N.W.T. foreign worker program has slow start

A Northwest Territories government program that helps some foreign workers stay in the territory is not getting many applicants to date.

The N.W.T. Nominee Program was launched in August 2009 to help address a shortage of workers in some industries, including the service and hospitality sector, by fast-tracking the permanent residency applications of eligible foreign workers.

N.W.T. employers can apply to the territorial Department of Education, Culture and Employment to have a foreign worker nominated for permanent residency.

If that worker meets certain criteria, the department can recommend him or her to the federal Citizenship and Immigration Department.

The N.W.T. department has recommended only six people to the federal government so far. Government officials say they are still waiting to hear back from Ottawa on those applications.

But Catherine Boyd, the territorial government's director of advanced education, said it is still too early to say if the N.W.T. Nominee Program is a success.

"We're looking at using [the] nominee program [and] other labour market programs and supports to try and help people not just recruit workers, but also to retain and keep them in their positions," she told CBC News.

To be eligible for the N.W.T. Nominee Program, foreign workers in the service and hospitality sector must have a temporary work permit and have worked in the same job in the territory for six months, among other requirements.

At the Explorer Hotel in Yellowknife, general manager Jiten Jattan said he has five foreign workers on site and he has helped two of them apply to the nominee program.

"It's not up to us, it's up to the employees," Jattan said.

"Basically, the employees come to us and say, 'You know what? Can you please fill out this part for the employer because we want to be part of the nominee program?' And then we go ahead and do it for them."

Boyd said the nominee program was implemented because N.W.T. employers wanted to reduce staff turnover.

Nominees can get their permanent residency application approved in six to 18 months, whichBoyd said is faster than other immigration classes.

Boyd said more money definitely needs to be spent to promote and advertise the territorial program.