Immigrate to Yukon: Yukon Nominee Program Streams and Life in the North

Yukon is Canada's westernmost territory, next to Alaska and British Columbia. Most residents live in Whitehorse, a small, well-serviced capital with an airport, a hospital, a university, and year-round jobs in government, health care, tourism, retail, and mining. People come for the wilderness, the northern lights, a close community, and employers who often find it hard to hire locally, which is why the YNP exists.

Life in the North has real challenges. Winters are long and dark, the smaller communities are far apart, and housing in Whitehorse is scarce. Many newcomers start on a work permit with a Yukon employer and apply for nomination after they settle in.

Yukon is not part of the federal Rural Community Immigration Pilot or the Atlantic program, so the YNP and Express Entry are the main economic routes.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) gave Yukon 282 nominations for 2026. This is small, so competition is real even though the population is small too.

Yukon's allocation was cut in recent years. Intake for employers in Whitehorse was paused for a time in 2024, and when intake resumed in 2025 Yukon had about half the nominations of the year before. For 2026, Yukon moved to a new system: employers submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), Yukon scores both the employer and the foreign worker against 2026 priorities, and only the highest-ranking submissions are invited to apply.

Yukon's stated 2026 priorities include health care professionals, employers in rural communities, and French-speaking workers (the EOI asks whether the worker has TEF Canada or TCF Canada results).

The Yukon Community Pilot started in 2020 as a three-year pilot, was extended by two years in 2023, and ended as planned on June 30, 2025, after 42 nominations. The three worker streams remain.

The worker streams are employer-driven. You cannot enter a pool on your own.

1. Find a Yukon employer. The employer must show it tried to hire Canadians and permanent residents first and must offer a full-time, permanent job at the required wage.
2. Your employer submits an EOI during an intake window. In 2026 the windows were January 19-30 and July 6-17. Employers who received a Temporary Measure Letter of Support in 2024 or 2025 did not need an EOI and were contacted separately.
3. Yukon ranks the EOIs against its 2026 priorities and invites the highest-ranking employers and workers to apply.
4. You and your employer apply to the YNP with full documents.
5. If nominated, you apply to IRCC for permanent residence. Yukon Express Entry nominees get 600 extra points in Express Entry.

Because both 2026 windows have closed, new employers must watch yukon.ca for the next intake. Nobody can sell you a Yukon nomination; see our scam protection guide.

• Health care: nurses, physicians, and other health professionals are a stated 2026 priority.
• Tourism and hospitality: hotels, restaurants, and tour operators, especially in summer.
• Retail and services: grocery, retail, and food service jobs that often use the Critical Impact Worker stream.
• Mining and construction: placer and hard-rock mining, trades, and heavy equipment.
• Government and community services: territorial, municipal, and First Nations governments.

Main communities: Whitehorse (the capital, home to most Yukoners), Dawson City, Watson Lake, Haines Junction, Carmacks, and Mayo. Smaller communities may have only one grocery store and limited services, so visit if you can before you commit.

Yukon Health Care Insurance Plan

Yukon's public plan covers doctor and hospital care for eligible residents. People moving from another province or territory usually wait about three months, with their old province covering them in the meantime. If you are coming from outside Canada, contact Yukon's Insured Health Services when you arrive to confirm when your coverage starts, and bring your immigration documents. Carry private insurance until your card arrives.

Driver's license

Yukon's Motor Vehicles office issues driver's licenses. If your license is from a place with an exchange agreement, you can often swap it. Otherwise, you take a knowledge test and a road test. You can use a valid foreign license only for a limited time after you settle, so apply early. Winter driving on the Alaska Highway takes practice and good winter tires.

Settlement services: The Multicultural Centre of the Yukon in Whitehorse helps newcomers with settlement, English classes, and job search. French-speaking newcomers can get help from the Association franco-yukonnaise. IRCC's online tool lists federally funded services.

Cost of living: Yukon has no territorial sales tax, but housing, food, and goods cost more than in southern Canada because they are trucked in over long distances. Rental housing in Whitehorse is tight; ask your employer whether it can help you find a place before you arrive.

Licensing: Regulated jobs such as nursing, medicine, engineering, teaching, and many trades need a Yukon license or certificate. Some are regulated by the Government of Yukon and some by professional associations. Start early, and see our guides to credential assessment and language tests.

• Express Entry: federal selection. You can settle in Yukon after landing, and category draws for health care and trades fit Yukon's needs.
• LMIA work permit: many Yukon employers hire this way first.
• TR to PR 2026: this federal pathway excludes the 41 largest urban areas, so workers in Yukon may be able to use it.
• Study permit at Yukon University, then the Post-Graduation Work Permit, if your program qualifies.
• Northwest Territories: the neighboring territory runs its own nominee program with open intakes.

If you have a past refusal, a criminal record, or status problems, talk to a lawyer or a licensed consultant (RCIC) first. See how to verify a lawyer or consultant.