The NWT Nominee Program, which helps immigrants attain permanent residency, has already exceeded its cap of 300 applications this year.
"The program will no longer be accepting new applications this year, with the exception of foreign nationals with work permits that expire in 2024 and those who meet all eligibility criteria and have already been working in the NWT in 2024," according to a GNWT news release.
Last year, there were only 139 applicants in total. The year before there were just 100.
As of July 22, the territorial government had processed 144 of the more than 300 nominations.
"The growing interest in the territory is welcome news that will allow us to strengthen our workforce and build vibrant and diverse communities," stated Caitlin Cleveland, minister of Education, Culture and Employment. "I will continue to advocate to the Government of Canada to increase our nomination allotment and expand the availability of settlement services in the Northwest Territories."
The program is scheduled to reopen for full application intake in January 2025.