The province of Alberta has released official data on nominations for 2026 under the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) — including priority selection sectors, quota distribution by stream, current status of nominations issued, application queues, and the Expressions of Interest (EOI) pool, according to the website https://www.alberta.ca/aaip-processing-information
As of February 5, 2026 (the date of the last update to the official website), the AAIP confirms:
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Total quota of nominations for 2026: 6,403
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Nominations already issued in 2026: 405
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Remaining nomination spots: 5,964
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Applications being processed (inventory): 1,006
Important: The Alberta government specifically emphasizes that data on nominations, remaining spots, and inventory are subject to change without notice, and AAIP reserves the right to reallocate quotas between streams depending on labor market needs.
Official selection priorities for 2026
The AAIP explicitly states that in 2026, priority in selections and nominations within the worker streams will be given to candidates with experience/professions in the following sectors:
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Healthcare
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Technology and IT
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Construction
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Manufacturing
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Aviation
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Agriculture
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As well as candidates/employers associated with communities identified in the Rural Renewal Stream
The AAIP specifies that this list is a focus area, but it is not exhaustive.
AAIP quota distribution for 2026: how many places in each stream
Below is the official distribution of nomination places and the progress of nominations issued (as of February 5, 2026).
Worker streams and pathways
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Alberta Opportunity Stream (AOS): 3,425 spots; 255 nominations issued; 501 applications being processed; applications are currently being assessed until October 21, 2025.
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Rural Renewal Stream (RRS): 1,000 spots; fewer than 10 issued; fewer than 10 being processed (assessment dates will be determined with future selections/intakes).
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Tourism and Hospitality Stream: 150 places; 29 issued; 12 being processed; applications being assessed until January 10, 2025.
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Dedicated Health Care Pathways (EE + non-EE): 500 spots; 34 issued; 19 being processed; applications being assessed until January 26, 2026.
Alberta Express Entry Stream (sub-streams 2026)
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Accelerated Tech Pathway: 600 places; 34 issued; 53 being processed; applications will be evaluated until October 31, 2025.
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Law Enforcement Pathway: 38 places; less than 10 issued; less than 10 being processed.
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Priority sector draws and other initiatives (including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, aviation, and related skilled trades): 600 spots; 48 issued; 82 in processing; applications are being assessed until October 19, 2025.
Entrepreneur Streams
- Entrepreneur Streams: 90 places; less than 10 issued; 256 business applications being processed (assessed as they are received).
Additional “over-quota” federal spots: +10,000 for doctors and French speakers
In a separate block, the AAIP reports: up to 10,000 additional federal immigration spots are available across all provincial nominee programs for nominations:
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practice-ready doctors (NOC 31100, 31101, 31102) — meeting the requirements of the Dedicated Healthcare Pathway;
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French-speaking candidates (in Canada or abroad) who work in any AAIP-eligible NOC and have CLB/NCLC 5 in French in all 4 competencies.
Key detail: Nominations issued in 2026 under this federal initiative do not count toward Alberta's main quota of 6,403.
Demand is very high: how many candidates are in the EOI pool
The AAIP also publishes the size of the Worker EOI pool from which selections are made. In total, there are 45,276 EOIs in the pool (as of the February 5, 2026 update).
Distribution of EOIs by stream:
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Alberta Opportunity Stream — 28,412
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Dedicated Health Care Pathways — 1,406
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Rural Renewal Stream — 3,185
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Tourism and Hospitality Stream — 4,928
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Express Entry: Accelerated Tech — 2,653
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Express Entry: Family connection & occupation in demand — 176
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Express Entry: Law Enforcement — 91
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Express Entry: Priority sector draws and other initiatives — 4,371
How selections will be made in 2026: important rules of the game
The AAIP emphasizes three points that are important for candidates and employers to understand correctly:
- Selections do not have a regular schedule — they are conducted “as needed.”
- The EOI score is not the only criterion: the program takes into account various factors from the EOI profile in order to achieve its priorities.
- The parameters of specific selections are not disclosed in order to maintain the integrity and fairness of the selection process.
Context: what happened in 2025 (so as not to confuse the “quota” figures)
If you have seen comparisons with the “initial” 2025 quota in publications, it is worth noting that Alberta itself officially announced: On September 9, 2025 IRCC provided an additional 1,528 nominations, bringing the total quota for 2025 to 6,403.
Also, on the processing information page, AAIP notes that in 2025, the province issued 6,603 nominations (including some of the additional nominations within the administrative Express Entry overage).
What this means for candidates in 2026
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If your experience is in priority sectors (health care, tech, construction, manufacturing, aviation, agriculture, or Rural Renewal), your profile is potentially better suited to the 2026 selection logic.
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Competition is high: 45,000+ EOIs in the pool is a signal that it's not just points that matter, but also how well you match current needs and priorities.
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Follow the official Processing information page: this is where Alberta updates quotas, nominations issued, inventory, processing dates, and the selection table.
Reminder: this is informational material, not legal advice. For an individual strategy (especially regarding NOC/TEER compliance, flow conditions, and documents), it is worth checking the official AAIP/IRCC requirements or consulting a licensed specialist.