Physiotherapist | College of Physiotherapists of Alberta (CPA) |
| Clinical Social Worker | Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) |
| Psychologist | College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) |
Overall, to qualify for consideration for the non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care Pathway, you must meet the eligibility criteria listed below.
- Have a valid and verifiable job offer from an Alberta employer in the health care sector, in one of the qualifying health care occupations;
- Meet a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 in each language ability or show that your language abilities are sufficient to get licensure in your healthcare occupation in the province;
- Licensed Practical Nurses must provide information on how they met language requirements to obtain licensure; if you qualified through employer verification of primarily English-based healthcare work, you must submit an AAIP-approved language test with at least CLB 5 in all language abilities.
- Clinical Social Workers must submit a copy of their licensure language exam or an AAIP-approved language test showing at least a CLB 5 in all language abilities.
- Submit verifiable proof that you meet the minimum requirements set by the relevant regulatory body to practice the eligible health care profession in Alberta; and
- Have either a valid work permit or maintained status during processing (if you are working in the province at the time of application).
Note: The AAIP has both an enhanced (Express Entry-aligned) intake and base (non-Express Entry-aligned) intake for the Dedicated Health Care Pathway. Only those that do not qualify for the Express Entry-aligned stream should apply for this stream.
Qualifying for the Express Entry stream
To apply for consideration through the Express Entry (enhanced) version of this stream, you must
- Qualify for Express Entry;
- Have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300; and
- Have your primary occupation listed in your Express Entry profile be in one of the eligible health care occupations.
Note: To be selected in a Priority Sector (Health Care) Draw, you must have a valid Alberta job offer from an Alberta health care employer and your primary health care occupation listed in your Express Entry profile must be in an eligible health care occupation.
