Alberta Opportunity Stream (AAIP): Who Qualifies and How to Apply

The Alberta Opportunity Stream is one of four worker streams in the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, Alberta's Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). It is built for people who are already in Alberta on a work permit and want to stay permanently with their current employer.

It is a base stream. That means it is not linked to the federal Express Entry system. If Alberta nominates you, you send a separate permanent residence application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The nomination does not add points to an Express Entry profile.

The stream is the largest part of Alberta's program. As of mid-September 2026, AAIP reported:

These figures change often. Check the AAIP processing information page for the current numbers.

You must meet every minimum requirement below at the time you submit and while Alberta assesses your file. This is a summary of the official eligibility page.

Status and work permit

You need valid temporary resident status in Canada that lets you work. Accepted work permits include:

• A permit based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• Certain LMIA-exempt permits, such as international trade permits, intra-company transfers, International Experience Canada, Mobilité Francophone, and religious work permits
• An open work permit for vulnerable workers
• A Post-Graduation Work Permit from an Alberta institution
• Permits issued under eligible IRCC temporary public policies

Occupation

Most occupations in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) TEER categories 0 to 5 are eligible. Some are not. The excluded list includes, among others, legislators, judges, teachers, real estate agents, taxi drivers, and home support workers. Check the full list on Alberta's eligibility page before you apply.

Work experience

You must have full-time experience (at least 30 hours a week) in your current occupation:

• 12 months in Alberta within the last 18 months, or
• 24 months in Canada or abroad within the last 30 months

Language

CLB means Canadian Language Benchmark. See language tests for Canada for the approved tests.

Education

You need at least a high school education equal to the Canadian standard. If you studied outside Canada, you need an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA).

Job offer

You need a full-time job offer or employment contract from an Alberta employer in your current occupation. Part-time, casual, and seasonal jobs do not qualify. Independent contractors, home-based businesses, and remote workers living outside Alberta are also excluded.

If you graduated from an Alberta school and hold a PGWP, two rules are easier and one is stricter:

• Work experience: you need only 6 months of full-time experience in your current occupation in Alberta within the last 18 months.
• Education: your credential must come from a publicly funded, minister-approved Alberta post-secondary institution. It must be a post-diploma certificate of at least one year, a diploma of at least two years, or a degree.
• Job offer and language: the same rules apply as for everyone else.

A PGWP from a school in another province does not qualify for this route. If you studied outside Alberta, you would need the standard 12 or 24 months of experience and a different accepted work permit.

You cannot apply directly. Since September 30, 2024, all AAIP worker streams use a Worker Expression of Interest (WEOI) system.

1. You submit a WEOI profile. Alberta scores it on a 100-point grid.
2. AAIP runs draws. It picks candidates based on their scores, Alberta's labor market needs and priorities, the nominations it has left, and how many applications are already in process.
3. If you are picked, you get an invitation to apply.

Key rules, as of September 2026:

• A WEOI costs $135 (since April 7, 2026). Pay within 24 hours of submitting.
• A WEOI stays valid for one year. Since May 26, 2026 you can edit it.
• You must finish the WEOI in one session. You cannot save a draft.
• There is no fixed cutoff score. On September 1, 2026, an AOS draw invited 575 candidates with a minimum score of 56. Earlier in 2026, Alberta also ran AOS draws aimed at priority sectors.

AAIP reported about 35,957 eligible expressions of interest across all its pools in September 2026, so being eligible does not mean you will be invited.

You will also pay for a language test, an ECA if you studied abroad, a medical exam, police certificates, and biometrics at the federal stage.

Employer fees are illegal in the AAIP. Your employer cannot charge you for a job offer or for supporting your application. If anyone asks you to pay for a job offer or a "guaranteed" nomination, read our scam protection guide.

The process has two stages:

• Alberta stage. After you submit, AAIP assesses your file. In September 2026, AAIP said it was assessing AOS applications received up to June 17, 2026. This queue changes, so check the processing page.
• Federal stage. Once nominated, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence as a base provincial nominee. Base PNP applications usually take much longer than Express Entry. See processing times.

Keep your work permit valid the whole time. Alberta requires valid status that lets you work both when you submit and while it assesses your file. If your permit is expiring, look at your options to extend your status. After you apply for permanent residence, a bridging open work permit may be available if you qualify.

• In the Express Entry pool? Look at the Alberta Express Entry Stream.
• Health care worker? The Dedicated Health Care Pathway has its own draws.
• Working in a hotel, restaurant, or tourism business? Check the Tourism and Hospitality Stream.
• Job in a small community? The Rural Renewal Stream uses community endorsement.
• Federal routes: Express Entry or the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (Claresholm, Alberta is a participating community).

If you have had a past refusal or an immigration status problem, talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) before you apply. See how to verify a lawyer or consultant.