A candidate asked whether they had to put Alberta as their preferred destination in the Express Entry profile to get an invitation from Alberta. The group's answers were unanimous and simple:
- You don't need to name a single province. Choosing one province is not a requirement for that province to notice you.
- Selecting only one province does not raise your chances with it. Asked directly whether picking just Alberta improves the odds of an Alberta invitation, the answer was 'it's the same' — provinces scan the pool by profile criteria (NOC, CRS, language, experience), not by loyalty to the destination field.
- Selecting all provinces is strictly better. Multiple members: 'you can select all', 'it's even better if you choose all provinces', and the reasoning — 'you never know which province will be interested in your profile.' Restricting the field only removes options; it adds nothing.
- Let the interest come to you. Provincial notifications of interest arrive based on what provinces need; keeping every door open costs nothing in the profile.