The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has confirmed it will adopt an Expression of Interest (EOI) model for all pathways of its Employer-Driven Stream under the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP), bringing the territorial program in line with systems used by provinces such as Ontario and British Columbia. IRCC has allocated 197 nomination spaces to the territory for 2026, matching last year’s post-increase total.(cicnews.com)
Beginning 9 March 2026 employers must first create an online account, after which prospective nominees complete an EOI questionnaire that assigns points for language, work experience, education and local ties. High-scoring candidates will be invited to apply during periodic draws, replacing the previous first-come, first-served intake that often filled within minutes and drew criticism for its unpredictable timing.
Territorial officials say the points grid heavily rewards in-territory connections and adaptability—worth up to 340 and 130 points respectively—to ensure newcomers are more likely to remain in the North long term.
![Northwest Territories overhauls nominee program with Expression of Interest system]()
To navigate these adjustments, applicants and sponsoring companies can leverage VisaHQ’s Canadian immigration support platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/). The service offers personalized consultations, real-time document checklists, and secure application handling, easing the administrative load created by the EOI process and helping submissions meet GNWT requirements.
Francophone and Business streams will continue unchanged, but the GNWT may expand EOI in future if the pilot proves effective.
For Northern employers, especially in mining, construction and health services, the structured ranking system should make it easier to plan recruitment cycles and reduce administrative bottlenecks. Candidates, meanwhile, gain greater transparency about the factors that drive selection and can improve scores before submitting.
Immigration practitioners advise stakeholders to monitor GNWT’s website for the detailed points grid and to prepare supporting documents—such as territorial connection letters—well ahead of the March launch.
Beginning 9 March 2026 employers must first create an online account, after which prospective nominees complete an EOI questionnaire that assigns points for language, work experience, education and local ties. High-scoring candidates will be invited to apply during periodic draws, replacing the previous first-come, first-served intake that often filled within minutes and drew criticism for its unpredictable timing.
Territorial officials say the points grid heavily rewards in-territory connections and adaptability—worth up to 340 and 130 points respectively—to ensure newcomers are more likely to remain in the North long term.
To navigate these adjustments, applicants and sponsoring companies can leverage VisaHQ’s Canadian immigration support platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/). The service offers personalized consultations, real-time document checklists, and secure application handling, easing the administrative load created by the EOI process and helping submissions meet GNWT requirements.
Francophone and Business streams will continue unchanged, but the GNWT may expand EOI in future if the pilot proves effective.
For Northern employers, especially in mining, construction and health services, the structured ranking system should make it easier to plan recruitment cycles and reduce administrative bottlenecks. Candidates, meanwhile, gain greater transparency about the factors that drive selection and can improve scores before submitting.
Immigration practitioners advise stakeholders to monitor GNWT’s website for the detailed points grid and to prepare supporting documents—such as territorial connection letters—well ahead of the March launch.
