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First Provincial Selection of 2025 Held by Alberta, New Brunswick Updates Processing Status
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) has kicked off its 2025 immigration season by issuing invitations to candidates in its first draw of the year. These invitations were offered to Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) hopefuls, with a focus on their professional expertise, experience, and/or connections to Alberta.
In a separate development, New Brunswick has shared important updates regarding the processing of applications through the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP), following the reopening of its immigration pathways.
Alberta Immigration Draws and Updates (February 3-14)
Between February 3 and 6, Alberta’s AAIP posted retroactive updates on its first three draws of 2025. These draws were part of the Rural Renewal Stream as well as two categories under the Dedicated Health Care Pathway (one aligned with Express Entry and one non-Express Entry). Each draw saw different cut-off scores and numbers of invitations issued.
1). February 3, 2025:
- Stream: Rural Renewal Stream
- Cut-off Score: 68
- Number of Invitations: 190
2). February 5, 2025:
- Stream: Dedicated Health Care Pathway (Express Entry)
- Cut-off Score: 52
- Number of Invitations: 70
3). February 6, 2025:
- Stream: Dedicated Health Care Pathway (Non-Express Entry)
- Cut-off Score: 50
- Number of Invitations: 48
It’s worth noting that the AAIP’s Dedicated Health Care Pathway has two distinct intake routes: one for candidates aligned with Express Entry and one for those who don’t qualify for the Alberta Express Entry stream but meet the eligibility criteria for the non-Express Entry route.
New Brunswick
NBPNP Updates New Brunswick has provided an update on the processing of applications for the NBPNP following technical difficulties with its Expression of Interest (EOI) portal. This update comes after the recent reopening of the province’s immigration streams.
According to the NBPNP, scheduled draws will begin in March 2025, and ITAs will be issued to eligible candidates. The program is currently reviewing the EOIs submitted by candidates during the downtime.
The province also addressed the technical issues faced by the Immigration New Brunswick (INB) portal, which experienced performance slowdowns due to unexpectedly high traffic. NBPNP IT staff are actively working to resolve these issues.
Additionally, the NBPNP clarified that applications submitted through the Skilled Worker Stream are not processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Candidates are encouraged to review the updated eligibility requirements for the program, including the National Occupation Classification (NOC) code restrictions, before submitting an EOI.
EOIs submitted through the INB portal will remain valid for 365 days, providing candidates with a year to ensure their submission remains in consideration.