The curious case of Alberta’s small PNP draw with highest CRS cut-off since Feb 2021

The draw on November 24 was tied for the second-smallest of the year, with the second-highest CRS required. On November 24, Alberta invited 100 Express Entry applicants to file for a provincial nomination. Given that the bulk of this year's Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) draws have welcomed more than 200 candidates at a time, it was a comparatively modest draw. Only one other draw in January had a prize pool of less than 100, and the smallest was 50.

The minimum score necessary for an Alberta draw was likewise quite high, at 350. Only one other draw this year, in January, had a higher cut-off score of 360. The number of nominations that Alberta can provide each year is established by the federal immigration agency, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Alberta is permitted to provide 6,250 nomination certificates in 2021. Alberta has been granted 6,094 nomination certificates so far this year. Because there are few nomination certificates left, this might explain why the draw size was so tiny.

As of December 7, the Alberta Express Entry pool has 400 Alberta Opportunity Stream applications and 825 expressions of interest, according to the government website. The Alberta Express Entry stream is a streamlined version of the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). It enables the provincial government to search the federal government's Express Entry pool for profiles of persons who could be qualified for a provincial nomination.

Express Entry program manages Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Worker Program, and Federal Skilled Trades Programs. If you fulfil the Express Entry eligibility standards, you will be awarded a score based on the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). Your age, education, employment experience, English or French language abilities, and other factors all contribute to your score.

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The IRCC holds Express Entry draws on a regular basis, inviting the top scorers to apply for permanent residency. Through the Express Entry system, it is possible to immigrate without a provincial nomination; however, those with lower CRS scores may opt to file for a PNP. Provincial nominees automatically earn a 600-point increase to their overall score. If the lowest-scoring Alberta lottery candidates are recommended, their new CRS scores will be 900, which will be more than enough to be invited to the next Express Entry draw.

To be qualified for a provincial nomination under the Alberta Express Entry stream, you must have work experience in a related occupation. Instead of providing a list of jobs that are qualified for the stream, the AINP gives a list of occupations that are not. Job opportunities include food service supervisors, transport truck drivers, and cooks for people who apply through this route.

Work experience, a Canadian education, or a job offer in Alberta are all characteristics that boost your chances of getting nominated. It also helps if you have a family member, such as a parent, kid, or sibling, who lives in Alberta.