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TLDR
The number of nominee spaces available to the Northwest Territories increased by 103, taking its 2026 total from 197 to 300.
The territory added an Employer-Driven Stream draw for August 26, with employer applications due August 24.
In 2026, the first two draws awarded 144 invitations from pools which included 295 and 300 profiles.
There will be a final Employer-Driven Stream draw scheduled for September 25.
The federal government has increased the original number of spots by 103 so that the Northwest Territories can now have up to 300 people granted permanent residence in 2026.
The rise, which the territorial government announced on August 7, has resulted in an additional Expression of Interest (EOI) draw within the Employer-Driven Stream. This draw will occur on August 26, and applications have to be submitted by August 24. The reallocated amount is the same as that achieved in 2024 and 2025, during which the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) stated that it had used up its full allocation.
The government stated in its announcement that a return to 300 allocations is the result of ongoing advocacy by the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) to ensure that the territory's immigration priorities and specific labour market requirements are taken into account in the allocation figures.
Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sets annual nomination limits for participating provinces and territories. The GNWT evaluates the candidates and provides the nominations within the amount allocated at the federal level.
Four employer-driven streams draw in 2026
This year, the August draw will make the total number of scheduled Employer-Driven Stream draws four; draws have already taken place on March 25 and June 25, and the last one is scheduled for September 25. Profiles indicating an interest must be submitted by September 22 for that draw.
The first two draws sent out 144 invitations. In March, the GNWT invited 65 people from 295 submitted profiles. The invitations went to 32 Northwest Territories Express Entry candidates, 20 skilled workers, and 13 people in entry-level or semi-skilled jobs.
In the June draw, 79 invitations were issued out of a total of 300 profiles; 40 went to Northwest Territories Express Entry candidates, 20 to skilled workers, and 19 to entry-level or semi-skilled candidates. The official EOI results show that the scores ranged from 417 to 597 in March and from 386 to 590 in June.
In February, the GNWT implemented the ranked EOI system for the Employer-Driven Stream following its public consultation in September 2025. The government stated that both employers and potential immigrants wanted a clearer intake process since demand had increased.
How the EOI system works
A foreign national needs to have a valid job offer from a Northwest Territories employer for full-time, permanent work. The employer first sets up an account on the programme portal before granting the candidate access to complete an EOI profile.
Points are awarded to the candidate for their human capital and for their connections within the territorial labour market, and the system also takes into account the candidate's ability to set up roots in the Northwest Territories. The highest possible score is 845.
The factors may include language skills, education, work experience, the fact that the person is currently employed in a particular area, having a work permit specific to the employer, and holding a job in Yellowknife. Additionally, a job offer in a trade area can give extra points.
The GNWT sorts the submitted profiles and then sends invitations to employers linked to candidates with high scores to complete their nomination applications. Although an EOI profile can remain active for up to twelve months, submitting a profile does not guarantee that the person will receive an invitation or be nominated.
Each person is permitted to have only one active profile. Candidates who wish to alter their information must request the programme to withdraw their current profile and then submit a new one.
The draw in August applies solely to the Employer-Driven Stream, while the Francophone and Business streams continue to process eligible applications in the order they are received.
Nomination is only one stage of the process
Territorial nomination is one of the stages of the immigration process, and the federal government makes its decision on permanent residence only after examining the candidate's application.
Under the federal Provincial Nominee Program, candidates who use Express Entry receive 600 extra points in the Comprehensive Ranking System for being nominated. Those applicants who are not going through the Express Entry process use the federal non-Express Entry process instead.
The Government of the Northwest Territories will also provide online information sessions on August 18 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on August 20 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with French interpretation available. To register, people should email [email protected] before the registration deadline for each session.
What this means for you
Make sure that both you and the employer meet the eligibility rules for the stream before you enter the pool if you already have a job offer from an employer in the Northwest Territories. A higher allocation increases nomination capacity but does not guarantee selection.
For the draw on August 26, your supporting employer must take action by August 24. Make sure that your profile shows your present job, permit, language test results, education, and links to the Northwest Territories. If any of the information is out of date, ask for your current profile to be withdrawn and then submit a revised one. Candidates who fail to participate in the August round can still prepare for the drawing on September 25, provided they meet the profile deadline of September 22.
