Alberta Introduces $135 Fee for Worker Expression of Interest Submissions Under AAIP, Effective April 7
What the New Fee Covers
The Government of Alberta has confirmed that, as of April 7, 2026, candidates submitting a Worker Expression of Interest (WEOI) to the AAIP must pay a new $135 fee. Submitting a WEOI — essentially a candidate profile — was previously free, and all other AAIP service fees remain unchanged.
The new fee applies to candidates in every AAIP worker stream and pathway, including:
- The Alberta Opportunity Stream
- The Alberta Express Entry Stream, which covers the Accelerated Tech Pathway, the Law Enforcement Pathway and priority sector draws
- The Dedicated Health Care Pathways, including both Express Entry and non-Express Entry routes
- The Rural Renewal Stream
- The Tourism and Hospitality Stream
Crucially, the $135 WEOI fee is separate from, and charged in addition to, the $1,500 application fee that candidates must pay later if they are invited to apply for a provincial nomination.
How the WEOI System Works
The AAIP has been using an expression of interest system to manage applications to its worker streams since September 30, 2024. Candidates complete a WEOI form through the AAIP portal, self-declaring their work experience, education, language ability and other factors. Each WEOI is scored using the program's points grid and placed in a selection pool.
Alberta then conducts periodic draws from that pool based on provincial labour market needs, sector priorities and the number of nomination spaces available. Candidates selected in a draw receive an invitation to apply for provincial nomination and may then submit a full application — along with the $1,500 application fee — to become formal applicants. If the application is approved, the candidate receives a provincial nomination and can use it to apply for Canadian permanent residence (PR) through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Wage and Hours Data Now Shape Draws
The new fee is not the AAIP's only recent change. On February 25, 2026, the program added new fields to the WEOI form to collect wage and hours-of-work information from candidates who hold an Alberta job offer.
Any WEOI submitted on or after that date must include this information. The AAIP has indicated that these data points may be used in future draws, and WEOIs submitted before February 25 that lack the information will not be considered in such draws.
2026 Nominations and Priority Sectors
Alberta received an allocation of 6,403 nominations from IRCC for 2026. As of April 1, the AAIP had issued 1,475 nominations, leaving 4,928 spaces available, with another 1,418 applications still in the processing queue. More than 44,000 WEOIs are currently sitting in the worker stream selection pool.
In addition to its base allocation, the AAIP can issue nominations for practice-ready physicians and Francophone candidates under a separate federal initiative that provides up to 10,000 spaces across all Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). Nominations issued through this channel do not count against Alberta's 6,403 base allocation.
The AAIP has said that draws and nominations in 2026 will prioritize occupations in health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation and agriculture, as well as jobs tied to communities designated under the Rural Renewal Stream.
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04/14/2026
