For the first time, the Northwest Territories (NWT) has hit its nomination cap for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
On July 22, the territory announced that it had reached and surpassed its 300-nomination limit for the Northwest Territory Nominee Program (NTNP), as allocated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for 2024.
Consequently, the program will no longer accept new applications for the rest of the year. However, the government has indicated that exceptions will be made for foreign nationals whose work permits expire in 2024 and for those who meet all eligibility criteria and have been employed in the NWT during 2024.
The 300-nomination cap applied specifically to the Employer-Driven Stream and the Francophone Stream. Applications for the Business Stream will still be accepted.
The NWT government has indicated that decisions on applications currently under review will be announced in the fall.
All Canadian provinces and territories, except for Quebec and Nunavut, have Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs). These programs allow Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to allocate a specific number of nominations to each province and territory. The provinces and territories use these nominations to choose and endorse economic immigration candidates who best fit their local labor market needs.
Once a candidate receives a nomination from a province or territory, they are significantly better positioned to obtain permanent residence status.