Employers and foreign nationals are no longer able to submit applications directly to the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP).
From now on, all applications must be submitted through the Expression of Interest (EOI) system.
Under this new approach, employers must first receive an invitation from the YNP before submitting a nomination request for a foreign worker. Previously, employers had the option to submit applications directly.
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This EOI system makes it more challenging to obtain a territorial nomination for Canadian permanent residency (PR) through the YNP.
The EOI intake will open at 9:00 AM Yukon Standard Time (YST) on March 31, 2025, and close at 4:30 PM YST on April 22, 2025.
How does the new system work?
Employers are now required to fill out a simple online form to provide details about the foreign worker they want to nominate. The YNP will review the submissions, select the most suitable candidates, and send invitations for full applications to those selected.
Which candidates will be given priority?
In 2025, the YNP will prioritize the following groups:
- Individuals who have lived and worked in the Yukon for at least one year
- French-speaking applicants
- Graduates from Yukon University
- Those with Temporary Measure Letters of Support
Temporary Measure Letter of Support
Some individuals may qualify for work permits supported by Yukon, which can be issued for up to two years.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have been living and working in Yukon on May 16, 2024
- Have a work permit that expired since January 1, 2025, or will expire before December 31, 2025
- Be employed by a Yukon-based employer who intends to nominate them for PR through the YNP in 2025 or 2026
Eligible candidates will receive support letters that they can include in their work permit applications.
The intake for this work permit program started on March 19, 2025, and will be open until 4:30 PM YST on April 2, 2025.
Further details can be found on the Yukon government’s official website.
Why is this change taking place?
The federal government has reduced the number of nominations allocated to the YNP for 2025. The YNP will only have 215 nominations available in 2025, roughly half of the previous year’s allocation.
Given that demand is expected to exceed the available nominations, the YNP introduced the EOI system to ensure that priority is given to the most qualified candidates. This replaces the previous first-come, first-served method, which would have been necessary if direct applications were still allowed.
The federal government’s overall reduction in immigration targets under the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which cuts permanent residency landings by 20% and PNP landings by 50%, also reflects this adjustment.
