Northwest Territories's Provincial Nominee Program: the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP)

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) is the territory's provincial nominee program, delivered by the Government of the Northwest Territories in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It nominates foreign nationals whose job offers, work experience, or business investment plans match the territory's small, resource- and services-driven labour market, giving each nominee a path toward Canadian permanent residence. Most NTNP streams apply directly to the territory rather than through Express Entry, though one pathway is built specifically to boost an existing Express Entry profile. For 2026, IRCC allocated the NWT 197 nominations, and the territory redesigned its Employer-Driven Stream around an Expression of Interest (EOI) selection model rather than first-come, first-served intake.

Active Northwest Territories streams

• Skilled Worker (base) — for candidates with a full-time job offer from an NWT employer in an occupation classified under National Occupation Classification (NOC) TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3, plus the training, experience, and education the job requires; part of the Employer-Driven Stream, it applies directly to the territory with no CRS score or Express Entry profile needed.
• NWT Express Entry (Express Entry-aligned) — for candidates who already hold a profile in the federal Express Entry pool and have a valid job offer from an NWT employer in a NOC TEER 0-3 occupation; a nomination through this pathway adds 600 points to the candidate's CRS score and makes an Invitation to Apply (ITA) at the next draw all but certain.
• Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations (base) — for candidates in NOC TEER 4 or 5 occupations who have already worked full-time for the same NWT employer for at least 12 months on a valid work permit and can meet a minimum English or French language requirement; it applies directly to the territory, with no CRS score involved.
• Francophone (base) — for candidates who are bilingual in French and English and hold a valid, permanent, full-time job offer from an NWT employer; it runs separately from the Employer-Driven Stream's Expression of Interest draws on a first-come, first-served basis and is not Express Entry-aligned.
• Business (base) — for entrepreneurs who commit to an equity investment of at least $100,000 CAD outside Yellowknife or $200,000 CAD within Yellowknife, own at least a third of the business (or meet a $1,000,000 CAD personal net worth threshold for a smaller stake), and meet an overall personal net worth requirement of $250,000 to $500,000 CAD; candidates are screened through a self-assessment, exploratory visit, and interview and then invited to apply, rather than applying on a rolling basis.