The Government of the Northwest Territories has announced that the federal government has granted the Northwest Territories Nominee Program an additional 103 nomination spaces for 2026, increasing the NTNP's annual allocation from 197 to 300. Following the increase, the Employer-Driven Stream will hold an additional Expression of Interest draw on August 26. Candidates who wish to be considered in that round must submit their EOI profiles by August 24. The final draw of the year remains scheduled for September 25.

The Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) has announced that it will reopen intake for family sponsorship applications on July 2, 2026, after the previous round reached its limit, setting a new two-year cap of up to 15,700 sponsorship undertakings, of which 13,300 are reserved for the spousal category and 2,400 for parents and grandparents. Compared with the first round of 13,000 places opened in 2024, the new total is roughly 20% higher, and for the first time adult dependent children aged 18 and older are excluded from the cap. MIFI says it will prioritize earlier-filed applications once intake reopens, and any applications received beyond the limit will not be processed, will be returned as submitted, and will have their fees refunded. Because family reunification for those settling in Quebec follows a process distinct from the rest of Canada, applicants intending to settle in the province must first apply to MIFI for a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ) before they can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence.

Quebec's Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) confirmed in a press release on June 10, 2026 that the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) will reopen on July 2, 2026 for a two-year window running to July 2, 2028; the first intake period starts at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on July 2 and runs until October 31, 2026, with no cap on applications, and is open to the two groups who already qualified when the program was abolished on November 19, 2025 -- Quebec graduates and temporary foreign workers -- under the same eligibility criteria that applied at the time of the suspension and abolition. The government says that over the remainder of the planning period, it intends to issue a roughly equivalent number of Quebec Selection Certificates (CSQs) between the PEQ and the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ); until October 31, PSTQ invitations will be reduced accordingly and will mainly target candidates in TEER 4 and 5 occupations and those with less than two years of work experience. MIFI stresses that the reinstatement is temporary, expects 8,000 to 12,000 applications in the first period, and confirms that once the PEQ is finally retired, the permanent selection of skilled workers will be consolidated under the PSTQ.

Quebec held its fifth skilled-worker selection round of 2026 on June 4, issuing a total of 2,549 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent selection across all four streams of its Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ), with every stream drawn from the Arrima pool at 6:00 a.m. on June 1. Stream 1, for highly qualified and specialized skills, led the round with 1,094 invitations—about 42.9% of the total—followed by Stream 2 (intermediate and manual skills) with 756, Stream 3 (regulated professions) with 677, and Stream 4 (exceptional talent) with 22; all streams required candidates to be currently living in Quebec and to meet specific French-language thresholds, continuing the province's recent pattern of favouring workers already established locally and prioritizing French proficiency and in-demand occupations, and marking another sign of an accelerating pace after Quebec issued 2,910 invitations across all of 2025.

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) officially opened its Employer-Driven and Francophone Streams on March 9, 2026. The Employer-Driven Stream has transitioned to an Expression of Interest (EOI) selection model, with its inaugural draw scheduled for March 25, when up to 65 eligible candidates will be invited to submit full applications. The Francophone Stream will continue accepting direct applications on a first-come, first-served basis. For the 2026 cycle, the federal government has allocated 197 nomination spaces to the Northwest Territories.

On March 5, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) conducted a new category-based Express Entry draw, issuing invitations to apply (ITAs) for the first time under the Senior Managers with Canadian Work Experience category. A total of 250 ITAs were issued in this round, with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score requirement of 429. This category is one of three new occupational streams introduced when IRCC overhauled the Express Entry system in February 2026. Looking at the overall trend of Express Entry draws so far in 2026, IRCC has shown a clear preference for prioritizing immigration candidates already residing in Canada, particularly those with local work experience or provincial nominations.

On February 18, 2026, the Government of the Northwest Territories officially announced its annual policy updates for the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP). Approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the territory's nomination allocation for 2026 is set at 197, maintaining the final increased quota from 2025. The core of this policy update is a comprehensive overhaul of the 2026 selection process, introducing an Expression of Interest (EOI) scoring model exclusively for the Employer-Driven Stream. This new system aims to optimize the processing of high-demand pathways through increased transparency and stronger alignment with local labor market needs. The NTNP will reopen intake for this stream, alongside the Francophone Stream, at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST) on March 9, 2026.

The Northwest Territories (NWT) has announced a third application intake window for its Nominee Program (NTNP), running from November 10, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. to November 24, 2025. To complete the 2025 target of 300 nominations, the territory plans to process up to 103 additional eligible applications by year-end and has introduced temporary eligibility adjustments: removal of the work-permit expiry-date restriction, reinstatement of certain 2024 work-experience requirements, and elimination of employer submission caps tied to company size. Applications will be prioritized for candidates whose work permits expire within the next three months, followed by filing date order; if processing exceeds capacity or cannot be finalized by December 23, applications will be withdrawn, with the option to reapply in 2026.

On November 6, 2025, the Quebec government announced that it will permanently close one of its most popular pathways to permanent residence—the Quebec Experience Program (Programme de l’expérience québécoise, PEQ)—which includes the Quebec Graduates Stream and the Temporary Foreign Workers Stream. Both streams will officially end on November 19, 2025. At the same time, three permanent immigration pilot programs will also conclude as scheduled on January 1, 2026. This means that, going forward, foreign workers and graduates seeking to obtain permanent residence in Quebec will only be able to apply through the Skilled Worker Selection Program (PSTQ).

The Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) has announced that its 2025 Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) allocation has been restored to 2024 levels following federal approval. The total quota will rise to 300, up significantly from 197 earlier this year. Minister of Education, Culture, and Employment Caitlin Cleveland stated that preparations are underway for the next NTNP intake period, which will open additional pathways for skilled workers to obtain provincial nomination. This adjustment makes the NWT the first jurisdiction in 2025 to regain its pre-reduction quota, marking a key milestone in the territory’s ongoing efforts to address critical labor shortages through immigration.