A 41-year-old software engineer (NOC 2173) with a master's degree and CRS 377 asked which provinces realistically pick that profile. Two leads emerged:
- New Brunswick information sessions. A member with almost identical stats reported receiving an NB invitation after tracking the province's information sessions. These sessions — once held in person abroad — had moved online, so you could attend virtually from anywhere (the member attended the UAE session remotely). Registering for and attending a session was effectively the entry point to NB's stream for overseas candidates. (Historical note: NB's session-based intake process has changed over time; check the current NBPNP process.)
- Alberta (AINP) via your Express Entry profile. Another member noted Alberta issued Notifications of Interest to Express Entry candidates with CRS scores as low as ~300, with no job offer required. A question about whether a separate AINP application is needed (vs being picked from the EE pool) was raised; the member's description implied Alberta selects directly from Express Entry profiles.
For a sub-400 CRS profile in tech, the thread's playbook was: keep an active Express Entry profile where Alberta can see it, and proactively engage with New Brunswick's intake events rather than waiting for federal draws.