Despite covering an area greater than 1.3million km², the Northwest Territories has a population of little more than 40,000 people.
This colossal expanse is, however, rich in resources such as petroleum, natural gas, gold, and diamonds, each of which plays a part in a booming economy.
It is no surprise that the Northwest Territories are in need of immigrants who wish to work and take up residence in the province who can offer vital skills.
Most aim to live in or around the capital, Yellowknife, with its glorious views over the Great Slave Lake. Northwest Territories Provincial Nominee Program (NTNP) runs two immigration programs, one of which features three separate streams.
Northwest Territories Employer Driven Program
This is the main source of applicants for permanent residence in the Northwest Territories and consists of three streams as follows:
Express Entry Stream – using an Expression of Interest (EOI) scheme, this stream is aligned with the federal government-run Express Entry pathway. It allows the government of Northwest Territories to select candidates from the Express Entry pool who have relevant skills and experience and a valid profile. Express Entry works as follows:
Express Entry is a fast-track process run by the federal government of Canada that applies to applicants using the Northwest Territories Express Entry program. The applicant is required to submit an online profile. This will include details of their age, marital status, work experience, education, and other details. A rank will be determined using the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Those who score highly on the CRS, which is a pass or fail assessment, will be put into the Express Entry Pool. From the pool, a draw is made regularly and those who are successful are issued an Invitation to Apply (ITA). At this stage, they can begin applying for permanent residence in Northwest Territories. As with all pathways, there are strict criteria that must be met.
Skilled Worker Stream – NTNP may nominate persons who have been working in a skilled position for 6 months or more on a temporary visa, and who have a permanent job offer from the Northwest Territories employer. Candidates must meet specific criteria, especially in meeting the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) to level 6 in English or French, and prove sufficient skills and experience for the post.
Critical Impact Worker Stream – individuals who fill positions considered to be critical, who have worked for 6 months for a Northwest Territories employer in a skilled or unskilled position, and who have a permanent job offer from that employer may be invited to apply for permanent residence by the NTNP. They will have to meet the required language skills and prove experience to a set level.
Business Immigration Program
The Northwest Territories Business Stream looks for immigrants who have the resources and ability to start a business in the province or invest in or acquire an existing business in the Northwest Territories which is considered to be able to grow and create jobs. There are criteria to be met in terms of language proficiency, skills, and proof the individual is able to fund the investment.