ALBERTA OPENS THE FLOODGATES: Province issues 1,169 golden tickets to Canada in just seven days

The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program has unleashed a blitz of invitations that has stunned the immigration world.

Between January 26 and February 2, 2026, the province issued a staggering 1,169 invitations across four separate draws.

It is a clear signal that Alberta is aggressively hunting for talent—and they want it now.

THE BREAKDOWN: Where the invitations landed

The largest chunk of invites targeted healthcare workers through the Dedicated Health Care Pathways, covering both Express Entry and non-Express Entry streams.

Tech workers also hit the jackpot. The Alberta Express Entry Stream’s Accelerated Tech Pathway saw significant activity as the province scrambles to fill critical digital economy gaps.

Meanwhile, the Alberta Opportunity Stream continued its steady march, offering provincial nominations to skilled workers already making their lives in the province.

Immigration experts are calling the move a “feeding frenzy” for Canadian permanent residency.

“This is not business as usual,” said one Calgary-based consultant. “Alberta is clearing the decks and bringing people in at a pace we haven’t seen in years.”

The timing is crucial. With federal immigration targets under pressure, provincial pathways like the AAIP have become the golden route for thousands of desperate applicants stuck in the Express Entry pool.

Sources close to the program suggest the province is racing to meet labor market demands that have reached crisis levels in hospitals and tech hubs across Edmonton and Calgary.

For the lucky 1,169, these invitations represent more than just paperwork. They are passports to permanent residency, to buying homes, to raising families in the Canadian Rockies.

But the window is closing fast. With competition intensifying by the hour, immigration analysts warn that the next draw could see cut-off scores skyrocket.

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