The Northwest Territories Provincial Nominee Program select candidates based on their abilities to become economically established. The program works in collaboration with the Canadian Federal government.
The Northwest Territories is the most populated of Canada’s three territories. Among these territories, the capital, Yellowknife, serves as an important administrative, economic, and cultural hub for the area.
Nestled in the very north of Canada, the Northwest Territories is a vast and beautiful wilderness with several thriving small communities. As compared to the size, the population is very small. The population proportion is approximately 41,000 residents in over one million square kilometers. Therefore, there is constant demand for workers in key sectors such as mining, energy and resources, construction, transport, tourism, and others.
The Northwest Territories Provincial Nominee Program has a range of streams targeting foreign nationals with specific skills and experience. The program is employer driven. Employer Driven Stream has three sub streams:
- Skilled Worker Stream
- Critical Impact Worker Stream
- Express Entry Skilled Worker Stream
Business Stream is available to foreign business owners or managers who want to start a business in the NWT, purchase an existing business based in NWT, or invest in and operate an existing business.
Northwest Territories Provincial Nominee Program-Skilled Worker Stream
This is an employer Driven Program which enables employers to attract qualified individuals if there are shortages of workers for jobs in the NWT that require formal education, specialized training, or both.
The Foreign Nationals must be able to demonstrate they have the training, experience and education to fulfill the needs of the job description. The skilled worker must have one year of full-time experience in the relevant occupation.
There is a minimum language requirement to ensure the foreign national is able to communicate in English or French. This requirement must be met at the time the application is made and proof of testing must be provided.
Learn more about the Eligibility Criteria for NWT PNP Skilled Worker Stream
Northwest Territories Provincial Nominee Program-Critical Impact Worker Stream
Workers Eligibility Criteria
- Submit required documents, including valid work permit, passport, birth certificate etc.
- Satisfy program officers that they intend to settle permanently in the Northwest Territories;
- Have the required education, work experience, and certificate/accreditation (if applicable) to perform the job related to the application;
- Have worked for the employer for at least six months immediately prior to the application;
- Obtain an educational credential assessment for their education, if obtained outside Canada
- Demonstrate (through valid results from an approved test) a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 in English or French across all four categories (listening, speaking, reading, and writing;
- Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds, through original or certified bank statements of at least $10,000 for the principal applicant and $2,000 for each dependent;
- The employee must apply to the job as advertised by the employer in the application package provided the employer is not supplying an LMIA. Therefore, the burden lies on applicants to show how they originally applied to the position, and how they meet the educational and employment requirements of the position.
Eligibility criteria for employers
- Be a registered business, industry association, or local/municipal/First Nations/territorial government, with an office or establishment in the Northwest Territories;
- Be registered and operating full-time for at least one year before applying ;
- Be registered and in good standing with the Northwest Territories’ Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (documents are required to prove this);
- Submit a description of their operation with the application package;
- Offer the foreign national a permanent, full-time position (minimum 37.5 hours per week) at an industry-standard wage rate – a detailed job description or employment contract is required in the application package;
- Submit either a positive LMIA for the employee’s position, or proof of local, national, and industry (optional) advertising, with a summary of results.
Federal Skilled Worker Stream
The Skilled Workers must have a profile in the Federal Express Entry System prior to filing an application to the NWT Express Entry category.
Express Entry helps employers to secure skilled employees by fast-tracking applications for permanent residency. As a result, when approved by the NWT PNP, the candidate will receive 600 points within the Express Entry pool.
To be eligible for NWT Express Entry, a foreign national must meet the following criteria:
- be accepted into Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s Express Entry Pool;
- have a profile registered in the Express Entry system;
- have a Job Seeker Validation Code; and
- meet the criteria of the Skilled Worker stream.
Please contact us for more information or explore more options for you under Canada Provincial Nominee Entrepreneur Streams.