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The Northwest Territories Nominee Program reopens February 27 for 2025 applications.

Foreign nationals applying for the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) for the 2025 intake must submit their applications between 9 AM MT on February 27 and 5 PM MT on March 6.

The NTNP will process 90 new applications along with 60 from 2024, meeting its 2025 nomination quota of 150. If applications exceed capacity, a random selection process will determine which applications proceed, with notifications sent via email.

Processing priority will be based on work permit expiry dates. The NWT government has also adjusted its allocations to support individuals with expiring work permits, recognize long-term commitments to NWT employers, and address diverse employer needs.

This article will cover:

• New allocations and highlighted eligibility for individual NTNP streams; and
• Further context into provincial immigration in 2025.

Employer-Driven Stream Allocations Under the NTNP

The Employer-Driven stream of the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) enables employers to hire and nominate foreign workers for permanent residence (PR) in Canada. As the name implies, this stream is employer-led, meaning that only NWT employers can submit applications on behalf of immigration candidates—foreign nationals cannot apply independently.

The stream contains three categories:

• The Entry Level / Semi-Skilled Occupations category;
• The Skilled Worker category; and
• The NWT Express Entry category.

The following table shows the 2025 allotment for each stream, in addition to eligibility factors highlighted by the NTNP:

Unless otherwise specified, work experience for the above eligibility must be gained:

• Immediately prior to applying to the NTNP; and
• With an applicant’s nominating employer, and in the same occupation.

In addition to the above, five applications under the Entry Level / Semi-Skilled Occupations category, and five more applications under the Skilled Worker and NWT Express Entry categories cumulatively will be reserved for NWT employers in communities outside Yellowknife. These applications will use the same eligibility criteria highlighted above.

The above table is not an exhaustive account of the eligibility criteria for these streams. To learn more about immigrating through the Employer-Driven stream, visit the NTNP’s program guidelines and application checklists.

Employer-Driven and Francophone Streams

The NTNP will allocate 10 additional applications to employers specifically for Francophone candidates through the Employer-Driven and Francophone streams.

For the 2025 intake, NWT employers will have a limited number of applications they can submit, depending on the size of their workforce.

Francophone Stream Under the NTNP

The Francophone stream of the NTNP is an employer-driven pathway that enables NWT businesses to hire and nominate bilingual foreign nationals for permanent residence. To qualify, applicants must have a valid job offer from an NWT employer and can work in any National Occupation Classification (NOC) TEER level.

Reason for Changes to the NWT’s Application Intake

The NTNP’s application intake process has been adjusted due to a 50% reduction in the territory’s immigrant nomination allocation for 2025, a trend seen across all Canadian provinces and territories.

In response to housing and affordability concerns, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced in late 2023 that PNP landing targets for 2025 would be cut in half. As a result, total admissions under Canada’s Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) have dropped from 110,000 in 2024 to 55,000 in 2025.

This reduction has significantly impacted PNPs nationwide, leading several provinces and territories—including New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Yukon—to modify their intake processes.

Additionally, demand for Canadian immigration streams has surged, with the NTNP reaching its 2024 nomination cap by July—a first in the program’s history.

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