Yukon Announces 2025 Immigration Nomination Allocation and New EOI System

The Yukon government has released important updates about its immigration plans for 2025 under the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP). This includes how many permanent residency (PR) nomination spots the territory has, who will be prioritized, and changes to how applications are submitted.

2025 Nomination Breakdown

For 2025, Yukon has been allocated only 215 PR nomination spots by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), a 50% reduction compared to previous years. Here is how Yukon plans to use them:

Because of the reduced number of nominations and growing demand from employers, Yukon introduced a new Expression of Interest (EOI) system in 2025.

How the New EOI System Works

Under the EOI system, employers submit EOIs for foreign workers they want to nominate. Yukon then selects the highest-priority candidates and issues Invitations to Apply (ITAs).

Previously, employers could apply directly to nominate a worker without waiting for an ITA. That changed after the territory’s nomination allocation was cut.

Yukon opened its first EOI intake from March 31 to April 22, 2025, and it received more eligible applications than available spots. Because of this, the territory does not expect to open another EOI intake in 2025.

Yukon has already begun issuing ITAs from the current EOI pool. However, if there are more approvals than expected, additional ITAs may be issued later this year.

Who Is Being Prioritized in 2025?

The Yukon Nominee Program is prioritizing the following candidates for 2025:

• Foreign workers who received temporary support letters earlier this year
• Foreign nationals who have lived and worked in Yukon for at least one year
• Graduates of Yukon University
• French-speaking applicants

The temporary support letters were part of a special policy announced on March 14, 2025. They allowed foreign workers whose permits were expiring to apply for a Yukon-specific work permit valid for up to two years. To qualify, their employer had to commit to nominating them for PR in 2025 or 2026.

The application period for these support letters was from March 19 to April 2, 2025.

What This Means for Employers and Workers

If you are an employer in Yukon who hasn't yet submitted an EOI, you will likely need to wait until 2026. The current year’s nomination spots are already in high demand, and no additional EOI rounds are expected.

Foreign workers who already submitted EOIs may still have a chance to receive an ITA later this year if spots become available. The territory is balancing its limited allocations with efforts to keep qualified workers in Yukon and meet local labour market needs.