The GNWT's nominee program for immigrant workers opens for 2025 on Feb. 27 at 9 a.m., according to the territorial government. It will close again on March 6.
Anyone interested in applying can do so on the
The nomination allocation this year is technically 150, but the territory will only accept 90 new applications in 2025. That's because it received 60 more applications than the limit in 2024, which are being processed toward this year's allocation, the GNWT states.
Of the 150 quota, 70 fall under the employer-driven stream from Yellowknife employers. Half of those will be for entry level and semi-skilled occupations. The GNWT will accept other half for the and categories. To be considered in the latter category, applicants must meet the the following criteria:
-An applicant must have a full-time, permanent job offer with an NWT employer and a year's worth of work experience in the nominating occupation. They also need an expiring work permit in 2025.
-An applicant must be working full-time in the NWT for their employer in the same occupation for a minimum of 18 months prior to applying.
Another 10 applicants fall under the employer-driven stream from employers in communities outside of Yellowknife. Half are for entry level and semi-skilled occupations. The other half are for skilled worker and express entry applicants. The same standards apply.
The last 10 applicants are for the francophone stream.
"For the 2025 intake, there will be a set number of applications an NWT employer can submit to the employer-driven stream based on the size of their business," the territorial government states. That breaks down as follows:
-employers with one to 10 total NWT employees: 1 application
-employers with 11 - 49 total NWT employees: 2 applications
-employers with 50 or more total NWT employees: 4 applications
All applications will be randomly selected for assessment, not on a first-come, first-served basis, the GNWT states.
"Applicants will be notified by email if their applications have been selected for assessment or not. Selected applications will be assessed in the order of work permit expiry date," according to the GNWT.
The government says it recognizes not every applicant will be able to use the nominee program this year, which will be challenging and disappointing to some.
"The GNWT encourages NWT employers to consider other, federally-run immigration programs to address critical labour shortages," the territorial government stated. "The GNWT will continue to advocate for a higher nominee allocation from the federal government."
In January, the territorial government put a last-second halt to the program, less than 12 hours before it was scheduled to kick off. It was told at the time that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would be reducing the NWT nominee allotment for 2025 to 150, a 50 per cent cut from the 2024 figure of 300.
Following OttawaSA国际影视传媒檚 reduction of the NWT nominee allotment, the territorial government says it received feedback from residents, businesses and organizations. The GNWT's subsequent changes to the program process are intended to balance the need to respond to those with expiring work permits and recognize those who have committed their support to NWT employers, the government stated.
In early February, the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce called for the federal and territorial governments to raise the ceiling on the nominee program amid what it described as a "workforce crisis" in the NWT.
