Northwest Territories Francophone Stream

Last updated: 11 December 2025
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The Francophone Stream allows foreign nationals who are bilingual in English and French and have a valid job offer from a Northwest Territories (NWT) employer to seek a provincial nomination through the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP).

Overview 

Through the Francophone Stream, foreign nationals can submit an application directly to the NTNP rather than being required to enter an Expression of Interest (EOI) pool.

Successful applicants will receive a nomination certificate and may then apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for Canadian permanent residence (PR).

To help you learn about the NTNP Francophone Stream, this page will cover the following topics:

General eligibility requirements

In order to be eligible for the Francophone stream, you must

  • Have a permanent, full-time job offer from a NWT employer;
  • Meet a NCLC 5 in French and CLB 4 in English, across all four language abilities in one testing session per language;
  • Have an education equal to a Canadian high school diploma (with an Educational Credential Assessment, if applicable);
  • Have in-province (six months, full-time) or out-of-province (one year, full-time) work experience in the occupation you are being nominated for;
  • Meet the NWT’s certification, licensing, and registration requirements for your position (if applicable);
  • Have the appropriate experience, certifications, and/or accreditation for your occupation in accordance with the employer's job description and National Occupational Classification (NOC) employment criteria.
  • Have sufficient settlement funds;
  • Have a genuine intent to reside in the NWT.

Your employer will also be required to meet certain eligibility requirements and expectations, as well as sign an Francophone Stream Employer Information and Declaration Form.

The job offer

All applicants must have a valid job offer from an eligible NWT employer that meets NTNP criteria.

For a job offer to qualify, it must be for a permanent, full-time position with a wage that meets or exceeds the current minimum wage in the NWT ($16.95).

The position can be in any NOC TEER (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5).

To show you have a valid job offer, include the employment contract or job offer letter (signed and dated) from when you were first hired. If you are currently working in a different position than when you were hired (with the same employer), you must also provide the new contract or job offer letter.

The contract(s) or letter(s) must include the following.

  • The business name and address;
  • The employer’s name and contact information;
  • Your name and home address;
  • Your location of employment and terms of employment (full-time, permanent);
  • Your job title and duties, hours of work, and rate of pay;
  • Any benefits or deductions aside from those required by law.

To qualify, it needs to be in line with the NWT Employment Standards Act or in compliance with the “prevailing or collective bargaining agreement.”

If you are employed in the NWT at the time you apply, you need to provide your pay stubs from the past three months—and these should feature the wage rate, hours worked per payment period, and any deductions.

Job description requirements

When submitting your application you are obligated to provide a detailed job description for your position including:

  • The position title and the main duties you will be performing;
  • The position’s language requirements;
  • The position’s educational and work experience requirements; and
  • Any occupational certifications necessary for the position.

Settlement funds

You must have enough settlement funds to establish yourself in the NWT.

The minimum amount of settlement funds an applicant needs to have is $10,000 for themselves and $2,000 for each accompanying dependent included.

The NWT defines a dependent as a spouse, common-law partner, or a dependent child under 22.

For example: If you are including a spouse and three children in your application, you must show that you have $18,000.

To demonstrate that you have the settlement funds required, you must provide bank statements for the last three months prior to submitting your application. These must be signed and stamped by a financial institution.

Work Permit Support Letter

Successful nominees with work permits that are set to expire before they receive PR are eligible for a Work Permit Support Letter.

You can use this letter to apply for a new employer-specific work permit that allows you to continue working for the employer that nominated you.

The new work permit will be exempt from Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirements. Before you can apply for the new closed work permit, your employer must pay a $230 employer compliance fee in the IRCC Employer Portal.

To obtain this letter, email immigration@gov.nt.ca at least 30 days (or up to six months) prior to your work permit expiring.

Application process for the Francophone Stream

Only online applications will be accepted. Applicants can only submit a paper application under exceptional circumstances.

If you are seeking to immigrate to the NWT through the NTNP’s Francophone stream, you can take the following steps to submit an online application;

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility.

Step 2: Register with the NTNP Online Application Portal by creating a User ID. Following registration completion, wait to receive a confirmation email with a link to verify and activate your account.

Step 3: Once your account has been activated, fill out the applicable forms through the province’s online application portal, which include:

  • The Nominee Application Form;
  • The Employer Information and Declaration Form;
  • The Employment Standards Verification Form; and
  • Authorize a Representative Form – Nominee (if applicable).

    Step 4: Fill out all applicable fields in the online application portal. If there is a section that does not apply, write “N/A” or “Not applicable.”

    Step 4: Include the required documentation in your application (originals or certified true copies), including:

    • Valid temporary work permit (if applicable);
    • Signed and dated employment contract(s) or job offer letter(s) from a NWT employer; 
    • Passport (only the biographical page);
    • Birth certificate;
    • Bank statements (three months’ worth) which have been stamped by a financial institution;
    • Pay stubs (three months’ worth, if you are currently employed in the NWT; 
    • Proof of education and previous work experience;
    • Language test results showing you meet a CLB 4 in English and NCLC 5 in French;
    • Education Credential Assessment(s) (if applicable); and 
    • Marriage certificate, divorce certificate, birth certificates, and passports for any dependents (if applicable).

      All documents not originally in English or French must be translated into one of these official languages, and be accompanied by sworn affidavits from the translator.

      Any included documents must also remain valid while the application package is being assessed.

      No business documents are needed from your employer in the initial application, but they may be requested by NTNP staff during the application assessment phase for verification purposes if required.

      Step 5: Submit the application for assessment by program officers. Following submission, you will receive an automatic email notifying you that the province has received your application.

      Next steps

      The NTNP aims to process an application submitted through the Francophone stream within 10 weeks from the date of date they receive it.

      After your application is assessed, the province will render a decision about your eligibility for provincial nomination.

      If your application is approved, you will receive a formal letter (nomination certificate) via email, which includes instructions on applying to the federal government for PR.

      Nomination certificates granted to applicants through the Francophone Stream are valid for six months from the date the nomination approval is issued.

      What happens post-nomination

      After you are nominated, your employer will be required to sign an Employment Standards Verification Form, and both of you will have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of the Northwest Territories before you can apply for PR.

      An MOU outlines the responsibilities of each party from the point a nomination is issued to the point you receive PR.

      Key terms of the MOU include the ongoing requirement to meet the Francophone Stream’s eligibility criteria and the duty to inform the NTNP of any changes related to employment or employer relations.

      You then have up to six months after being nominated to submit an application for PR to IRCC. Processing times for PR applications through the Provincial Nominee Program vary but generally range from six to 24 months.

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