The Northwest Territories is located in the northern region of Canada and is one of the most coveted immigration areas due to the great job market and having the highest median household income in Canada. If you want to immigrate here, then the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP) can be your door to this wonderful place.
What are the Streams under the NTNP?
The NTNP has 4 streams that operate under it. If you want to permanently reside in the Northwest Territories (NWT), you must meet the requirements of one of the categories:
Skilled Worker Stream
The Skilled Worker Stream is part of the NTNP’s Employer Driven immigration program that aims to nominate qualified individuals from other countries who can help fill job shortages in the NWT.
This particular stream is employer-driven, which means that employers operating within the NWT are the ones who will be sponsoring qualified applicants for permanent residency (PR).
If you’re an employee, the following are the criteria to qualify under the Skilled Worker Category. You must:
- possess the required accreditation or certification for your specified trade;
- carry a license or be accepted by the Territorial body that oversees your specified trade;
- have adequate work experience on your specified trade;
- meet the territory’s licensing, registration, or certification requirements of your specified trade, should it be required; and
- not be a refugee claimant.
If you’re an employer, you must:
be registered and operating for at least one year;
- provide irrefutable proof that your company tried to employ a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the job, but failed;
- show proof of local and national recruitment efforts and submit its results;
- be a registered business, industry association, or a local, municipal, Territorial government, or First Nation in the NWT that has been registered and operational for at least one year;
- prove that the pay the skilled worker receives are according to the territory’s employment standards and the prevailing wage rates;
- obtain an LMO from the HRSDC; and
- identify a nominee.
The job that is offered through this stream must be:
- a full-time and permanent position that allows the worker to have at least a 30-hour workweek;
- classified as a high-skill level occupation in the NOC system;
- non-conflicting with current collective bargaining agreements;
- comply with the NWT Employment Standards Act; and
- pay at a proper and comparable industry rate.
Critical Impact Worker Stream
This stream was intended to help companies in the NWT meet significant labor shortages that can’t be addressed by locals or Canadians. It was created with people in semi-skilled and unskilled jobs in mind.
If you’re an applicant, the following are the criteria to qualify. You must:
- hold a temporary work permit;
- have worked in the same job and position for at least 6 months;
- demonstrate that you have enough settlement or financial support in the NWT;
- have the required training and work experience for your specified trade;
- prove that you have basic language abilities to perform your duties; and
- not be a refugee claimant.
If you’re an employer that’s looking to source employees through this stream, you must:
- have a job vacancy;
- pick a nominee;
- submit proof of local and national recruitment efforts wherein you tried to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the vacancy;
- be in good standing with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission;
- be an NWT-registered firm, industry organization, or local, municipal, First Nation, or territorial government that has been operating for at least six months; and
- get a positive HRSDC Service Canada LMO.
The job must be:
- a full-time and permanent position that entitles the worker a minimum of a 30-hour workweek;
- an occupation that is classified in the NOC skill levels C or D;
- be positively recognized by the Worker’s Safety and Compensation Commission and the NWT Employment Standards Office; and
- Provide pay that meets provincial employment standards and prevailing wage rates.
Self-employed Business Category
The NTNP invites applications from businessmen and/or company owners who want to set up a business in the Northwest Territories under this stream. Companies from all economic sectors are encouraged to apply; however, businesses that will launch a new product or one that would benefit the Northwest Territories significantly will be prioritized.
The requirements to qualify in this category are as follows:
- A minimum investment of at least $300,000 equity into buying or building a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT or a minimum investment of at least $150,000 equity outside the corporate boundaries of NWT or Yellowknife.
- A minimum personal net worth of $500,000 if you’re buying or building a business inside of the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT, or a minimum personal net worth of $250,000 if you’re buying or building a business outside of the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT.
- An additional $75,000 that is stored in a trust account and will be released upon the completion of the Performance Agreement based on your business proposal.
- Demonstrate adequate knowledge about NWT and its current economies.
- Show reasonable language skills that are required to operate a business in the NWT.
- Possess the necessary education and knowledge to successfully implement your proposed business plan.
Express Entry Stream
Foreign nationals who have been admitted into Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Express Entry Pool are eligible to apply in the Northwest Territories’ Express Entry stream. This stream is only open to applicants who have been approved into the Express Entry Pool and have been given an Express Entry Profile Number and a Job Seeker Validation Code.
The candidates under this stream must meet the following criteria:
- You must be eligible under one of the three federal economic immigration programs, which are:
○ Federal Skilled Worker;
○ Federal Skilled Trades; and
○ Canadian Experience Class. - You must meet the requirements for the Skilled Worker Stream of the NTNP and the IRCC Express Entry Pool.
Once all the above-mentioned requirements have been met, the employer can now submit the application to the NWT’s Express Entry System.
Here Are Related Topics You Can Read Now
Explore your Options: Canadian Immigration Pathways
Immigrate to Canada with Express Entry
List of Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada