Ottawa has allocated 197 spots for the Northwest Territories Nominee Program in 2026, the territory’s legislature was told this week.
The program, known as NTNP, helps foreign workers gain enough points to apply for Canadian permanent residency – and helps NWT employers fill vacancies if they can demonstrate there were no qualified local workers.
Immigration minister Caitlin Cleveland told the legislature on Monday that more information about the program will be shared on Wednesday, with intake starting in March.
Range Lake MLA Kieron Testart asked if the 197 spots assigned by Ottawa are enough to meet the territory’s demand for the program. “No,” Cleveland replied.
The territory had been pushing in 2025 for 500 places. Instead, its initial allocation from the federal government for 2025 was 150, which later grew to 197 and then 300.
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Testart noted that in previous years, NTNP typically opened in January, aligning with work permits expiring in February and March.
With the program not yet open – though it is expected to launch next month – he questioned how the minister intends to support prospective applicants who may now be unable to apply because of the lag.
Cleveland replied that the territory’s federal allocation was cut in half in January 2025, followed by Ottawa granting two smaller allotments later in the year. She said the GNWT chose to focus on processing applications rather than preparing the 2026 intake to avoid losing applicants.
Cleveland added she has informed the federal government that frequent allotments and shifting targets make it difficult for the territory to plan strategically – affecting both staff morale and the NWT’s ability to respond as a smaller jurisdiction.
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“The decision was made to ensure that we weren’t losing out on prospective applicants to the Northwest Territories Nominee Program, and so we prioritized those applications,” she said.
“That means that our program this year, which is going to look much different so that we can maximize benefits to the labour needs of the Northwest Territories, will open in March of 2026.”
Testart asked whether the minister will prioritize applicants whose permits are expiring and who may have to leave the territory, specifically those who applied in January last year and are now reaching the end of their permits.
Noting that demand will exceed available spaces, Cleveland said more details will be released on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s news conference is also expected to include the release of feedback given to the GNWT regarding NTNP and an update to how the employer-driven and francophone streams work.
