Yukon adopts a new system for permanent residency nominations. Employers as well as foreign nationals can no longer submit applications directly to the Yukon Nominee Program.

All applications to the YNP have to now go through an Expression of Interest (EOI) system. 

Under this new pool-based system, an employer should receive an invitation from the YNP before being able to submit an application for territorial nominations for a foreign/ international worker. 

Before this change, employers could submit applications to the YNP directly. 

Under this new EOI system, it will be more challenging to receive a territorial nomination for Canadian permanent residency from the YNP. 

The new EOI intake will open at 9 am. Yukon Standard Time on March 31, 2025, and will stay open until 4:30 pm YST on April 22, 2025. 

How Does The New System Work? 

Yukon adopts a new system for permanent residency nominations. Under the new EOI system, employers should submit a simple web form with information about the foreign worker they wish the YNP to consider for nomination. 

The YNP will further review the EOIs, select its top-pick candidates, and invite those to submit full applications to the YNP. 

What Candidates Is The YNP Prioritizing? 

The YNP will prioritize candidates in the following situations for 2025:

  • Candidates residing as well as working in the Yukon for a minimum of one year 
  • French-speaking candidates
  • Yukon University graduates
  • Temporary Measure Letter of Support recipients 

Temporary Measure Letter Of Support 

Yukon adopts a new system for permanent residency nominations. Some candidates can apply for Yukon-supported work permits, which can be issued for around two years. 

To be eligible, a foreign national must: 

  • Have been residing as well as working in Yukon on May 16, 2024
  • Have a Yukon employer who plans to nominate them to PR through the YNP in 2025 or 2026
  • Have a work permit that has expired since January 1, 2025, or that will expire before December 31, 2025

Yukon will provide eligible candidates with letters of support to include in their work permit applications.

Intake for this work permit program opened on March 19, 2025, and will stay open until 4:30 pm YST on April 2, 2025.

Rationale For The Change 

The federal government has reduced YNP’s allocation of nominations in 2025. 

The 2025 allocation is 215 nominations, about half of what the YNP received in 2025. 

The YNP expects there to be more demand than there are available nomination species. 

The YNP has established the EOI system to enable it to focus on the highest priority candidates, rather than to operate on a first-come, first-serve model – as it would have to do if it were to allow direct applications to the YNP and close intake after the cap had been reached. 

The reduction of allocation to the YNP aligns with the federal government’s reduction in landings targets for permanent residents through the Provincial Nominee Program under the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which cut overall PR landings targets by 20%, and landings targets under the PNP by 50%.  

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