The Francophone Stream allows qualified foreign nationals, who speak both French and English and have a valid job offer from an NWT Employer, to apply to the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP). This stream is designed to increase the labour pool for bilingual workers within all National Occupational Classification skill levels (NOC skill level O, A, B, C & D).
There are minimum language requirements to ensure the foreign national is able to communicate in both French and English. This requirement must be met at the time of application and proof of testing must be provided.
Language
Nominee Applicants being supported under the Francophone Stream in all NOC TEER categories (TEER 0, 1, 2 ,3, 4 and 5) must undergo mandatory language testing and achieve a minimum language standard of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 5 in French, across all four categories: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Nominee Applicants must also achieve a minimum language standard of the Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) Level 4 in English, across all four categories: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Education in Canada
The Nominee Applicant must:
- Have a minimum of high school education, that is equivalent to Canadian standards.
- Have the required experience, certification and/or accreditation for the occupation based on the Employer’s job description, and the National Occupational Classification’s employment requirements.
Work/Business Experience
Nominee Applicant must:
- Have the required experience, certification, and/or accreditation for the occupation based on the Employer’s job description and the National Occupational Classification’s employment requirements.
- Meet the Northwest Territories’ certification, licensing, or registration requirements of the job (if applicable).
- For non-regulated occupations, the Employer offering the job is responsible for ensuring that the Applicant meets occupational standards and has the required work experience for the specific occupation.
- Have one (1) year of full-time experience in the occupation they are being nominated for within the last 10 years OR six (6) months of full-time work experience in the NWT in the occupation they are being nominated for.
Work Permit / Temporary Permits
Nominee Applicants currently in Canada must have legal status to work and must have a valid work permit for the duration of the application process. Nominee Applicants with a closed work permit must meet the terms and conditions of the work permit. Nominee Applicants must also satisfy the Nominee Program that they intend to settle permanently in the Northwest Territories.
Nominee Applicants outside of Canada without a work permit may be eligible for nomination.
Job Offer
The term of employment must be for a permanent, full-time position (minimum 30 hours per week). Please include a signed and dated employment contract or job offer letter from the original date of hire and the current contract (if different) that is consistent with the Northwest Territories Employment Standards Act or in compliance with the prevailing union or collective bargaining agreement.
The contract or letter, signed by the owner or employee who is authorized to hire employees, must include the following:
- Business name and address
- Employer name and contact information
- Your name and address
- Location of employment
- Your job title and duties
- The term of employment (full-time, permanent)
- Hours of work
- Rate of pay
- Any benefits or deductions in addition to those that are required by law (i.e., accommodations, meal allowances, vacations and vacation pay, sick pay, hospital or medical care insurance)
Wage or Salary
The job offer must provide a comparable industry wage based on Job Bank wage information, the business’s existing workforce, as advertised, and as per the terms and conditions in the Labour Market Impact Assessment (if applicable). The wage must always be equal to or more than the current minimum wage of the Northwest Territories.
If currently employed in the NWT, the Nominee Applicant must submit their pay stubs for the past three (3) months to demonstrate that the wage has been paid accordingly. These pay stubs must clearly note the wage rate, the hours worked for that pay period, and any deductions taken from the payment amount. Program staff may request additional pay stubs.
Additionally, Program Staff may use discretion on refusing applications if the wage is significantly lower than the industry rate of pay for similar occupations.
Employer Official Letter
Work Permit Support Letter Approved Nominee’s are eligible for a work permit support letter, issued by the NTNP, which they can use to apply for an employer-specific work permit that is exempt from having a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and closed to their nominating occupation.
Employers will be required to pay a $230 employer compliance fee in the IRCC Employer Portal prior to the Nominee Applicant applying for the work permit.
The Employer Portal is found here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/partners-serviceproviders/employer-portal.html.
Employer Eligibility
In order for the Nominee Applicant to be eligible for the Francophone Stream, the Employer providing them the job offer must:
- Be a Canadian Citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
- Be a registered business, or a local, municipal, First Nation or territorial government, with an office or establishment in the NWT that is operational year-round.
- Maintain a place of business in the NWT where the Nominee Applicant will work.
- If the Nominee Applicant will work at more than one location, the Employer must maintain a place of business in the NWT where the Nominee Applicant will report to work.
- Have been registered and operational in the NWT for a minimum of one (1) year on a full-time basis immediately prior to submitting the application package.
- In the case of a registered business, the Employer is defined as the owner or designated human resources representative of the establishment. In the case of a local, municipal, First Nation or territorial government, the Employer is defined as the head or designated human resources representative.
- Be registered and in good standing with the Northwest Territories Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC).
- Be in good standing and operating in compliance with the Northwest Territories Employment Standards Act, if applicable.
- Employers who are subject to the Northwest Territories Employment Standards Act are required to submit an Employment Standards Verification Form completed by an Employment Standards Officer. This form is used to verify compliance with the Employment Standards Act, and remains valid for a period of six (6) months.
- Employers that are not within the jurisdiction of the Employment Standards Act must be in compliance with the prevailing union or collective bargaining agreement.
- Is required to complete and sign the Francophone Stream Employer Information and Declaration Form.
- Following a nomination, the employer will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nominee Applicant, and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
The Employer is not required to provide business documents with the initial application submission. However, program staff may request documents from the Employer during the Employer verification stage of assessment to confirm the information provided in the Employer Information and Declaration Form (i.e., valid business licence, WSCC registration letter, certificate of incorporation).
Air Travel Costs
If the Nominee Applicant is currently residing outside Canada, it is the Employer’s responsibility to assume the transportation costs of the round-trip travel (a return trip if they do not receive permanent residency) of the Nominee Applicant (but not for the travel costs of family or dependents) between his/her country of permanent residence and place of work in the Northwest Territories. Under no circumstances are transportation costs recoverable from the Nominee Applicant.
Eligible NOC TEER Categories
The TEER categories applicable to the Francophone Stream are:
- TEER 0 (zero) – Management jobs
- TEER 1 – Professional jobs (usually requiring a university degree)
- TEER 2 and 3 – Technical jobs and skilled trades (usually requiring a college diploma or apprenticeship training)
- TEER 4 – Intermediate jobs (usually requiring high school or job-specific training)
- TEER 5 – Labour jobs
Additional Requirements
1. Personal Documentation
The Nominee Applicant is required to submit the following documentation in original or certified true copies and translated into French or English. Copies of documents must be clear and legible.
- Nominee Applicant’s valid work permit (if applicable);
- Nominee Applicant’s passport (biographical page only);
- Nominee Applicant’s birth certificate;
- Nominee Applicant’s bank statements, stamped by the financial institution, for 3 months prior to submitting an application;
- Nominee Applicant’s pay stubs for the past 3 months, if currently employed with nominating NWT Employer;
- Nominee Applicant’s marriage certificate or declaration of common-law union; and
- Birth certificate(s) and passport(s) for dependent(s) of Nominee Applicant.
It is the responsibility of the Nominee Applicant to ensure all personal documentation remains valid (including the certification period) while their application is being processed.
2. Detailed Job Description
The Nominee Applicant must provide a detailed job description for the position. The job description must include:
- Position title
- Language requirements of the position (only English or French will be accepted – any other language will only be considered an asset)
- Main duties of the position
- Educational and work experience requirements of the position
- Any occupational certification for the position (including any required certification or accreditation)
Funds
The Nominee Applicant must demonstrate they have sufficient funds to establish and maintain themselves and any dependents within the Northwest Territories. Bank statements stamped and signed by a financial institution in the Nominee Applicant’s name for the three (3) months prior to application submission need to accompany the application as proof of settlement funds.
Nominee Applicants are required to have $10,000 CAD for themselves, and an additional $2,000 CAD for each accompanying dependent. For example, if a Nominee Applicant’s dependents include a spouse and two children, the settlement income required would be $16,000 CAD.
Ineligibility
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), refugee claimants are not
eligible for the Nominee Program.
Submission of Application
1. Registering as an Applicant
Nominee Applicants must register by creating a User ID for each application. Nominee Applicants log into their profile using the User ID created. At this stage, applicants can add an Authorized Representative. This will allow the authorized representative to be the main point of contact for the application.
2. Submitting an Application
To start an application, log in to the Online Application Portal and select ’Start an application’. Then choose the Francophone Stream and review the mandatory eligibility criteria. All required fields must be completed, and all required documentation must be submitted.
3. Application Assessment Process
- Confirmation of receipt
- Screening process
- Process for incomplete application packages:
- Incomplete application packages will not be submitted into the system, as all forms and required documentation are necessary to determine eligibility for the NTNP. Incomplete application packages will stay in the online application system indefinitely.
- Process for complete application packages:
- Complete application packages will be assessed through a review and verification of all forms and documentation submitted against eligibility criteria. Once the assessment is complete, a decision will be made as to whether the Nominee Applicant is eligible for nomination to the Government of Canada for permanent residency.
4. Application Approval and Nomination Process
When an application is approved, a formal letter (also known as a nomination certificate) will be sent by email to the Nominee and/or Authorized Representative, which indicates that the application has been approved.
Application denial:
- When an application is denied, a formal letter will be sent to the Nominee Applicant and/or the Authorized Representative notifying them that the application has been denied.
- The Nominee Applicant may appeal the decision of a denied application. The appeal must be made, in writing, to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, within 15 calendar days of the date on the denial letter.
5. Post-Nomination
The Nominee and the Employer must continue to meet the terms set out in the Memorandum of Understanding until the time that a decision has been reached on the Nominee’s permanent residency application, which includes but is not limited to the following:
The Nominee is responsible for:
- Applying for their permanent residency within six (6) months of receiving their nomination;
- Continuing to meet the Francophone Stream eligibility until they receive a decision on their permanent residency application; and
- Updating the NTNP with any changes to their contact information, marital status or dependents, employment status, and legal status within Canada.
The Employer is responsible for notifying the NTNP of any changes to the Nominee’s employment, such as, but not limited to:
- Demotion or promotion
- Termination
- Temporary lay-off
- Extended leaves (maternity leave, extended sick leave, etc.)
- Closure of business
- Change of ownership
Failure to notify the NTNP of these changes may result in a nomination revocation and refusal to accept further applications from this Employer under the NWT Francophone Stream for a period of up to (3) three years.