Northwest Territories meet PNP allocation caps for 2024. On July 22, the territory declared that it had reached and exceeded the cap of 300 nominations for the Northwest Territory Nominee Program allocated by IRCC in 2024. 

This means that the program will not accept new applications for the rest of the year. However, according to a release from the territory’s government, there are exceptions for foreign nationals with work permits that expire in 2024 and those who meet all eligibility criteria and have already been working in Northwest Territories in 2024. 

Also, the cap of 300 nominations was specifically for the Employer-Driven Stream and Francophone Stream. The NWT will continue to accept applications for business immigration streams.  

The NWT government states that applications presently being processed will obtain a decision in the fall. 

Reaching a cap this early in the year signals a growing interest among newcomers in Canada’s north. For instance, in 2023, the territory issued 139 nominations, 100 in 2022, and just 62 in 2021. 

While these numbers are small as compared to Canada’s other provinces, the NWT states that the volume of applications obtained in 2024 is an indicator that the territory might benefit from increased annual nomination allocation in the coming years. 

Every Canadian territory as well as province in Canada has a Provincial Nominee Program, except for Nunavut and Quebec. Through these programs, IRCC issues a number of nominations to every province and territory, which they might further use to select and nominate the economic immigration applicants they feel are best suited to the local labor force.  

Once a province/ territory nominates an applicant, the applicant is then in a stronger position to gain permanent resident status. 

The allocation of the number of nominations a province or territory depends upon numerous factors such as existing population as well as economic and demographic needs. For instance, Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, received the highest number of nominations in 2024 of all PNPs.   

Canada’s Territories 

Northwest Territories meet PNP allocation caps for 2024. 

Canada has three northern territories, the NWT, the Yukon and Nunavut, all reaching past the Arctic Circle.

They are some of the most sparsely populated areas in the country. According to the Government of Canada, they contain 40% of the country’s land mass and roughly 3% of its population. This is largely due to the harsh climate conditions and long, dark winters. 

The Northwest Territories has a population of 44,920, with nearly half living in and around Yellowknife, the capital. The government states that it also has the advantage of the highest median household income in Canada. As a result, it makes NWT an attractive potential destination for some newcomers. 

Territories are different from provinces because of the way they are administered. For instance, provinces ‘exercise constitutional powers in their own right,’ while territories ‘exercise delegated powers under the authority of the Parliament of Canada.’   

If you seek information on how to begin your Canada immigration application process, you can talk to our NavaImmigration experts at 1800-918-8490. You also can drop us an email at [email protected].