By Aastha Sethi | Cabin Radio
The Northwest Territories’ immigration program will use a new points-based system this year to assess candidates and rank them according to labour market need, education, language skills and “connection to the N.W.T.”
Previously, candidates haven’t been assigned scores by the territory in the same way. The introduction of such a system was one of several changes to the N.W.T. Nominee Program announced on Wednesday.
Acceptance into the nominee program significantly increases the chance of a foreign worker receiving an invitation to apply for Canadian permanent residency – a federally administered process that already uses a separate points-based system.
Spaces in the nominee program are sought-after commodities and for the past few years it has been oversubscribed.
This year, prospective candidates for the employer-driven stream – for which employers nominate foreign workers – will be told to complete an “expression of interest” after their company creates an online account for them.
Each expression of interest will be assessed and scored based on factors like work experience, age, the territory’s labour needs, education, language skills and connection to the territory. The highest-ranking individuals will then be able to formally apply to the program.
The GNWT said this system will ensure the program remains open year-round with several draws, the first of which is scheduled for March 25. In the first draw, up to 65 people will be selected. The process will open at 9 a.m. on March 9.
The number of applicants selected in each draw and the score ranges of those chosen will be published online.
At a Wednesday news conference, immigration minister Caitlin Cleveland said the changes “will ensure the N.W.T. benefits from the talent it needs and help more newcomers build lasting roots in our communities,” while helping the territory meet its labour market needs.
On Monday, the minister said the N.W.T. received an annual allocation of 197 slots from Ottawa this year, acknowledging this would not be enough to meet demand. She said her department will continue to advocate for more slots from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the federal immigration body.
Cleveland said the program was redesigned to make sure the process is “easier to understand, more predictable and feels fair.”
“Nomination allocation decisions aren’t in our direct control, but how we respond is,” she said.
“Every application represents a person, a family and an employer trying to plan for the future. A well-designed nominee program helps retain skilled workers, supports economic stability and strengthens communities across the territory.”
Last year, the nominee program temporarily limited the number of applications each employer could submit after Ottawa dropped the N.W.T.’s annual cap from 300 to 150 slots.
That restriction was lifted when the territory was granted more spaces later in 2025.
Erin Evans, manager of labour market programs at the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, confirmed the restriction would not be reinstated this year and employers can “submit as many as they have eligible applicants for.”
Evans said once all expressions of interest are submitted, staff will use an Excel spreadsheet to calculate points for each and applicants will receive their score within five business days.
The new system applies only to the employer-driven stream. The francophone and business streams will continue to operate separately and remain open on a first-come, first-served basis, as demand for them has not exceeded availability.
In recent years, Cleveland said, demand for the employer-driven stream has always exceeded the spaces provided by the federal government. The minister said the new approach will offer a full picture of the territory’s workforce, showing what employers need, the positions available, and the skills of potential candidates.
“As northerners, we’ve got big dreams of things that we’re working on today and things that we know are standing in front of us for tomorrow,” Cleveland said.
“We want to make sure – at the same time that we’re developing a homegrown workforce – that we’re also supporting new northerners to come and make their homes here as well.”
