GNWT immigrant nominee programs need work, says Yellowknife business

A Yellowknife-owned company operating in China says it has lined up people hoping to immigrate and invest in businesses here but they're still waiting for the territorial government for clarity on how to make this happen.

Clint MacNichol works for Yellowknife English Academy Holdings Inc. in China. The company is made up of about 20 investors from the territory and it owns half of an English language school, Zhaojin Yellowknife Academy, in Zhaoyuan, Shandong, China. 

MacNicol says his company never anticipated working to help people in China immigrate to the territory, but students' parents began approaching the school. He says there are more than a dozen families who want to move to the North and many more who have inquired about it. 

"It would benefit everybody — the Chinese families coming over who want a different life for their children and it would greatly benefit the N.W.T. with the infusion of capital, energy, hard working people," he said.

The territory has four streams under a nominee program that allows people to apply for permanent residency. It partners with Citizen and Immigration Canada to fast-track immigration applications. One of the streams is the Entrepreneur Business program.

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People must be willing to invest $300,000 to start a new business or buy an existing business in Yellowknife, or about half that if they want to operate outside the city. Potential immigrants also must show they have a substantial net worth — half a million dollars if they plan on moving to the capital. 

The government's website says it requires people to submit a business plan. MacNichol says he's been asking for information but since no one has used the program before, it's proving complicated. 

"We're just having a little bit of trouble getting all the information we need in order for our Chinese clients to make an educated choice," he said. 

No applicants in the past 6 years 

Kevin Todd, director of investment and economic analysis with the N.W.T. Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, says in the six years it has existed, no one has applied for the Entrepreneur Business stream or the Self-Employed Business stream. He attributes this to a variety of reasons. 

"There's quite a lot of competition with the other provinces in Canada," he said.

"It could be the North is not as an attractive place to live. Maybe with some of the smaller communities, maybe some of the business opportunities aren't as good as some of the southern business opportunities."

However, Todd says there is an application process to vet potential immigrants and determine if their business plans would generate economic benefits here. 

The first step is a face-to-face interview with departmental officials. He says people would have to travel here to do that.

"The applicant would discuss their business plan and then they would be assessed based on their knowledge of the Northwest Territories, their communication skills and the perceived viability of the plan."

If people pass that level, they'd fill out an application and department officials would review their business plan before recommending the applicant receive a temporary resident visa.

Todd says there's growing interest in the program and lots of potential. He says the application process could take as few as 10 weeks. 

MacNichol hopes once people start using the program it'll become more efficient.

"You need someone to go through the process first who is willing to wear lots of padding and a helmet, to go through the process and be patient, he said.

"That way we all learn the things we need to manoeuvre around or avoid. Things will be much better that way."

N.W.T. delegation travelling to Beijing, Shanghai

This weekend N.W.T. Premier Bob McLeod is leading a delegation to China on his second trade mission, in part to try to recruit immigrants. He'll be in Beijing and Shanghai with a delegation that includes local business people. 

MacNichol says ideally, he'd like to see a trade delegation come to Zhaoyuan, to meet with people who are already interested in the territory. An industrial city of 500,000 people, Zhaoyuan, like Yellowknife,​ is known for its gold deposits and production. 

MacNichol says people in Zhaoyuan don't get exposure to programs like the territory's, and know little about Canada beyond associating it with Toronto and Vancouver. 

"That's where the opportunity lies," he said.

"Going to Beijing, Shanghai, that's where everybody is going. Trips to places like here would be much more effective and you'd get your message across a lot easier because you'd be in a less crowded room trying to do that." 

McLeod's visit includes four days in Japan and is expected to cost the government $300,000.