Alberta Hosts New PNP Draw In The New Year

2020 turned out to be disastrous in multiple ways for immigration worldwide. Canada failed to meet its immigration goals and the provinces also had to slow down their immigration process.

While most provinces still continued to host draws and issue invitations to immigrants in the hope that they will help in a swift post-pandemic recovery, Alberta fell behind. After hosting an Express Entry draw in June 2020, Alberta stopped issuing invitations for the rest of the year.

In 2020, Alberta was given the chance to issue 6,250 nomination certificates but the provinces issued only 4,000 because of the pandemic. Since all the certificates were distributed by June, there was no need to continue draws in the second half of 2020.

However, Alberta is determined to begin 2021 on a positive note.

Details of the draw

The province held its first draw of the new year on January 8, targeting candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program. Eligible candidates received invitations in the draw to submit their application for a provincial nomination. Only the ones with existing Express Entry profiles were chosen.

The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program invited 50 candidates on January 8, after determining if they are eligible via the provincial Express Entry stream. The minimum Comprehensive Ranking System score required for candidates to be invited was 406.

Candidates who make valid profiles in the Express Entry pool stand the chance of receiving an invitation to apply from provinces that have Express Entry-aligned PNPs. Alberta looks for candidates with professional experience in any of the occupations that are necessary for the economic development of the province. The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program specified the professions they are not willing to consider in a list.