NWT and Yukon Nominee Programs: Turn Your Northern Job Into PR
The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) and the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP) are employer-driven: an employer in the territory must offer you a job and support your application. Both now select candidates through Expressions of Interest, and nominees can apply to IRCC for permanent residence. Check where you stand with our PNP eligibility checker.
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How do the NWT and Yukon Nominee Programs work?
Both territories run employer-driven programs. In Yukon, the employer submits the Expression of Interest and the application; in the NWT, the employer registers and nominates you, then you complete an Expression of Interest profile.
Each territory has a skilled worker stream, an entry-level stream and an Express Entry stream. Express Entry nominees get 600 extra CRS points in Express Entry.
What happens if you wait to apply?
Nomination spaces are small: 282 for Yukon and 300 for the NWT in 2026 (the NWT raised its allocation from 197 on 7 August 2026). Yukon only takes Expressions of Interest in two short windows a year, in January and July, so missing one can mean waiting months. See recent invitations on our PNP draw tracker.
Why workers choose the territories
- Entry-level streams: both territories nominate TEER 4 and 5 workers
- Low language minimum: Yukon asks for CLB 4 in TEER 4 and 5 jobs
- Small, targeted pools: you compete only with other territorial candidates
- Yukon priorities: regulated health care professionals, rural employers, Yukon University graduates and French speakers
- NWT Francophone Stream: a separate route for French speakers
- Family included: bring your spouse and children
Are the NWT and Yukon programs right for you?
An honest answer before you spend money on tests and fees.
A good fit if you have
- A job offer from an eligible employer in the NWT or Yukon
- An employer willing to support you and show it could not hire a Canadian
- Relevant experience: 12 months for Yukon Skilled Worker, or 1 year in the last 10 for NWT Skilled Worker
- A valid work permit if you are already in Canada
- An approved English or French test less than 2 years old
Consider another route if
- You do not have a territorial job offer
- Your Yukon employer is a home-based business, a small B&B, a taxi company, a real estate firm or another excluded business
- You are in Canada as a visitor or refugee claimant
Express Entry, another province’s stream or a work permit first may fit better. Compare all provinces.
NWT and Yukon eligibility requirements
You must meet your stream’s rules and prove every claim with documents. Here is what the territories and IRCC check.
Language proficiency
Yukon needs CLB 6 for TEER 0 and 1, CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5, with results under 2 years old. The NWT sets a minimum level for each category and needs proof when you apply.
Education
You must have the documented education, training and skills your job requires. The Express Entry streams follow the federal program rules.
Work experience
Yukon: 12 months for Skilled Worker and 6 months for Critical Impact Worker. NWT: 1 year in the last 10 for Skilled Worker, and 12 months in the same job with your employer for Entry Level.
Job offer
A guaranteed job offer from an eligible employer. Yukon employers must have operated in the territory for at least a year and show they tried to hire Canadians first.
Admissibility
A medical exam with an IRCC panel physician for you and your dependants, and police certificates from every country you have lived in for 6+ months since age 18.
Not sure you qualify?
Answer 8 questions to see which provinces fit your profile.
The territorial nominee programs
Yukon Nominee Program
Skilled Worker (TEER 0 to 3), Critical Impact Worker (TEER 4 and 5) and Express Entry. Employers submit Expressions of Interest during the January and July intakes.
NWT Nominee Program
Skilled Worker, Entry Level/Semi-Skilled and NWT Express Entry, selected through an EOI scored on language, age, experience, education and ties to the NWT.
Business routes
Entrepreneurs can use the Yukon Business Nominee Program or the NWT Business Stream instead.
Compare other routes
The territories not the right fit? These pages cover the provinces and the federal options.
How to apply to the NWT or Yukon program, step by step
Six stages from choosing your stream to landing in Canada.
Confirm your employer and stream
We check that your employer is eligible, which territorial stream fits your job, and whether your profile matches this year’s priorities.
Get your test and documents
Book IELTS, CELPIP, TEF or TCF, and collect your job offer, reference letters and education documents.
Submit the Expression of Interest
In Yukon, your employer submits the EOI during an intake window. In the NWT, your employer registers and you complete an EOI profile that is ranked by score.
Submit the full application
We prepare the full application with your employer before the deadline. Yukon employers also attend an information session.
Get your provincial nomination
The territory reviews the application. In Yukon, the employer, nominee and government then sign a Tripartite Agreement.
Apply for permanent residence
You apply to IRCC for permanent residence. Yukon nominees must apply within 6 months, and Express Entry nominees get 600 CRS points.
Costs and timelines
Typical costs for a single applicant, confirmed during your consultation because IRCC fees change periodically.
Which Canadian province wants you?
Answer 8 questions and see which of Canada’s 9 skilled-worker PNP streams fit your profile, based on current provincial criteria.
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NWT and Yukon Nominee Program FAQs
What are the NWT and Yukon Nominee Programs?
They are the territorial versions of the Provincial Nominee Program. The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) and the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP) nominate foreign workers that territorial employers need, so they can apply to IRCC for permanent residence.
Do I need a job offer for the NWT or Yukon programs?
Yes. Both worker programs are employer-driven, so you need a job offer from an eligible territorial employer who supports your application.
How does the Yukon Expression of Interest work?
Employers submit an EOI during an intake window, which in 2026 ran January 19 to 30 and July 6 to 17. The highest-ranking submissions are invited to apply, and employers must submit a new EOI for each intake.
How does the NWT Expression of Interest work?
Since March 9, 2026, your employer registers and nominates you, then you complete an EOI profile. It is scored on language (125), age (50), work experience (100), education (100), NWT labour market connections (340) and adaptability (130).
What language level do I need?
Yukon needs CLB 6 for TEER 0 and 1, CLB 5 for TEER 2 and 3, and CLB 4 for TEER 4 and 5. The NWT sets a minimum language level for each category, and you must provide test results when you apply.
Who does Yukon prioritize in 2026?
Regulated health care professionals, employers in rural Yukon, and foreign nationals who have lived and worked in Yukon for at least a year, graduated from Yukon University or speak French.
Which Yukon employers cannot use the program?
Excluded businesses include bed and breakfasts with fewer than 10 rooms, hobby farms, home-based businesses, taxi companies, real estate, holding companies and business consulting or personal services.
Can entry-level workers apply?
Yes. Yukon’s Critical Impact Worker stream covers TEER 4 and 5 jobs with 6 months of experience, and the NWT Entry Level/Semi-Skilled category needs 12 months in the same job with your employer.
Is there a French-language route?
Yes. The NWT runs a separate Francophone Stream, and Yukon lists French-speaking candidates among its 2026 priorities.
Does meeting the requirements guarantee a nomination?
No. Both territories have small allocations and more candidates than spaces, so they invite the highest-ranking candidates based on their priorities.
