Northwest Territories explore strategies for enhancing Francophone immigration

A recent conference in Yellowknife, organized by the Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest (CDÉTNO) and La Communauté francophone accueillante (CFA), focused on creating pathways for Canadian businesses to hire French-speaking workers. Representatives from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada were present to address inquiries regarding the francophone work permit offered by Ottawa. Francois Afane, the executive director of CDETNO, described the employment of francophone workers as a “win-win” solution, emphasizing its potential to fill job vacancies and enhance diversity in Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories (NWT). The immigration to NWT relies on three streams: the Employer-Driven Stream, the Business Stream, and the Francophone Stream. The Francophone Stream enables qualified bilingual individuals with a job offer in NWT to apply to the Northwest Territories Nominee Program (NTNP). The NTNP operates through a partnership between the Government of the Northwest Territories and IRCC, with the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment handling the Business Stream and the Department of Education, Culture, and Employment overseeing the Employer-Driven Streams.