The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has held its first draw of 2025, inviting Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply. Invitations were extended to individuals based on their professional qualifications, work experience, and/or connections to Alberta.
In a separate update, New Brunswick has provided details on the processing of applications via the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP) following the reopening of its immigration streams.
Provincial Immigration Updates (February 3-14)
Alberta The AAIP shared updates on its immigration draws from the first three rounds held between February 3 and 6, 2025. These draws were part of the Rural Renewal Stream and the Dedicated Health Care Pathway (both Express Entry-aligned and non-Express Entry intakes). The draw results showed variations in cut-off scores and the number of invitations issued.
| Date | Stream | Cut-off score | No. of invitations |
| February 6, 2025 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway non-Express Entry | 50 | 48 |
| February 5, 2025 | Dedicated Health Care Pathway (Express Entry) | 52 | 70 |
| February 3, 2025 | Rural Renewal stream | 68 | 190 |
It’s important to note that the AAIP’s Dedicated Health Care Pathway offers both an Express Entry-aligned intake and a non-Express Entry intake. Those who do not qualify for the Alberta Express Entry stream but meet all other criteria for the Dedicated Health Care Pathway are eligible to apply through the non-Express Entry stream.
New Brunswick
The NBPNP has shared an update regarding the timeline for issuing Invitations to Apply (ITAs) and the processing of applications after facing technical issues with its Expression of Interest (EOI) portal. These updates come after the recent reopening of New Brunswick’s provincial immigration programs.
According to the NBPNP’s website, ITAs will begin being issued in March 2025 through scheduled draws. The PNP is currently reviewing the EOIs submitted by candidates. The province also provided clarification regarding performance issues with the Immigration New Brunswick (INB) portal. Due to an unexpectedly high volume of site traffic, technical difficulties were encountered, but IT staff are actively addressing the issue.
Furthermore, the NBPNP highlighted that submissions to its Skilled Worker Stream are not processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Candidates are urged to review the updated eligibility requirements for immigration programs, including National Occupation Classification (NOC) code restrictions, before submitting an EOI. EOIs submitted through the INB portal will remain valid for up to 365 days from the date of submission.
