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Northwest Territories and Nunavut Immigration


Last Updated on novembre 15, 2018

At present, Nunavut has no immigrant nominee program, however the Northwest Territories have recently initiated their own nominee program.

Foreign nationals wishing to relocate to Northwest Territories may apply under the Northwest Territories Program for provincial nomination. An application may be submitted under one of the following four categories: Skilled Worker ; Critical Impact Worker ; Entrepreneur Business ; Self-Employed Business.

Northwest Territories Skilled Worker Program

In order to qualify under this program, the following criteria must be satisfied:

The Employer must:

  • Have a job vacancy;
  • Identify a potential nominee;
  • Be a registered business, industry association or a local, municipal, First Nation or Territorial government in the NWT that has been registered and operational for a minimum of one year;
  • Be in good standing with the Worker’s Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) and the NWT Employment Standards Office;
  • Provide proof of local and national recruitment efforts and submit a summary of results; 
  • Obtain a positive HRSDC Service Canada Labour Market Opinion. 

The offer of employment must:

  • Be for a permanent full time position (minimum 30 hours per week);
  • Be in an occupation that falls into high skill level occupation;
  • Not conflict with existing collective bargaining agreements;
  • Comply with the NWT Employment Standards Act;
  • Provide a comparable industry rate of pay.

The Nominee must:

  • Have the required certification or accreditation for the specific trade or occupation;
  • If applicable, meet territorial certification, licensing or registration requirements of the job;
  • Have the required work experience for the specific occupation;
  • Provide proof of sufficient financial or settlement supports in the NWT;
  • Be able to communicate in either English or French;
  • Not be a refugee claimant.

Northwest Territories Critical Impact Worker Program

In order to qualify under this program, the following criteria must be satisfied:

The Employer must:

  • Have a job vacancy;
  • Identify a potential nominee;
  • Be a registered business, industry association or a local, municipal, First Nation or Territorial government in the NWT that has been registered and operational for a minimum of six months; 
  • Be in good standing with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission;
  • Provide proof of local and national recruitment efforts and submit a summary of results;
  • Obtain a positive HRSDC Service Canada Labour Market Opinion.

The Employment contract must:

  • Be for a permanent full time position (minimum 30 hours per week);
  • Be in an occupation that falls into NOC skill levels C or D;
  • Provide a comparable industry rate of pay;
  • Be in good standing with the Worker’s Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) and the NWT Employment Standards Office.

The Nominee must:

  • Have a temporary work permit and have worked in the same position for six months;
  • Provide proof of sufficient financial or settlement supports in the NWT;
  • Have the required work experience for the specific occupation;
  • Be able to conduct basic communications in either English or French; 
  • Not be a refugee claimant.

Northwest Territories Entrepreneur Business Program

In order to qualify under this program, the applicant must:

  • Invest:
    • A minimum of $300,000 CDN equity into starting or buying a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT, or
    • A minimum of $150,000 CDN equity into starting or buying a business outside of the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT.
  • Have a personal net worth of:
    • At least $500,000 CDN if starting or buying a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT, or
    • At least $250,000 CDN if starting or buying a business outside the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, NWT.
  • Have an additional $75,000 kept in a trust account and released upon completion of a Performance Agreement based on a business proposal;
  • Demonstrate a reasonable knowledge and understanding of the NWT and its economy;
  • Be able to demonstrate reasonable communication skills appropriate to the NWT;
  • Have the necessary experience and education to successfully implement the business plan.

Northwest Territories Self-Employed Business Program

In order to qualify under this program, applicants must:

  • Have a profession that is identified as a professional skill shortage;
  • Satisfy any certification or accreditation requirements for the particular profession or occupation;
  • For regulated occupations, the nominee must meet all NWT regulatory authority requirements; if no regulatory authority exists within the NWT, then the Canadian licensing body will be consulted;
  • Demonstrate reasonable communication skills appropriate to the NWT;
  • Demonstrate reasonable knowledge and understanding of the NWT and its economy;
  • Demonstrate access to sufficient financial resources to start and operate the professional practice and to support themselves and any dependents for a period of six months;
  • Submit a detailed business plan for the business or practice.

Northwest Territories PNP processing times

The GNWT published processing time for reviewing an application for the Skilled Worker and Critical Impact worker Programs is currently six (6) weeks from receipt of a completed application.

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Interested employers: Kindly contact us here to receive further information.

Interested candidates: Find out whether you qualify to Canada by completing our free on-line evaluation. We will provide you with our evaluation within 1-2 business days.