Immigration

Skilled Worker Criteria

Intent

The program is intended to identify individuals who have the capability of making a significant economic contribution to a Yukon business, industry or community. The program is designed to attract qualified individuals that will assist with shortages of skilled workers in the Territory.

The Skilled Worker Program is an employer driven process.  The employer must have a job vacancy and identify a potential nominee.  The employer is responsible for completion of the application form and submitting all required documentation to Advanced Education.

If you are a potential nominee and do not currently have a job offer or are interested in learning more about Yukon, you may wish to visit  the following web sites:

Yukon Work Information Network (YUWIN)
Yukon Employment Central

Eligibility Criteria

  • The employer must be a registered business, industry association or a local, municipal, First Nation or Territorial government in Yukon that has been registered and operational for a minimum of one year.
  • Except for those occupations included in the Skills Shortage List, the employer must verify the need for the position and provide proof that they have tried to recruit locally and nationally to fill the position.
  • The offer of employment must:
    • Be for a permanent full-time position.
    • Be in a trade or skill that falls into skill levels O, A or B of the National Occupational Classification Matrix.
    • Must not conflict with existing collective bargaining agreements.
    • Must meet the minimum requirements of territorial labour standards and must provide a comparable industry rate of pay.
  • The nominee must
    • Have the required certification or accreditation for the specific trade or occupation.
    • Be licensed or accepted by the Territorial body governing for the occupation or trade, if applicable.
    • Be able to conduct basic communications in either English or French, depending on the official language of the work place.
    • Not be a refugee claimant.
  • Both the employer and the employee must sign a Memorandum of Understanding pdf file outlining their responsibilities under the Yukon Nominee Program.

Approval from Yukon Government does not mean the nominee will automatically be accepted by Canadian Immigration Officials.  Final authority rests solely with Citizenship and Immigration Canada to issue immigrant visas and the Canadian Border Agency has final determination of whether the nominee will be allowed into Canada.

Applications must be complete, including all required documents, before Yukon Nominee Program processing can begin.  Copies of documents submitted with applications must be certified true copies.  Documents in languages other than English or French must include certified translations. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

Processing Time

Government of Yukon processing time for Skilled Worker / Critical Impact Worker Nominees takes six (6) weeks from receipt of a completed application.

Following Yukon Nominee Program processing, the applicant and accompanying family members must satisfy Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) clearance requirements for medical, security, criminal and visa authorization in order to work and live in Canada.  The CIC process is separate from the Yukon Nominee Program process and will take additional time to complete.

Contact - Immigration

Labour Market Programs & Services
Advanced Education Branch
Department of Education
Government of Yukon
Box 2703
Whitehorse, Yukon
Canada Y1A 2C6

(867) 456-6813
immigration@gov.yk.ca