Alberta, Canada, continues to address its healthcare sector labour needs by actively attracting professionals through its immigration policies. According to recent retroactive immigration updates published by the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP), the province conducted three targeted draws within the first two weeks of April 2025, filtering for applicants in the healthcare field and issuing a total of 81 invitations to apply for provincial nomination.

Targeted Recruitment Data Revealed: Three Draw Analysis

According to the announcement issued by the Alberta immigration authorities (AAIP) on April 12th, the three draws targeted different applicant pools:

Detailed Draw Summaries:

• April 1, 2025 – Dedicated Health Care Pathway (Express Entry): This was the first draw in April, conducted through the Dedicated Health Care Pathway aligned with the Express Entry system. The AAIP issued 34 invitations to eligible healthcare professionals in this category, with a minimum required score of 60.
• April 4, 2025 – Alberta Express Entry – Priority Sectors (Health Care): The second draw targeted the Alberta Express Entry stream, focusing on the healthcare sector as a priority. A total of 19 healthcare professionals with an Express Entry profile received invitations, requiring a minimum score of 71. It is important to note that selection through this category typically requires holding a valid job offer from an Alberta healthcare employer, and the primary occupation must be a qualified healthcare occupation.
• April 8, 2025 – Dedicated Health Care Pathway (non-Express Entry): The AAIP's third draw occurred through the independent non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care Pathway. In this draw, 28 eligible candidates received invitations to apply for provincial nomination. The lowest score among invited candidates was 53. This stream is primarily intended for applicants who do not qualify for the Express Entry-aligned categories.

Eligibility Criteria Overview

Healthcare professionals interested in applying through the Dedicated Health Care Pathway (including both Express Entry and non-Express Entry streams) need to meet specific eligibility standards.

Key Eligibility Criteria for the Non-Express Entry Dedicated Health Care Pathway include:

• Have a valid and verifiable job offer from an Alberta employer in the health care sector, in one of the qualifying health care occupations;
• Meet a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 5 in each language ability or show that your language abilities are sufficient to get licensure in your healthcare occupation in the province;
• Licensed Practical Nurses must provide information on how they met language requirements to obtain licensure; if you qualified through employer verification of primarily English-based healthcare work, you must submit an AAIP-approved language test with at least CLB 5 in all language abilities.
• Clinical Social Workers must submit a copy of their licensure language exam or an AAIP-approved language test showing at least a CLB 5 in all language abilities.
• Submit verifiable proof that you meet the minimum requirements set by the relevant regulatory body to practice the eligible health care profession in Alberta; and
• Have either a valid work permit or maintained status during processing (if you are working in the province at the time of application).

Note: The AAIP has both an enhanced (Express Entry-aligned) intake and base (non-Express Entry-aligned) intake for the Dedicated Health Care Pathway. Only those that do not qualify for the Express Entry-aligned stream should apply for this stream.

Eligibility Requirements for the Express Entry Categories:

To apply for consideration through the Express Entry (enhanced) versions of these streams, you must:

• Qualify for Express Entry;
• Have a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of at least 300; and
• Have your primary occupation listed in your Express Entry profile be in one of the eligible health care occupations.

Note: To be selected in a Priority Sector (Health Care) Draw, you must have a valid Alberta job offer from an Alberta health care employer and your primary health care occupation listed in your Express Entry profile must be in an eligible health care occupation.

Eligible Healthcare Occupations and Regulatory Bodies:

The AAIP has clearly listed the healthcare occupations eligible through the Dedicated Health Care Pathway (including both Express Entry and non-Express Entry categories), along with the regulatory bodies responsible for determining proof of ability to practice in Alberta:

This series of multi-round, targeted invitations to healthcare professionals reconfirms Alberta's urgent need for talent in this sector and provides a clear immigration pathway for qualified medical professionals worldwide. Prospective applicants should carefully review the detailed requirements for each pathway and ensure they meet the necessary language and professional licensing standards.