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Latest round Aug 26, 2026 · Live data, checked Oct 19, 11:15 PM ET

Provincial Nominee Program · Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories NTNP 2026EOI draws and the scoring grid

The Northwest Territories runs one of Canada's smallest nominee programs, and in 2026 it reinvented itself. A new expression-of-interest system replaced the old first-come application rush on March 9, with four draws in 2026 (March 25, June 25, an added August 26 round and September 25), the last inviting 105. The rounds so far tell the story: 65 invited from 295 profiles in March and 79 from 300 in June, scores ranging 417 to 597 — and the grid is built so that NWT work history and residency dominate. A candidate with no northern connection scores poorly however strong their language or education.

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Alberta — AAIP British Columbia — BC PNP Manitoba — MPNP New Brunswick — NBPNP Newfoundland and Labrador — NLPNP Nova Scotia — NSNP Northwest Territories — NTNP Nunavut — No PNP Ontario — OINP Prince Edward Island — PEI PNP Quebec — Own system Saskatchewan — SINP Yukon — YNP
2026 allocation
300
of allocation used
83%
rounds in 2026
3
latest round
Aug 26
CRS, enhanced nomination
+600

Live status

Where the NTNP stands today.

300 nominations, a brand-new EOI, and points that reward the North. Ranked EOI draws replaced the first-come intake in March 2026. Scores are published for every draw and the remaining 2026 dates are on the official calendar.

248EOI draws - profiles submitted and invitations published in 2026 · 3 rounds
83% of the 300 nominations allocated for 2026 · indicative, counts differ by province

Invitations by month · 2026

Recent rounds
DateRoundInvited
Aug 26Employer-Driven Stream EOI draw — 260 profiles: 47 NWT Express Entry, 21 Skilled Workers, 36 Entry Level/Semi-Skilled104
Jun 25Employer-Driven Stream EOI draw — 300 profiles submitted79
Mar 25First Employer-Driven Stream EOI draw - 295 profiles submitted; 32 NWT Express Entry, 20 Skilled Worker, 13 Entry Level/Semi-SkilledMinimum score 417 (Lowest EOI score invited (range 417-597))65

Program status

IRCC allocated the Northwest Territories 197 nominations for 2026, raised to 300 in August, and the territory rebuilt its selection process around them.

What to watch next

The August allocation increase added an extra draw on August 26; the final 2026 draw on September 25 invited 105 candidates (scores 317–492). No further 2026 draws are scheduled. Applications are made through the NTNP portal at ntnp.immigratenwt.ca.

Source: the province’s own page, verified August 23, 2026. Verify before you rely on them. Every province in the live tracker

Analyst’s read

Northwest Territories in 2026: the picture.

Allocation whiplash is the program's other defining feature. The federal cut halved it to 150 in 2025, forcing a delayed opening and an early close; 2026 began at 197 and was raised to 300 in August, restoring earlier levels. Employer involvement is mandatory for the worker streams — the employer registers and puts the candidate forward before any EOI exists. The Francophone and Business streams stay first-come, first-served.

Where people settle

Where people settle in Northwest Territories.

NWT connection - working, studying or living in the territory - carries most of the points in the Employer-Driven scoring grid.

  1. 01

    Yellowknife

    The capital and largest community: public administration, diamond mining services, aviation and health care.

  2. 02

    Hay River

    Transport and fishing hub on Great Slave Lake.

  3. 03

    Inuvik

    Beaufort Delta service centre for government, health and research.

Living in Northwest Territories is what the NTNP is for: a nomination ties you to this province, and you are expected to settle here. Talk to a licensed RCIC before you commit to a destination.

The program

How the NTNP works.

Northwest Territories Nominee Program, run by Government of the Northwest Territories with IRCC. You qualify under a stream, get selected or nominated, then IRCC decides your PR. Official site

Employer-driven / new EOI

Scoring

  • The new NTNP grid makes territorial connection decisive: 340 of the available points are NWT labour-market connection and another 130 NWT adaptability — language and education combined cannot outweigh them.

Allocation and fees

2026 snapshot

2026 nomination allocation
300
Application fee
$300 (reported)

Source: the province’s own site (opens in a new tab), verified in September 2026.

  1. 01Step

    Qualify under a stream

    Employer-driven / new EOI criteria. Job offer, work experience and language set the floor.

  2. 02Step

    Get selected

    EOI or registration; ranked provincial draw. Selection is competitive; eligibility alone is not enough.

  3. 03Step

    Provincial nomination

    Nomination certificate. An enhanced nomination adds +600 CRS in Express Entry.

  4. 04Step

    Permanent residence

    IRCC assesses admissibility and issues PR. Federal processing, not provincial.

Pathways

NTNP streams.

Choose the stream that fits your profile. Criteria and open or closed status change often; we confirm what is live before you file.

  1. Stream 01

    Employer-Driven — Skilled Worker

    TEER 0–3 workers with NWT job offers, invited through the new EOI draws (20 of the 65 March invitations).

  2. Stream 02

    Employer-Driven — Entry Level/Semi-Skilled

    The TEER 4–5 route northern service employers rely on (13 March invitations).

  3. Stream 03

    Employer-Driven — NWT Express Entry

    Enhanced stream for federal-pool candidates with NWT offers — the largest share of the first draw at 32.

  4. Stream 04

    Francophone Stream

    First-come, first-served for French-speaking candidates — outside the EOI entirely.

  5. Stream 05

    Business Stream

    First-come entrepreneur route with dual thresholds: $200K investment and $500K net worth in Yellowknife, half that outside — an explicit remoteness discount.

  6. Stream 06

    Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot

    The refugee-skilled-worker route, also operated by the territory.

What matters: where N.W.T. selection actually turns

  1. 01

    Canada's tightest allocation

    300 nominations for the whole territory in 2026 (raised from 197 in August), rationed in draws of about 65.

  2. 02

    Connection is everything

    340 points for NWT labour-market connection, 130 for NWT adaptability. The March cut-off band of 417–597 is unreachable without northern history.

  3. 03

    A program with no track record

    The EOI model held its first draw on March 25, 2026 — score data barely exists, and 2025 proved intake can close early when the cap hits.

  4. 04

    Yellowknife vs everywhere else

    The Business Stream halves its investment and net-worth thresholds outside Yellowknife — a structural nudge toward the smaller communities.

A NTNP nomination adds 600 CRS points.

Through the Express Entry sub-stream, an enhanced nomination lifts your Comprehensive Ranking System score by 600, which in practice means an invitation in the next round that includes provincial nominees.

See your CRS

Answers

NTNP questions.

When was the latest NTNP draw?
The most recent NTNP round on record was held on August 26, 2026, issuing 104 invitations (Employer-Driven Stream EOI draw — 260 profiles: 47 NWT Express Entry, 21 Skilled Workers, 36 Entry Level/Semi-Skilled). In 2026 so far, Northwest Territories has held 3 rounds for 248 invitations. Every round is listed in the live tracker on this page and in our Canada PR draw tracker.
When is the next NTNP draw?
The August allocation increase added an extra draw on August 26; the final 2026 draw on September 25 invited 105 candidates (scores 317–492). No further 2026 draws are scheduled. Applications are made through the NTNP portal at ntnp.immigratenwt.ca. Based on 2026 rounds to date, Northwest Territories has drawn roughly every 92 days, and the last round was 55 days ago. The tracker on this page updates automatically when a new round is published.
Can I enter the NWT pool without an employer?
Not in the worker streams. The NWT employer must register and put you forward before an expression of interest exists — the candidate then completes the EOI profile that gets ranked. Only the Francophone and Business streams run first-come without the EOI.
What score do I need in an NTNP draw?
The only data so far: the March 25, 2026 draw invited 65 of 295 profiles with scores from 417 to 597. Because 470 of the possible points ride on NWT connection and adaptability, candidates already working in the territory dominate — a strong résumé without northern history scores low.
How many draws were there in 2026?
Four in total. March 25 opened the year and June 25 invited 79 from 300 profiles. When the allocation rose from 197 to 300 on August 7, the GNWT added an extra round on August 26 with a profile cutoff of August 24, and the year closed with the September 25 draw, which invited 105 (scores 317–492). In 2025 intake closed early at the cap, so late profiles carry real timing risk.
What does the NTNP cost?
Trackers report a $300 territorial fee for employer-driven and Francophone applications, with a separate fee form for the business category (which also requires $200,000 invested and $500,000 net worth in Yellowknife, or $100,000 and $250,000 outside). Confirm the current fee directly with immigration@gov.nt.ca before filing.
Does a NTNP nomination guarantee permanent residence?
No. Northwest Territories nominates you, but Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes the final permanent-residence decision after its own admissibility, medical and security checks.
How does the NTNP connect to Express Entry?
If you're nominated through the Express Entry sub-stream, an Express-Entry-aligned stream, you receive 600 additional CRS points, which effectively guarantees an invitation to apply in a following Express Entry round.
What is the NTNP scoring system?
Employer-driven / new EOI. The new NTNP grid makes territorial connection decisive: 340 of the available points are NWT labour-market connection and another 130 NWT adaptability — language and education combined cannot outweigh them.
Can CHK Immigration help if I'm not in Ontario?
Yes. We're a licensed RCIC practice based in Brampton and London, Ontario, and we assist clients applying to provincial programs across Canada, working remotely and by video.

NTNP eligibility review

Would Northwest Territories actually invite you?

Send a few details and a licensed RCIC will tell you where you would rank under Employer-driven / new EOI, which NTNP stream fits, and whether another province is a faster route.

  1. 01Scored against the live NTNP cut-offs, not last year’s
  2. 02A written shortlist of the streams you realistically qualify for
  3. 03Reviewed by a CICC-licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
  4. 04Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply

CHK Immigration Services, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions. Prefer to talk first? Call 647-948-7200 or book a paid consultation.

Compare

Every other province.

The right province is often the one where your points go furthest. See every program on one map.

Next on your path

Keep your file moving.

The checklist, free tools and guides that usually come next.

  1. ChecklistProvincial nominee checklistThe nomination and federal-stage documents in one list.
  2. GuideLatest Express Entry and PNP drawsEvery 2026 round: CRS cut-offs, ITAs and provincial draws.
  3. GuideProvincial nominee programsEvery province's streams side by side.
  4. Free toolCRS calculatorYour Express Entry score, line by line.