Canada boosts Northwest Territories immigration to historic high
The federal government has greenlighted the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) to nominate an additional 50 workers for Canadian permanent residence in 2026.
At 350 spaces, the NTNP’s annual immigration quota now stands at an all-time high.
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In the wake of the increase, the NTNP will be holding an additional Expression of Interest (EOI) draw under its Employer-Driven Stream (EDS) on Nov. 18, 2026.
To qualify for consideration in the NTNP’s forthcoming draw, foreign nationals must submit their EOI profiles by 11:59 p.m. Northwest Territories Time on Nov. 17.
The Government of the Northwest Territories formally announced the allocation increase on Nov. 10 through a notice posted on the NTNP News web page.
The NTNP’s Francophone Stream and Business Stream will continue operating under their existing first-come, first-served intake model.
With the addition of the Nov. 18 selection round, the NTNP is on track to hold five draws under the EDS in 2026.
The NTNP notes that those selected in the upcoming draw “should be prepared to submit a completed application within one week of receiving an invitation to apply,” to support timely processing.
The 50 additional nominations mark the second federal increase to the territory’s annual allocation, which initially stood at 197 nominations before being expanded by 103 spaces in August.
The territory’s 2026 allocation is now 50 spaces higher than its year-end total of 300 nominations in 2025.
How to be considered under the NTNP’s Employer-Driven Stream
In February 2026, the NTNP introduced an EOI selection system for the EDS in response to high application demand.
The system ranks candidates using a points-based assessment of three factors:
- Skills and experience (maximum 375 points): Age, education, language proficiency, and work experience.
- Connections to the NWT (maximum 340 points): Employment status, trades-related job offers, and prior work experience in the territory.
- Ability to settle in the NWT (maximum 130 points): Family ties and previous post-secondary education in the territory.
Further details on how points are awarded can be found in the NTNP's official scoring grid.
To enter the EDS EOI pool, candidates and their employers must complete the following process:
- The candidate obtains a qualifying job offer.
- The employer and candidate verify that they satisfy the stream's eligibility criteria.
- The employer registers an account for the candidate in the NTNP online portal, selecting “Employer-Driven Stream.”
- The candidate completes and submits the EOI profile using the employer's login credentials, receiving a score upon submission.
The NTNP then assesses the profiles in its EOI pool, selecting the highest-ranking profiles through periodic draws. Employers of selected candidates receive invitations to submit complete applications for territorial nomination, for which there is a 30-day deadline.
Results of the NTNP’s previous 2026 draws
The NTNP's selection activity in 2026 has comprised four draws, through which a total of 353 workers have been invited to pursue territorial nomination under the EDS.
| Date of draw | Invitations issued | Breakdown of selections by pathway | Location of selections | Range of candidate scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 25 | 65 | NWT Express Entry: 32 Skilled Workers: 20 Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations: 13 | Yellowknife: 37 Outside Yellowknife: 28 | 417–597 |
| June 25 | 79 | NWT Express Entry: 40 Skilled Workers: 20 Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations: 19 | Yellowknife: 52 Outside Yellowknife: 27 | 336–590 |
| August 26 | 104 | NWT Express Entry: 47 Skilled Workers: 21 Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations: 36 | Yellowknife: 83 Outside Yellowknife: 21 | 346–555 |
| September 25 | 105 | NWT Express Entry: 26 Skilled Workers: 21 Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations: 58 | Yellowknife: 96 Outside Yellowknife: 8 | 317–492 |
The territory has not disclosed how many nominations it has issued to date in 2026.
In its Nov. 10 news release, the NTNP also confirmed that selection rounds for 2027 will be announced once the territory receives its federal nomination allocation.
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