NTNP Business

The Business stream of the Northwest Territories Nominee Programme (NTNP) aims to attract individuals with significant business expertise and investment capital to settle in the Northwest Territories and strengthen its economy.

Overview

This business immigration stream of theNorthwest Territories Nominee Programme (NTNP)is for foreign nationals able to establish, purchase or invest in an existing business. Candidates are selected primarily on their ability to create employment for themselves and for other Canadians living in the region.

The application process begins with a viable business concept and a genuine wish to move to the Northwest Territories. Prospective applicants submit a complete application and business plan for review by the territorial Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. If the applicant is accepted and the business plan is implemented, a nomination certificate is issued and the applicant may apply for permanent resident status withImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Read about the NTNP Business stream on the Government of the Northwest Territories websitehere.

Applicant requirements

To be considered eligible under the Northwest Territories Business stream, a foreign national must:

• Invest:
  • A minimum of CAD $300,000 in starting or purchasing a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
  • A minimum of CAD $150,000 in starting or purchasing a business outside the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Have a personal net worth of:
  • At least CAD $500,000 if starting or purchasing a business within the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
  • At least CAD $250,000 if starting or purchasing a business outside the corporate boundaries of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
• Demonstrate that they own at least one third (33.3%) of the business;
  • If an applicant makes a personal capital investment of CAD $1,000,000 or more, they may own less than one third (33.3%).
• Provide a good-faith deposit of CAD $75,000 to be held in trust and refunded on full performance of the terms of the business performance agreement.
• Demonstrate reasonable knowledge and understanding of the Northwest Territories and the territorial economy.
• Have English or French proficiency equivalent toCanadian Language Benchmark (CLB)level 4. Test results demonstrating language proficiency must be no more than 2 years old and must come from one of the following government-approved bodies:
  • IELTS
  • CELPIP
  • TCF
• Have the experience and educational credentials needed to carry out the business plan successfully.
• Have the financial capacity to start and run the business and to support themselves and any dependants throughout the term of the business performance agreement.
• Have no active application under any other NTNP stream.
• Demonstrate communication skills sufficient to conduct business in the Northwest Territories and to integrate into the local community.
• Have the experience and education needed to carry out the business plan successfully.

The process

There are 8 steps in the nomination process:

Step 1: Self-assessment and initial research

If prospective applicants believe they meet the criteria of the Business stream, they are encouraged to develop a viable business concept and begin researching the Northwest Territories, its people, communities and economy.

A viable business concept may consist of identifying a business opportunity in the Northwest Territories, or may extend to preparing a full-scale business plan for a new venture; the level of work is at the prospective applicant’s discretion.

If a prospective applicant intends to acquire an existing business, that business must have been operated continuously by the same owner for the 3 years preceding the application. The number of jobs in the business and their wage levels must not be reduced when the business is acquired.

Step 2: Further research and an in-person interview

Prospective applicants are required to make at least 1 business trip to the Northwest Territories before being invited to apply, in order to gain a better understanding of the business environment there and of the steps needed to turn a viable business concept into a business plan.

The trip must last no fewer than 4 full working days, excluding travel days (to and from the Northwest Territories), the interview day and statutory holidays.

After the business trip, prospective applicants must attend at least 1 in-person interview with Northwest Territories Nominee Programme staff to review the viable business concept, and to assess the foreign national’s knowledge of the Northwest Territories along with their business and communication skills.

One interview must be held at the head office of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment in Yellowknife, and one must be held with the relevant regional office.

If a prospective applicant intends to invest in an existing business in the Northwest Territories, the business owner must also attend a separate interview with NTNP staff.

Step 3: Expression of interest

After the interview, the prospective applicant is informed of the outcome. If the interview is successful, the prospective applicant has 60 days to submit:

• A written summary of the viable business concept, with a basic outline of the investments to be made; and
• A summary of their findings from the business trip to the Northwest Territories.

If the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment finds the information provided satisfactory, approves the business concept on the basis of its capacity to bring value to the territory, considers that the applicant has the necessary business and communication skills, and is satisfied that the prospective applicant is sincere in their wish to move to and settle in the Northwest Territories, a letter of invitation to apply is issued.

Step 4: Formal application

Once invited to apply formally, the applicant has 9 months to submit a complete application to the Northwest Territories Nominee Programme. In addition, the application fee and any other fees must be paid in full, and the third-party financial verification report, the detailed business plan and an updated copy of NTNP-05: Authorisation or Cancellation of Representative must be submitted within this nine-month period.

Incomplete applications will not be processed and the applicant will be notified.

The Northwest Territories Nominee Programme advises applicants not to make any investment or financial commitment before signing the business performance agreement and receiving a work permit.

Step 5: Application review

Once the complete formal application has been submitted, both the applicant and the business plan are reviewed against the eligibility criteria. NTNP staff may request further documents or an additional interview to verify the information in the application.

Northwest Territories Nominee Programme staff then either recommend the applicant for the NTNP or find them ineligible. That recommendation is reviewed by the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, who takes the final decision to accept or refuse the application.

The application is reviewed on the basis of (but not limited to) the following criteria:

• The capacity of the business to create employment for local residents.
• The capacity of the business to remain sustainable in the Northwest Territories over the long term, based on local market research.
• The capacity of the business to deliver significant economic benefit to the territory, based on local market research.
• The capacity of the prospective applicant to run the business successfully, based on their skills and previous experience.
• The capacity of the prospective applicant to run the business successfully, based on how realistic the submitted business plan is.
• Accurate, substantiated financial statements within the submitted business plan.

Step 6: Approval and the business performance agreement

Once accepted, the applicant is notified in writing by NTNP staff.

The NTNP then begins negotiating a business performance agreement with the applicant, setting out the terms under which the applicant must implement the business plan. Once the agreement is signed and the refundable CAD $75,000 good-faith deposit has been received, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment provides the applicant with a letter of support for a 2-year temporary work permit, which the applicant can submit with their application to IRCC.

To complete the requirements of the business performance agreement successfully and be nominated, the applicant must reside within 100 km of the Northwest Territories business and must reside in the Northwest Territories for at least 75% of the time while holding the work permit.

Step 7: Developing the business

6 months after arriving in the Northwest Territories, the applicant must be ready to establish the business and make the required investment. NTNP staff monitor the progress of the business and meet the applicant from time to time.

Part of this process involves the applicant submitting an interim report to the Northwest Territories every 6 months. A key requirement of this report is to include evidence of expenditure against the mandatory eligible investment.

The applicant has 2 years to develop the business described in the business plan under the business performance agreement. The applicant must demonstrate that they are actively involved in and responsible for the day-to-day management of the Northwest Territories business. Active management must take place at the business premises in the Northwest Territories.

Step 8: Nomination

On completion of the terms set out in the business performance agreement, the Government of the Northwest Territories may issue a nomination certificate to the applicant. If nominated, the applicant must apply for permanent residence with IRCC within 6 months of the nomination.

The business plan

The business plan must be a coherent, carefully considered plan for settling and building a successful business in the Northwest Territories. It should set out the steps the applicant will take to give the business a reasonable chance of success and to make it deliverable on arrival.

The business plan should show that the applicant has carried out extensive research into the economic, market and cultural factors relevant to the proposed business, and that they have considered their own management strengths and weaknesses.

A third party may help the applicant develop the business plan; it is essential, however, that the applicant has full knowledge and understanding of it. Where the applicant does not know the contents of the plan, the application may be refused.

Mandatory content

The business plan must include, but is not limited to, the following:

• The proposed business name and a description of the business concept
• Business ownership details – partnership, sole proprietorship, corporation, franchise, acquisition.
• The proposed industry/sector:
  • The applicant must indicate:
    • The industry code most relevant to their intended investment (under the North American Industry Classification System).
    • The occupation code most relevant to their experience and skill level (under theNational Occupational Classification (NOC)).
• The proposed location of the business.
• The plan for establishing residence in the Northwest Territories.
• The management contribution the applicant will make to the proposed business.
• The proposed amount of investment and an explanation of how it will be spent.
• Projected start-up funds and costs.
• Projected financial data and financial plan (if any).
• The number of jobs to be created for Northwest Territories residents.
• The market research carried out and all other supporting analysis;
• A list of visits made and/or planned to the Northwest Territories, if any.
• Any preparation and training undertaken for doing business in the Northwest Territories (including course titles and the name of the institution (if any)).
• The name, organisation, postal address, telephone number and email of any contracted professional business service providers the prospective applicant has contacted or with whom they have established an active working relationship or a paid contractual arrangement.
• A summary of those contracted or consulted in preparing and/or compiling the business plan, including the name, organisation name, postal address, email address and telephone number of each.

Ineligible businesses

The following businesses are considered ineligible under the Business stream of the Northwest Territories Nominee Programme (NTNP):

• Restaurants proposed within the Yellowknife city limits.
• Seasonal businesses operating for fewer than 6 months a year.
• Bed and breakfasts.
• Property management.
• Real estate development.
• Home-based businesses.
• Non-profit organisations and associations.
• Any business listing the same head office as another registered business.
• Payday lending, cheque cashing, currency exchange and cash machine businesses.
• Pawnbrokers.
• Businesses previously owned or operated in the past 5 years by current or former applicants under the Business stream of the Northwest Territories Nominee Programme (NTNP).
• Any immigration-linked investment scheme under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), paragraph 87(5)(b).
• Any business whose investment terms include a buy-back option under IRPR, paragraph 87(6)(d).
• Businesses whose association could damage the reputation of the Business stream of the Northwest Territories Nominee Programme (NTNP).

Ineligible applicants

An applicant is considered ineligible if they:

• Fail to meet one or more of the eligibility criteria listed above.
• Have any dependent family member, accompanying or not, with a serious medical condition.
• Have any dependent family member over 18, accompanying or not, with a criminal record.
• Have an unresolved child custody or child support dispute affecting any member of their family.
• Are an asylum claimant in Canada.
• Are engaged in a federal appeal process or subject to a removal order.
• Have an active application with another provincial nominee programme.
• Knowingly make a false statement during the application process.
• Knowingly commit fraud during the application process.
• Propose to invest in a business that is operated primarily for the purpose of deriving passive investment income.