NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

The Northwest Territories have one small city, arctic islands, rugged northern landscapes, forests, rivers, lakes and a climate that features brief warm summers and long cold winters. Because of it’s extreme northern location, during the summer months, parts of the NWT will experience continual daylight hours, while during the winter, the population will experience continual darkness. The NWT is sparsely populated, with the majority of the population being Aboriginal. The NWT’s economy is connected to mining gold and diamonds, and the oil & gas industry. The cost of living in the NWT varies significantly depending on your location. In more remote areas, the purchase of supplies can be very costly and travel of any distance often requires an airlift.

IMMIGRATE WITH NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

Immigrate NWT offers four streams through which applicants who intend to live in the Northwest Territories can apply for Permanent Residence. You can either establish a business in NWT, or you can find an employer in the NWT who wants to hire you. To qualify on the basis of a job offer, you need to be working inside Canada already before you apply.

PROGRAM DETAILS

1. Critical Impact Workers 2. Skilled Workers 3. Express Entry 4. Business Stream

1. Critical Impact Workers

The Critical Impact program allows qualified employers to nominate foreign nationals who are working in entry level positions (NOC C & D) after a minimum period of 6 months.

Applicant criteria:

you have worked in the position for 6 months on a valid work permit
you meet the NOC requirements for your position including work experience, and licensing requirements
you achieved a min CLB 4 on a valid language test

Employer criteria:

must be a registered business that has operated in the Northwest Territories for a min of one year
must be registered with the Worker’s Safety and Compensation Commission and be in compliance with the Employment Standards Act
must first advertise for the position per program requirements, or obtain an LMIA
must offer a wage rate that is comparable to industry standards

2. Skilled Workers

The Skilled Worker stream allows qualified employers to nominate foreign nationals who have work experience in a skilled position (NOC 0, A or B).

Applicant criteria:

you have a valid work permit
you have a min of one-year experience in the position that is offered
you meet the NOC requirements for your position including work experience, and licensing requirements
you achieved a min CLB 4 on a valid language test

Employer criteria:

must be a registered business that has operated in the Northwest Territories for a min of one year
must be registered with the Worker’s Safety and Compensation Commission and be in compliance with the Employment Standards Act
must first advertise for the position per program requirements, or obtain an LMIA
must offer a wage rate that is comparable to industry standards

3. Express Entry

The Express Entry stream enables skilled workers to apply for Provincial Nomination when they have an active Express Entry profile and they meet the criteria of the Skilled Worker stream of the NWT Nominee program. Applying through this stream will enable the foreign national to gain Permanent Residence much more quickly than applying through the regular Skilled Workers stream.

4. Business Stream

The Business Stream of Immigrate NWT is designed for those with business management experience who wish to establish business operations in the Northwest Territories. Foreign nationals can qualify by establishing, purchasing or investing in an existing business in the NWT.

Applicant criteria:

you will invest a min of CAD $300,000 into a business in Yellowknife, or a min of CAD $150,000 into a business outside of Yellowknife
you can demonstrate a personal net worth of a min CAD $500,000 if you are planning to operate a business in Yellowknife, or a min CAD $250,000 if you are planning to operate outside of Yellowknife
you will own at least 1/3 of the business; unless you are investing $1 million or more
you achieved a min of CLB 4 on a valid language test
you will provide a deposit of CAD $75,000 to Immigrate NWT which will be returned when you meet all conditions
you demonstrate sufficient knowledge, experience, education and financial resources to successfully start and operate the business
you do not have any other active applications for Provincial Nomination
you have made a trip to the Northwest Territories to explore business opportunities, and had an interview with program staff