The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has officially introduced a new fee for candidates planning to immigrate through the worker streams. According to an update on the Alberta government’s website, as of April 7, 2026, a fee of $135 is now required to submit a Worker Expression of Interest (WEOI).
This applies specifically to the WEOI submission stage, i.e., the preliminary expression of interest to participate in the selection process for AAIP worker streams. The program’s official page states that the WEOI is mandatory for those who wish to receive an invitation to apply to one of the worker streams, and without payment of the new fee, such an application will not be accepted into the pool and will not be considered for selection.
The Alberta government has specifically emphasized that other AAIP service fees remain unchanged at this time. In the current fee schedule, which took effect on April 7, 2026, the new item is listed separately as “Submission of Worker Expression of Interest — $135”.
The official rules also specify that this payment is a one-time processing fee for submitting a WEOI. Payment must be made online using a credit or debit card, and must be completed within 24 hours of submitting the form. If the fee is not paid on time, the system will automatically cancel the WEOI.
Another important point: after successful submission and payment, the WEOI remains valid in the pool for 12 months. If the candidate does not receive an invitation during this time, the application will be canceled, and to reapply, they will have to create a new WEOI and pay the applicable fee again.
In practice, this means that candidates considering Alberta as part of their immigration strategy now need to factor in another mandatory expense right at the initial stage of entering the selection system. For those planning to apply in the near future, this update should be taken into account in advance when preparing documents and budgeting. This follows from the new official rules regarding payment and the validity period of the WEOI.