NTNP Employer Driven Program

NTNP Employer Driven Program

Employers may recruit and hire eligible foreign nationals who wish to work and live in the Northwest Territories when there are no qualified Canadians or permanent residents available. There are three program streams employers may use to hire foreign nationals:

1. Critical Impact Workers
2. Skilled Workers
3. Express Entry System for Skilled Workers

1) Critical Impact Worker Stream

The Critical Impact Worker stream is aimed at helping employers fill shortages for entry level jobs when they cannot find a candidate locally or nationally for a position.It is specifically designed to target workers in semi-skilled and unskilled occupations (National Occupational Classification Skill Levels C and D)

To be eligible, foreign nationals must have worked in the same position for six (6) months and be in good standing with the requirements of their temporary foreign worker permit.

2) Skilled Worker Stream

The Skilled Worker stream is designed to attract qualified individuals that will assist with shortages of workers in the Northwest Territories for which formal education and/or specialized training is required. The Skilled Worker stream is aimed at helping employers fill shortages when an employer cannot find a candidate locally or nationally for a position. Skilled workers are able to demonstrate they have the training and experience to fulfill the needs of the job description outlined by the employer.

Applications are accepted under this stream from candidates who have received an offer of employment in a skilled position (National Occupational Classification Skill Levels 0, A, or B) from an NWT employer. This category is an employer-driven process, meaning that NWT employers must sponsor eligible applicants for permanent residency.

Minimum Requirements for Employers

In order to be eligible under the Employer Driven Program, employers must:

• Be a registered business, industry association, or a local, municipal, First Nation or Territorial Government, in the Northwest Territories;
• Have been registered and operational for at least six months;
• Be in good standing with the Northwest Territories’ Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission and the Northwest Territories’ Employment Standards office;
• Extend an offer of employment to the foreign national for a permanent, full-time position (minimum 30 hours per week);
• Provide an employment contract that is consistent with the territories’ Employment Standards Act;
  • The employment contract must not be in conflict with any existing collective bargaining agreements.
• Submit a copy of a positive Employment and Social Development Canada’s Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), if applicable;
  • An LMIA is not needed for the Skilled Worker Stream, Express Entry System, or for foreign nationals with open work permits.
• Provide proof of local and national advertising and a summary of advertising results if nominating a foreign national without an LMIA;
  • The summary of results must include a list of all application forms received in response to the advertised position and list reasons for refusal of employment.
• Provide a comparable industry rate of pay based on the businesses’ existing workforce rate-of-pay, rate-of-pay as advertised, and rate-of-pay in the LMIA ; and
• Adhere to the LMIA agreement.

Minimum Requirements for Applicants

To be considered eligible under the Employer Driven Program, foreign nationals must:

• Have legal status to work and hold a valid work permit, if currently residing in Canada;
• Intend to settle permanently in the Northwest Territories;
• Have the required certification or accreditation for the occupation based on the employer’s requirements;
• Meet NWT certification, licensing, or registration requirements of the job, if applicable;
• Submit the following documentation in original, or certified true copies (must be a clear, readable copy), translated into English or French:
  • Passport;
  • Birth certificate;
  • Marriage certificate; and
  • Birth certificate(s) and passport(s) for dependent(s).
• Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds to establish themselves and any dependents in the Northwest Territories — the minimum requirement is $10,000 for the principal applicant, and an additional $2,000 for each accompanying dependent;
  • Applicants must submit certified bank statements in their name or an official letter issued by a bank, translated into English or French and notarized, as proof of settlement funds; and,
• Provide results from one of the following three approved language tests taken within two years of submitting an application:
  • The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training;
  • The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-General); or
  • The Test d’Évaluation de Français (to test proficiency in French).

Additional Requirements for Critical Impact Workers

In addition, to be eligible as a critical worker under the Critical Impact Worker Stream, applicants must:

• Have worked for no less than six months in the same position in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level C or D occupation;
• Be in compliance with their temporary foreign worker permit; and
• Achieve a minimum language test score of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 4 across all four competencies (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), in either English or French.

Additional Requirements for Skilled Workers

In order to be eligible under the Skilled Worker Stream, foreign nationals must meet the following additional criteria:

• Work in a NOC Skill Level 0, A, or B occupation;
• Have the formal education and/or specialized training required for the specific position;
• Have the work experience required by the employer as outlined in the job description and/or job advertisement; and
• Be able to sufficiently communicate in either English or French.

3) Express Entry Stream is for Skilled Workers

The NWT Express Entry stream is for Skilled Workers who have a profile in the Express Entry System, a federal program with expedited wait times for skilled individuals who wish to work and live in the Northwest Territories. It assists employers by helping them secure skilled employees by fast-tracking applications for permanent residency. The Express Entry stream is aimed at helping employers fill shortages when an employer cannot find a candidate locally or nationally for a position.

To be eligible for the Express Entry Stream, the 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,
• meet the criteria of the Skilled Worker stream of the Nominee Program.

Minimum Requirements for Employers under the Skilled Worker Stream

In order to be eligible under the Northwest Territories’ Express Entry Stream, employers must:

• Be a registered business, industry association, or a local, municipal, First Nation or Territorial Government, in the Northwest Territories;
• Have been registered and operational for at least six months;
• Be in good standing with the Northwest Territories’ Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission and the Northwest Territories’ Employment Standards office;
• Extend an offer of employment to the foreign national for a permanent, full-time position (minimum 30 hours per week);
• Provide an employment contract that is consistent with the territories’ Employment Standards Act;
  • The employment contract must not be in conflict with any existing collective bargaining agreements.
• Provide proof of local and national advertising and a summary of advertising;
  • The summary of results must include a list of all application forms received in response to the advertised position and list reasons for refusal of employment.
• Provide a comparable industry rate of pay based on the businesses’ existing workforce rate-of-pay, rate-of-pay as advertised, and rate-of-pay in the LMIA ; and
• Adhere to the LMIA agreement.

Minimum Requirements for Applicants under the Skilled Worker Stream

To be considered eligible under the Northwest Territories’ Express Entry stream, foreign nationals must:

• Have legal status to work and hold a valid work permit, if currently residing in Canada;
• Intend to settle permanently in the Northwest Territories;
• Work in a NOC Skill Level 0, A, or B occupation;
• Have the required certification or accreditation for the occupation based on the employer’s requirements;
• Have the formal education and/or specialized training required for the specific position;
• Have the work experience required by the employer as outlined in the job description and/or job advertisement; and
• Meet NWT certification, licensing, or registration requirements of the job, if applicable;
• Be able to sufficiently communicate in English and/or French;
• Submit the following documentation in original, or certified true copies (must be a clear, readable copy), translated into English or French:
  • Passport;
  • Birth certificate;
  • Marriage certificate; and
  • Birth certificate(s) and passport(s) for dependent(s).
• Demonstrate sufficient settlement funds to establish themselves and any dependents in the Northwest Territories — the minimum requirement is $10,000 for the principal applicant, and an additional $2,000 for each accompanying dependent;
  • Applicants must submit certified bank statements in their name or an official letter issued by a bank, translated into English or French and notarized, as proof of settlement funds; and,
• Provide results from one of the following three approved language tests taken within two years of submitting an application:
  • The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) General Training;
  • The Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP-General); or
  • The Test d’Évaluation de Français (to test proficiency in French).