Northwest Territories Nominee Program -NTNP

 

The Northwest Territories (NWT) makes up a large part of Canada’s North. There is a lot of space to live, explore and play, with 33 different communities and a population of 44,718 people. The capital city, Yellowknife, boasts approximately 19,000 people.

Our winters may be cold but they are spectacular – and the right coat and mittens will always keep you warm! You will fall in love with our warm summers and the long hours of daylight.

This province has two streams:

The Business Stream is for people who want to start a business in the NWT, purchase an existing business based here, or invest in and operate an existing business based here.

 

In the NWT you can expect no wait-list for your application, faster processing times, and real people in the NWT helping you through the process from start to finish.

DO YOU QUALIFY?

To apply via the Business Stream, there are some criteria you must meet.

 

Applicants must be able to commit to one of the following investments:

 

a minimum of $300,000 CDN equity to start or buy a business within Yellowknife; or

a minimum of $150,000 CDN equity to start or buy a business outside Yellowknife.

You must also provide proof that you have a personal net worth of:

at least $500,000 CDN to start or buy a business within Yellowknife; or

at least $250,000 CDN to start or buy a business outside Yellowknife.

Once you are formally accepted into the program, you must also provide a good faith deposit of $75,000 CDN to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
 

You must demonstrate you own at least 33.3% of the business, unless your personal equity investment is at least $1,000,000 CDN, in which case you may own less.

You need to achieve a proficiency of level 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.

You need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the NWT and its economy and which businesses will bring significant economic benefit to the territory.

You must be able to make at least one in-person business trip to the NWT to gain knowledge about the territory’s business environment.

You need to have the necessary experience and education to successfully implement your proposed business plan.

And of course, you must be ready and willing to settle full-time right here in the NWT!

 

The Employer-Driven Stream is for employers who want to hire and nominate foreign nationals when there are no Canadians or Canadian Permanent Residents available. This stream helps employers hire critically needed and skilled workers, and helps workers achieve Canadian Permanent Residency through three program categories.

For this stream to work, you first need a job offer from an NWT employer. We do not accept expressions of interest from people without a job offer, and we do not issue any invitations to apply.