Northwest Territories PNP

Northwest Territories PNP

The Northwest territories (NWT), a federal territory of Canada, not only offers great healthcare services and education system but also plethora of job opportunities and highest median household wage. It is home to many thriving cultural communities. The capital, Yellowknife, serves as an important administrative, economic, and cultural hub for the area.

The NTNP targets workers in skilled and semi-skilled occupations through employer driven immigration streams. The business-driven stream seeks entrepreneurs and business owners from all sectors to create and establish new businesses in this remote northern region.

NTNP Streams

  • Employer Driven Stream
    • – Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations
    • – Skilled Worker
    • – NWT Express Entry
  • Business Stream

Employer Driven Stream

This Stream is for employers who want to hire and nominate foreign nationals when there are no Canadians or Canadian Permanent Residents available. Candidate first need to have a job offer from an NWT employer. NTNP do not accept expressions of interest from people without a job offer. This stream helps employers hire critically needed and skilled workers, and helps workers achieve Canadian Permanent Residency through following categories.

  • Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations
  • Skilled Worker
  • NWT Express Entry

Following websites may be helpful in finding employment/job opportunities in the NWT:

  • Edge North Job Board
  • Canada Job Bank (search Northwest Territories)
  • GNWT Careers
  • Northern News Services Job Listings
  • Indeed Jobs – Northwest Territories

To meet the criteria employer must:

  • Be a registered business, or a local, municipal, First Nation or territorial government, with an office or establishment in the Northwest Territories that is operational year-round.
  • Be in good standing with the Northwest Territories’ Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission and must submit proof of valid registration.
  • Offer a permanent, full-time position (minimum 37.5 hours per week).
  • Submit a copy of a positive LMIA or proof of job advertising. Employers applying to nominate a Nominee Applicant without a positive LMIA are required to submit proof of local and national advertising, as well as a summary of advertising results.
  • Provide a comparable industry wage and must always be equal to or more than the current minimum wage of the Northwest Territories.
Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations

This category targets foreign nationals and assist employers to address workforce shortages for entry-level/semi-skilled jobs. To be eligible, foreign nationals must have worked fulltime in the same position with the employer for six months. To meet the criteria an applicant must:

  • Submit original or certified true copies of personal documentation (e.g., work permit, passport, birth certificate, bank statements etc.).
  • Hold legal status to work and must have a valid work permit for the duration of the application process.
  • Have required education or specialization to perform the job offer they have received.
  • Possess one year of full-time experience in the occupation they are being nominated for within the last 10 years.
  • Have Canadian language Benchmark (CLB) 4.
  • Have sufficient funds ($10,000 CAD for applicant, and an additional $2,000 CAD for each accompanying dependent).
Skilled Worker

This category enables employers target foreign nationals (with formal education, specialized training, or both) to address skill shortage in the NWT labour market. To meet the criteria an applicant must:

  • Submit original or certified true copies of personal documentation (e.g., work permit, passport, birth certificate, bank statements etc.).
  • Hold legal status to work and must have a valid work permit for the duration of the application process.
  • Have required education or specialization to perform the job offer they have received.
  • Possess one year of full-time experience in the occupation they are being nominated for within the last 10 years.
  • Have Canadian language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for NOC 0 & A jobs & CLB 5 for NOC B jobs.
  • Have sufficient funds ($10,000 CAD for applicant, and an additional $2,000 CAD for each accompanying dependent).

NWT Express Entry

Skilled Workers in the federal Express Entry pool, who want to work and live in the NWT, can apply under the NWT Express Entry category. To meet the criteria an applicant must:

  • Submit original or certified true copies of personal documentation (e.g., work permit, passport, birth certificate, bank statements etc.).
  • Hold legal status to work and must have a valid work permit for the duration of the application process.
  • Have required education or specialization to perform the job offer they have received.
  • Possess one year of full-time experience in the occupation they are being nominated for within the last 10 years.
  • Have Canadian language Benchmark (CLB) 7 for NOC 0 & A jobs & CLB 5 for NOC B jobs.
  • Have sufficient funds ($10,000 CAD for applicant, and an additional $2,000 CAD for each accompanying dependent).
Business Stream

The Business Stream targets individuals who intend to launch a business, purchase an existing business, or invest in and operate an existing business in the NWT. To apply via the Business Stream, following requirements must be met by the applicant:

  • Commitment to invest: A minimum of $300,000 CAD equity into launching or purchasing a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; or A minimum of $150,000 CAD equity into starting or purchasing a business outside of the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
  • Demonstrate ownership of at least 33.3% of the business, unless the personal equity investment is at least $1,000,000 CAD, in which case an applicant may own less.
  • Personal net worth of at least $500,000 CAD if launching or buying a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; or at least $250,000 CAD if starting or purchasing a business outside the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
  • Demonstrate proficiency level of 4 against the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB 4) in English or the equivalent language level against the Niveaux de competence linquistique Canadiens (NCLC) in French
  • Have reasonable knowledge and understanding of the Northwest Territories and its economy.
  • Show appropriate communication skills to conduct business in the Northwest Territories and to integrate into the local community.
  • Demonstrate the necessary experience and education to successfully implement the business plan.
  • Proof of sufficient financial resources to start and operate a business and support themselves and any dependents for the duration of the applicant’s Business Performance Agreement.
  • No active application with any other provincial or territorial nominee program or any other stream of the Nominee Program in the Northwest Territories.
The Process
  • The stream accepts applications from eligible candidates at any time. Prospective applicants should develop a business plan and make at least one business trip to the Northwest Territories to gain knowledge of the business environment. Following the business trip, applicants are required to participate in an interview with NTNP staff. After the interview, if the applicant demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the Northwest Territories business environment and a compelling business plan, the applicant will be invited to submit documents supporting their business concept. These supporting documents must be submitted within 60 business days.
  • If the NTNP is satisfied with the documents, the applicant will be invited to formally apply to the program. After invitation, an applicant has six months to submit a complete application. If the application is accepted, NTNP staff will begin developing a business performance agreement with the applicant. Once this agreement is signed and the applicant submits the $75,000 CAD good faith deposit, the NTNP will issue a letter of support to the applicant for a two-year temporary work permit. These work permits are LMIA exempt. To apply for such a work permit, the applicant must include a work permit support letter issued by the NTNP and submit their applications to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
  • After work permit, an applicant is required to invest the required investment, as described in the business performance agreement. They will need to submit an interim report every six months until they meet the conditions outlined in the performance agreement to receive a provincial nomination.
  • If the applicant meets all the conditions of the business performance agreement, the candidate may be eligible to receive a nomination for permanent residence from NTNP. After nomination, the applicant has one year to submit a federal application for Canadian permanent residence.