The Yukon government's immigration department has recently issued a crucial notice, announcing fundamental changes to the application process for its popular Yukon Nominee Program (YNP). According to the new regulations, employers and foreign nationals seeking nomination for Canadian permanent residence through the YNP can no longer submit applications directly to the program.

Instead, all applications to the YNP must now originate through a new Expression of Interest (EOI) system. This pool-based system requires Yukon employers wishing to sponsor a foreign worker to first submit a simplified EOI web form detailing the prospective nominee's information. YNP officials will then review the submitted EOIs, select candidates based on established criteria, and issue Invitations to Apply (ITA). Only those employers who receive an invitation can proceed with submitting a full provincial nomination application for the corresponding foreign worker.

This shift marks a move from YNP's previous direct application model to a more selective and competitive invitation-based approach. Officials have explicitly stated that obtaining a territorial nomination for Canadian permanent residence (PR) under the new EOI system will likely become more challenging.

New EOI System Intake Period

The new EOI submission portal is scheduled to open at 9:00 AM Yukon Standard Time (YST) on March 31, 2025, and will remain open for submissions until 4:30 PM YST on April 22, 2025.

YNP's Priority Candidates for 2025

To maximize regional benefits within the limited allocation, the YNP has published the types of candidates it will prioritize for invitations in 2025. These primarily include:

• Candidates who have been living and working in the Yukon for at least one year;
• French-speaking candidates;
• Graduates of Yukon University;
• Recipients of a "Temporary Measure Letter of Support".

Temporary Measure Letter of Support Explained

Notably, the Yukon Territory has also introduced a temporary measure aimed at helping certain foreign nationals currently working in Yukon maintain their legal work status. Individuals meeting specific criteria can apply for a Letter of Support from the Yukon government, which can be used when applying to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for an employer-specific work permit valid for up to two years.

Eligibility requirements for this support letter include

• The applicant must have been living and working in Yukon on May 16, 2024;
• Their current work permit must have expired after January 1, 2025, or be set to expire before December 31, 2025;
• Their Yukon employer must intend to nominate them for permanent residence through the YNP in 2025 or 2026.

The intake period for this temporary work permit support measure opened on March 19, 2025, and will close at 4:30 PM YST on April 2, 2025. The Yukon government advises eligible individuals to consult its official website for detailed information and to submit their applications promptly.

Rationale Behind the Reform

The primary driver for this overhaul of the YNP system is a significant reduction in the territory's provincial nomination allocation from the federal government for 2025. Yukon has been allocated only 215 nominations for 2025, approximately half the number received in previous years (e.g., 2024).

Anticipating demand far exceeding the available spots, the YNP concluded that continuing with a direct application model would inevitably lead to a "first-come, first-served" scenario, potentially closing intake quickly without necessarily prioritizing the most needed talent. Therefore, establishing the EOI system enables the YNP to proactively identify and invite the highest-priority candidates, serving as a necessary tool for managing limited resources.

This reduction in Yukon's allocation aligns with the broader adjustments made by the Canadian federal government in the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, which lowered overall permanent resident landing targets and significantly cut targets for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category (with PNP landings cut by 50% and overall PR targets reduced by about 20%).

For prospective immigrants planning to apply through the YNP and for local employers, it is crucial to pay close attention to the details of the new policy, understand the EOI scoring criteria and priority areas, and prepare for potentially increased competition. More detailed information is available on the official Government of Yukon website.