For the first time, the Northwest Territories has reached its 2024 Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) allocation cap.
IRCC set a 300 nomination cap for the Northwest Territories Nominee Program in 2024. On July 22, the Northwest Territories declared that it had both attained and exceeded this cap.
For the balance of the year, the program will not accept new applicants as a result. The Northwest Territories government did, however, announce that exceptions will be granted to foreign nationals whose work licenses expire in 2024 and to those who have previously been employed in the territory in 2024 and meet all qualifying requirements.
Northwest Territories PNP Reaches 2024 PNP Allocation Cap
The Employer-Driven Stream and Francophone Stream of the Northwest Territories Nominee Program are expressly subject to the 300 nomination cap for 2024. Applications for the Business Stream will still be accepted by the Northwest Territories. Applications that are still being processed will hear back by the fall, according to the NWT government.
Reaching the threshold at this early stage of the year suggests that more immigrants are becoming interested in relocating to Canada’s north. In 2023, the territory received 139 nominations; in 2022, it received 100; and in 2021, it received merely 62.
The NWT administration feels that the notable rise in applications received in 2024 indicates that the territory may benefit from a bigger annual nomination allocation in the upcoming years, notwithstanding the fact that these numbers are still tiny when compared to other Canadian provinces.
With the exception of Quebec and Nunavut, every Canadian province and territory has a Provincial Nominee Program. IRCC allots a specific number of nominations to each province and territory through these programs. The applicants for economic immigration who best fit the demands of the regional labor market are chosen based on these nominations.
A candidate has a better chance of obtaining permanent residency status once they have been nominated by a province or territory. Each province or territory receives a different amount of nominations based on a variety of factors, such as the current population and the requirements of the economy and people. For example, in 2024, the most nominations of any PNP went to Ontario, the most populous province in Canada.
Territories of Canada
The three northern territories of Canada—Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut—are among the least populous areas in the nation. They extend beyond the Arctic Circle. Only over 3% of Canada’s population lives in these territories, while making up roughly 40% of the country’s land area. A major contributing factor to this low population density is the severe winter weather and extended periods of darkness.
Approximately 44,920 people live in the Northwest Territories. Of these, around 21,853 reside in and around Yellowknife, the territory’s capital. The Northwest Territories has Canada’s highest median household income. This makes it a desirable destination for prospective immigrants looking for work.
Territories are administered differently from provinces. While territories function using authority granted to them by the Canadian Parliament, provinces maintain their autonomous constitutional authority. This divide affects these regions’ methods of administration and government.