Are you an employer in the NWT and need help filling job vacancies? We can help.

We help employers secure highly skilled individuals and newcomers to work and live in the NWT.

Because the NWT is a small jurisdiction, your business will get personalized help throughout the process from real people who live here. Our staff will work closely with employers to help get you quick results.

DOES YOUR BUSINESS QUALIFY?

We can help you if your business or organization:

• Is a registered business or a local, municipal, Indigenous or territorial government department in the NWT;
• Is registered and operational for a minimum of one (1) year; and
• Is in good standing with the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission of the Northwest Territories and the Northwest Territories Employment Standards office.
• has advertised the position and failed to find a suitable Canadian candidate. 

HOW TO APPLY

There are three program categories available to employers:

• ENTRY LEVEL/SEMI-SKILLED OCCUPATIONS
  To help you fill entry-level positions when you can’t find a Canadian candidate locally or nationally;
• SKILLED WORKER
  To help you to fill positions where formal education and/or specialized training is required but you can’t find a suitable Canadian candidate locally or nationally; or
• NWT EXPRESS ENTRY 
  To be used if your Skilled Workers candidate has a profile in the federal Express Entry System.

If your application is complete and free of errors, you can expect processing to take up to ten weeks.

DOES YOUR CANDIDATE QUALIFY?

The person you’re hoping to nominate must already have a Canadian work permit to qualify for any of the program categories. Please note that we do offer a work permit support letter, only in exceptional circumstances. 

If you are applying under the Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations category, your candidate must work with you full-time for at least six months before you can apply. The Skilled Worker and Express Entry categories don’t have minimum time requirements for employment with you, but the candidate must have at least one year of experience in the occupation before you can apply to the program.

You usually can’t apply to nominate a foreign national living outside of Canada. In exceptional circumstances and depending on your business case and operational circumstances, we may consider assessing the file of a Skilled Worker living outside of Canada but you will need to consult with us before submitting an application.

ADVERTISING YOUR VACANCY

If you have an approved Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), you are not required to further advertise for the position but you are required to submit proof of your approved LMIA. 

If you are applying under the Skilled Worker or Express Entry categories, you must have advertised the job for a minimum of 14 consecutive calendar days within twelve months immediately prior to submitting your application.

For applications under the Entry Level/Semi-Skilled Occupations category, advertisements must be posted for a minimum of 30 consecutive calendar days, within 12 months immediately prior to submitting your application.

You must also send us a summary of your advertising results. This document must list all the applications you received alongside a detailed list of reasons for refusal of employment. You must also explain why your candidate is the best choice for the position.

For further information about mandatory eligibility criteria, you can refer to the program guidelines found on the forms and resources page or contact us.