Yukon Express Entry

While rich in land and resources, the sprawling Yukon territory is no stranger to labour shortages due to its small population of just over 30,000 people.

The Yukon government opened Yukon Express Entry (YEE) in 2015, a stream of the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP). YEE is aligned with the federal Express Entry system, meaning applicants must have an active profile in the Express Entry pool to be eligible. Individuals who meet the requirements for YEE and have an intent to live and work in the Yukon may be eligible to receive a Yukon provincial nomination. Successful applicants may claim 600 additional Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points on their Express Entry profile, and may receive expedited permanent residence processing in order to quickly and efficiently integrate into Yukon life and workforce.

Program Requirements

Express Entry Requirement

Yukon Express Entry is aligned with the federal Express Entry system. To be eligible for the stream, candidates must have an active profile in the Express Entry pool. To submit a profile to the Express Entry pool, applicants must be eligible for at least one of three federal Economic programs:

• Federal Skilled Worker requires candidates to have, at minimum, a high school diploma, as well as at least one year of continuous full-time, skilled work experience. Work experience is considered skilled if obtained in a position at National Occupational Classification (NOC) Skill Level 0, A, or B. Candidates must also demonstrate language proficiency in English or French consistent with Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) level 7.
• Canadian Experience Class has no minimum education requirement. CEC candidates must have a minimum of one year of full-time Canadian skilled work experience in the last three years. Work experience is considered skilled if obtained in a position at NOC Skill Level 0, A, or B. Candidates must also demonstrate language proficiency in English or French consistent with CLB level 7 for work experience obtained at NOC Skill Level 0 or A and CLB 5 for work experience obtained at NOC Skill Level B.
• Federal Skilled Trades has no minimum education requirement. FST candidates must have at least 2 years of full-time work experience in a skilled trade occupation. Candidates must also have either an offer of employment to work in a skilled trade in Canada or a certificate of qualification in their skilled trade issued by a Canadian authority. Candidates must also demonstrate language proficiency in English or French at CLB Level 5 for speaking and listening and CLB 4 for reading and writing.

Job Offer

Candidates must also have a full-time, permanent job offer from an eligible Yukon employer.

Settlement Funds

All candidates for the Yukon Express Entry stream must meet the settlement funds requirement as determined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Employer Requirements

To be eligible to make a valid job offer to a foreign worker for the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP), the Yukon employer must meet certain requirements.

Job Offer Requirement

The employer must offer a full-time, indeterminate position with a wage that meets industry standards.

Business Requirements

The Yukon business must have been operating in Yukon for at least one year. If the business is a non-profit organization, the business must have been in operation for at least three years, and must have secured funding for at least one year following the application to the YNP. The business must also have current and valid licenses to operate in Yukon.

Recruitment Requirements

The employer must demonstrate that reasonable efforts were made to recruit a Canadian to fill the position prior to offering the position to a foreign national. Employers must meet specific advertising requirements, including advertising the position for at least four (4) weeks in at least two local and one national recruitment mediums.

Application Procedure

The Yukon Express Entry stream is open to new applications at any time. To apply to the stream, eligible candidates must create an Express Entry profile. Once they have received a valid job offer from an employer, both the candidate and the employer must submit documentation to support their eligibility claims. Applications submitted to the YNP are generally processed within eight to ten weeks.

If the application is approved, the candidate will receive a nomination from Yukon to apply for permanent residence. The applicant will also receive a letter of support for a temporary work permit, which the applicant can use to apply to IRCC for a work permit so they can begin working in Yukon while their application for permanent residence is processed. Note that applying for a temporary work permit represents a separate application.

The applicant must accept the nomination from Yukon on their Express Entry profile. After accepting the provincial nomination, the applicant’s Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score will increase by 600 points, virtually guaranteeing they will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence in the next Express Entry draw. After receiving an ITA, the applicant must prepare and submit an official application for Canadian permanent residence within the designated timeframe. Applications for permanent residence submitted through Express Entry are generally processed within six months.

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