The Yukon government's immigration department recently disclosed its allocation plan for the 2025 Yukon Nominee Program (YNP). Similar to most Canadian provinces and territories, Yukon has seen its Permanent Residency (PR) nomination allocation significantly reduced by the federal government this year, by as much as 50%, resulting in only 215 spots. This substantial change has forced the territory to make major adjustments to its immigration nomination strategy.

Yukon's 2025 Nomination Allocation Breakdown is as follows:

• Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to be sent in 2025: 152
• Carryover applications from 2024 that align with priorities: 55
• Remaining available slots reserved for regulated healthcare positions: 8
• Total allocation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for 2025: 215

Facing high demand for nomination spots from local employers and a severely limited supply, Yukon introduced a new Expression of Interest (EOI) system this year. Under this system, employers must first submit an EOI for the foreign workers they wish to nominate. The YNP then issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to the highest-priority candidates based on established criteria.

A Yukon immigration representative confirmed to the news media via email that the territory announced on May 23 that it had received "more submissions aligned with the 2025 priorities than the number of available nomination spots." Consequently, the Yukon Nominee Program office stated that since the initial EOI intake has already yielded enough eligible applications to meet this year's quota, it does not anticipate another EOI intake period in 2025. This means Yukon employers who have not yet submitted an EOI may have to wait until 2026 for an opportunity to nominate foreign workers.

Nevertheless, Yukon has already begun issuing 2025 provincial nomination ITAs to some candidates. Those who have submitted an EOI but have not yet received an ITA may still have a chance later in the year, as the YNP might issue additional ITAs from the existing EOI pool depending on the application approval rate.

Background of YNP’s New EOI System

Prior to the implementation of the EOI system this year, Yukon employers did not need to wait for an ITA. They could directly apply to the YNP to nominate their chosen foreign workers. If the application was successful, the foreign national would receive a territorial nomination, which they could then use to apply to the federal government for permanent residence.

In December 2024, the Yukon government had announced plans to move towards quarterly intakes while retaining the direct application process. However, this plan was altered after the territory's nomination allocation was cut. In response to the reduced allocation, Yukon officially introduced the EOI nomination system earlier this year and opened its first EOI intake period from March 31, 2025, to April 22, 2025.

Whom is Yukon Prioritizing in 2025?

According to the YNP's latest policy, priority for 2025 nominations will be given to applicants who previously received "temporary measure letters of support." These letters were issued to foreign nationals already living and working in Yukon, whose employers were prepared to nominate them for PR through the YNP in 2025 or 2026.

After these priority applicants are considered, the remaining nomination spaces will be filled through a random draw from qualifying submissions. Qualifying submissions include:

• Holders of the aforementioned support letters;
• Foreign nationals who have lived and worked in Yukon for at least one year;
• Graduates of Yukon University; and
• French-speaking individuals.

Temporary Letters of Support for Nominee Candidates

It is noteworthy that on March 14, 2025, to assist foreign workers in Yukon whose work permits were expiring in 2025, the territory announced a temporary measure. Under this measure, eligible foreign workers (whose employers planned to support them as territorial nominees for 2025 or 2026, among other requirements) could apply for a Yukon-specific work permit support letter valid for up to two years. The intake period to apply for these support letters was from March 19, 2025, to April 2, 2025. This measure was implemented under the federal government’s temporary public policy to facilitate work permits for provincial nominee candidates.

The significant reduction in Yukon's nomination allocation and the major adjustments to its nomination policy undoubtedly present new challenges and uncertainties for individuals hoping to immigrate to Canada through the territory, as well as for local employers reliant on foreign workers.