Yukon Nominee Program (YNP)
Located in the far northwest of Canada, Yukon has a fabled place in the country’s history
Yukon’s official provincial immigration program assists eligible employers in Canada’s northern territory to nominate internationally-trained foreign workers and businesspeople for Canadian permanent residence.
Perhaps most famous for the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s, Yukon today is home to approximately 30,000 people, living mostly in the capital of Whitehorse. Its economy is composed primarily of mining and tourism. The territory is an ideal place to settle for individuals who value strong communities and the great outdoors.
Prospective immigrants with the skills and experience targeted by the province may get a provincial nomination through Yukon’s Provincial Nominee Program, officially called the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP).
Overview of the Yukon PNP
The Yukon Nominee Program (YNP) has been in operation since 2002.
Yukon uses the YNP to attract more immigrants to the province to address the territory’s labour market needs.
The YNP targets skilled workers and businesspersons who have the work experience and required education to succeed in the Yukon territory.
Yukon welcomes a few hundred immigrants per year. This, however, makes up almost one per cent of the population. The population of the territory recently reached a record-high of over 40,000.
Yukon has one enhanced stream called Yukon Express Entry. The remaining categories are base categories.
This means that the Yukon Express Entry is aligned with Canada’s Express Entry system. A base category, on the other hand, is one that is not aligned with the Express Entry system.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada’s immigration department, uses the Express Entry system to manage the main economic class immigration programs.
If you have an Express Entry profile, you are are given a point score according to the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS).
Canada regularly holds Express Entry draws, where the highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for permanent residence.
If after you apply, you are nominated through a provincial program, you get an extra 600 CRS points.
This means that you will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next draw.
In addition, you will also get your nomination through the Express Entry profile. You will have to accept this nomination so you can get the extra points.
The main advantage of enhanced immigration streams is that the processing standard is usually six months or less. For base streams, the processing standard may exceed 12 months.
Most PNP immigration streams are base streams, that are not aligned with Express Entry.
You will have to apply directly with IRCC if you get nominated through a base immigration stream.
Yukon Immigration Categories:
If you wish to immigrate to Yukon, then you can choose from the following five options:
- Yukon Express Entry (YEE);
- Skilled Worker
- Critical Impact Worker
- Business Nominee
- Yukon Community Pilot.
The Yukon Express Entry (YEE) program is for foreign skilled workers who have a valid job offer for permanent, full-time work in Yukon. Employers in the territory who cannot find Canadian citizens or permanent residents to fill job openings have access to the Express Entry pool of candidates.
The Skilled Worker program are for foreign skilled workers who are sponsored by a Yukon employer for Canadian permanent residence. You must be working in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level 0, A or B job.
The Critical Impact Worker program is for semi-skilled or unskilled workers who work in an occupation that is in high demand in the territory, and who are sponsored by an employer. You must therefore have a valid job offer from a Yukon employer. However, you do not need to be in Yukon when you apply.
The Business Nominee program is for those with proven business experience who wish to start a new business, partner with an existing business or purchase and operate an existing business in Yukon. You should be ready to make a significant investment in your Yukon-based business.
The Yukon Community Pilot allows those who are already nominated to get a special type of work permit that lets them work for multiple employers in one of the participating Yukon communities. This pilot project is scheduled to run from January 2020 to June 2023.
Yukon Express Entry
Needs job offer? Yes
Processing Time: 12-14 weeks
Minimum Requirements:
- Must meet the requirements of one of Canada’s three economic immigration programs;
- Must have an Express Entry profile;
- Must have enough money to support yourself and your family members in Canada;
- Must have a valid full-time, permanent job offer from a Yukon employer;
- Must intend to live and work in Yukon.
How it works:
The first step is for you to receive a job offer from a Yukon employer. The employer must first demonstrate that there is no Canadian citizen or permanent resident available.
The next step is for you to prove that you have enough money to settle in Canada.
You then complete and submit the Yukon Express Entry application form alongside your employer.
IRCC will then provide you with an Invitation to Apply, after which you will have to provide all the required documents to complete your application for permanent residence.
After IRCC and Yukon’s Immigration Unit verify your documents, you will receive your permanent residence.
